The UNESCO Chair on Biosphere and Man at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences was established in January 2019. The foundation for the Chair was laid as early as 2006, when research began in the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve and the first international scientific conference "Economic, Social and Cultural-Historical Aspects of Nature Conservation” was organized in cooperation with a UNDP-supported project. In 2022, the Chair underwent an evaluation process, and its mandate was extended until 2026.

The direct cooperation partners of the UNESCO Chair on Biosphere and Man include the Nature Conservation Agency, the Latvian National Commission for UNESCO, the municipalities within the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, and the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve Support Association.

 The objectives of the Chair’s activities in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals are:

• Increasing knowledge about the concept of a biosphere reserve among the wider public, highlighting biological diversity and heritage in the development of a sustainable, circular economy based on research results;
• Strengthening interdisciplinarity among the involved parties, including researchers, by creating new solutions for this type of territory;
• Engaging the local community in the consistent and purposeful implementation of biosphere reserve ideas.

Contact information:

Head of the Chair: Prof. Agita Līviņa
E-mail: [email protected]

Chair Ambassador: Doctoral student Anda Mežgaile
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +371 29456089