UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, established the interdisciplinary Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) in 1971. It is an intergovernmental research programme that establishes a global network of biosphere areas.

The global MAB network already comprises 759 areas in 134 countries around the world, of which 25 are transboundary.

The Julian Alps were declared the first biosphere area in Slovenia in July 2003.

The Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve covers 195,723 ha, of which:

• the core area, 63,900 ha;   
• the buffer zone, 20,082 ha;
• the transistion area, 111,741 ha.

The area includes within its boundaries the municipalities of Bled, Bohinj, Bovec, Gorje, Jesenice, Kobarid, Kranjska Gora, Radovljica, Tolmin and Žirovnica. The proponent and manager is the public institute Triglav National Park.

Beside The Julian Alps Biosphere Reserve, on the list of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves were also joined by the Karst Biosphere Reserve (2004), the Obsotelje and Kozjansko Biosphere Reserve (2010) and the Mura Biosphere Reserve (2018)

Biosphere Reserves in Slovenia (PDF)

The MAB Programme prescribes the division of the biosphere zone into a central area, an peripheral area and an area of influence. The central and peripheral areas of the Julian Alps are already defined by the Triglav National Park Act, while the area of influence covers the wider Julian Alps.

The programme also includes cross-border cooperation with the Italian Julian Prealps Natural Park

The designation of a transboundary biosphere reserve crossing national administrative boundaries allows for the merger of the two existing biosphere reserves, which together cover 277,000 ha.