Biosphere reserves are areas of natural value where people and nature develop in harmony. They are designated by UNESCO as part of its Man and the Biosphere Programme. In Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve society is deve-loping in ways that benefit both nature and people. Few places in Sweden can boast such natural diversity as Kristianstads Vattenrike. The more than 100,000 hectare biosphere reserve covers much of the Municipality of Kristianstad in north-eastern Skåne, from Linderödsåsen Ridge to the coast, with the rich wetlands of the River Helge å and the urban centre of Kristianstad at its heart. More than 70,000 people live in these richly varied settings, which have been shaped in part by centuries of cultivation and human activity. The river is flanked by seasonally inundated grasslands, wet forests and reed beds. Streams cascade from the ridge through ravines lined with leafy forests, while the sandy grasslands provide a unique habitat for many species of flora and fauna.
The Biosphere Office works to conserve, develop and support the area's biological, cultural, historical, economic and social values in a sustainable way -- for the benefit of both nature and people.
