"A biosphere reserve represents a model of sustainable development and is essentially a region that has already achieved sustainability. The 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves (WCBR), scheduled from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25, marks the first time the conference is being held in Asia. A Hangzhou action plan, to be endorsed during the congress, will guide implementation of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme for the next decade. It operates through the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), which includes 759 biosphere reserves across 136 countries. China formally joined the MAB Programme in 1973 and established a national committee for the program five years later.