Biosphere Reserves: An “Enabling Space” for Communities

This article considers the challenge of socio-economic development within biosphere reserves (BRs). How to achieve compatibility between human activities in BRs has not been considered in detail. Part of the issue is methodological; BRs have common aims, but greatly differ in terms of their contextual elements. We identify a number of “spaces” that differentiate BRs and organisational solutions that can be consistent with social and natural “justice”. Social capital, the supporting values and links that determine the ability of community members to cooperate is seen as critical across the spatial dimension of our framework. The paper also explores a practice-based approach to assess emerging development themes and policy intervention applied in Cat Ba Island, Vietnam.