Naha-Metzabok Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2010, in Mexico. Located in south-eastern Mexico on the north-eastern side of the Chiapas Highlands, the Nahá–Metzabok Biosphere Reserve forms part of the Lacandona Forest at the northern edge of the Selva Maya. Rugged karst ridges and canyoned valleys frame a compact diversity of ecosystems, from montane rainforest and cloud forest to pine–oak woodland and a network of natural lakes with seasonally flooded shorelines. Indigenous Maya–Lacandón, Tzeltal and Chol communities live within and around the reserve and draw on ancestral knowledge in land-use practices that align with careful use of forest and water. Guided by scientific research and monitoring, the reserve’s objectives are to restore ecological processes and secure sustainable management for community benefit.