At the MAB Programme meeting, 25 proposals will be analysed for the creation of new biosphere reserves or the extension of existing ones. The proposals cover around twenty countries. At present, the world network of biosphere reserves consists of 553 sites in 107 countries. The biosphere reserves are areas defined by local or national authorities with community participation, where new practice is tested to make human activity compatible with nature preservation. The biosphere reserves are true laboratories for sustainable development.

In the Catalan cultural sphere, the biosphere reserves are: Menorca, the Balearic islands and the Massís del Montseny, in Catalonia.