Vombsjösänkan in Eslöv, Lund and Sjöbos municipalities in southern Skåne is a 110,000 hectare area of which large parts are nature reserves with both biological and geological values. Here culture and natural landscapes meet, drinking water and food are collected here and there are about 700 red-listed species. It is a special and valuable landscape, despite being close to one of Scandinavia's most populated regions. Now Storkriket in Vombsjösänkan has great potential to become Sweden's next biosphere reserve.

‍Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has designated biosphere sites around the world for 50 years. The areas will act as pilot areas where methods for long-term sustainable development for both people and the environment are created. Around the world today there are over 700 biosphere sites in about 130 countries. In Sweden, there are seven biosphere reserves and now Storkriket in Vombsjösänkan can become the eighth. What is particularly interesting is that Vombsjösänkan can also become an international pioneer as the first area to also work with culture in collaboration with citizens, academia, business and the public sector.

- Personally, I find this really exciting. I believe and hope that culture and innovation can reach people's hearts in a way that scientific information about climate problems and water problems often does not, says Anna-Karin Poussart, process leader and coordinator of the Storkriket Biosphere Reserve where she works on behalf of the three municipalities of Lund, Sjöbo and Eslöv.

Birgitta Persson works in close collaboration with both Future by Lund and Lund University. She is involved in the project to develop the Vombsjösänkan, including through her work with the association ARNA (Arte e naturaleza).

“The challenges we face are so complex and no human being can tackle the problems alone and create a sustainable society. We need new ways of navigating, new ways of leading and new ways of living,” Birgitta Persson tells Lund University's website. We start from the concept of “Existential Sustainability”, an input that attracts us to work more systemically and interdisciplinarily. We work to create networks, unexpected partnerships and collaborations to create a more dynamic innovation ecosystem that includes the cultural and creative sectors and industries. We have not seen anything like this before.

Biosphere reserve Storhas now been approved as a candidate by Sweden's National Biosphere Programme Committee but it will be 3 - 4 years before a decision comes from UNESCO.

Read more about Vomsänkan Biosphere Reserve

Interview with Anna-Karin Poussart

Storkriket website

Lund University

More on the concept of existential sustainability

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