𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 (𝗣𝗛𝗕𝗥) 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗢’𝘀 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 (𝗪𝗖𝗕𝗥) 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘇𝗵𝗼𝘂, 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟮𝟮–𝟮𝟲 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱!

Held once every 10 years, this prestigious congress was hosted in Asia for the first time, bringing together 4,000 participants from 150 countries and over 750 biosphere reserves under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The presence of UNESCO’s Director-General, Ms Audrey Azoulay, at this world gathering further highlights its significance.

Representing Malaysia, the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve (PHBR) joined Tasik Chini Biosphere Reserve and the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve under the leadership of the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO (MNCU) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) at this world congress.

Malaysia brought the nation’s rich biodiversity and conservation stories to the world stage. The congress also shaped the Hangzhou MAB Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035), aligning with the SDGs and global biodiversity targets, and reinforcing biosphere reserves as living models of biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.

The General Manager of PHC was invited as a panelist at Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) side event, while Mr Allen Tan, Director of Operations of PHC, spoke on advancing regional collaboration. Both sessions highlighted the role of biosphere reserves in driving innovation, fostering partnerships, engaging youth, and strengthening resilience for people and nature.

The congress also saw active participation from the MAB Youth, including Encik Muhammad Syazwan Bin Adzhar of NRES and Ms Ng Kim Theng of PHC, who joined global youth delegates in sharing initiatives and ideas on conservation, funding opportunities, and capacity-building for the future of biosphere reserves.