Sussex could soon join the Amazon rainforest and the High Atlas mountains in Morocco if a UN committee declares it as a new "biosphere" reserve on Wednesday.

It would be the first completely new biosphere in the UK for 40 years and the first ever in the south-east.



The biospheres, of which there are 621 selected by Unesco in 117 countries, are meant to bring communities and nature closer together, and make people more aware of their local environment and its value to the local economy and wellbeing.

Chris Todd, chair of the Biosphere Partnership, which put together and submitted the bid for the Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere Project, said it would be as much about people as it is flora and fauna.

“More and more people are living in cities, so we need to create sustainable lifestyles within them and high-quality environments that sustain people and don’t poison them with air pollution or restrict their access to green spaces,” he said.

“A healthy natural environment is good for us, not just in terms of being nice to look at but also in terms of our physical and mental health and a creating a strong economy. We hope that if we become a biosphere it will inspire people to take more control over their lives and the of areas they live in.”



Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere Project video about their bid

Sussex is rich in biodiversity. Extending from the shore, up to two nautical miles out to sea, is a chalk reef and outcrops, home to numerous marine species including cuttlefish, sea squirts and the rare short-snouted seahorse.



Two areas, the Mount Caburn block, near Lewes, and Castle Hill are rare, internationally designated chalk grassland habitats, with other examples strung across the north scarp of the South Downs.

The chalk performs a vital role for the population, filtering much of the area’s drinking water and naturally purifying it as it passes through the rock. Without this essential “ecosystem service”, the county would need to build additional water treatment facilities.

Biospheres, by definition, are not statutory protected areas, in the way that national parks are, and therefore cannot impose conditions on anyone, including planners or developers. This has led some critics to describe them as little more than talking shops or marketing exercises.

But the Biosphere Partnership hopes that through its biosphere education programme and the business partnerships it is forging, it can build a body of opinion with which to influence statutory processes.

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for SE England, who was critical of the bid when it was announced six years ago, said that gaining biosphere status would show “real recognition” for the area’s support of sustainability projects but said that work to enhance the environment must be ongoing.

“This title should not be the end goal, but rather a stepping stone to further progress towards conserving our environment for future generations and, importantly, further education for those living in and visiting the area to respect the ecological services nature provides.”



Nick Roberts, father of two and a Brighton resident, said: “It’s all well and good but will I see a difference to all the rubbish and dog litter when I go out on the Downs? The city needs a clean up too – it’s revolting. I hope that this isn’t just another talking shop or the money will be better spent cleaning the place up.”

The proposed Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere covers almost 150 square miles of the land and near-shore coastal waters between the River Adur in the west and the River Ouse in the east, an area about the size of the Isle of Wight. It would have about 400,000 people living within it.

Brighton & Hove and Lewes biosphere area map Photograph: /Biosphere project Photograph: Biosphere project

• On 11 June the Brighton & Lewes Downs biosphere was confirmed as the first new Unesco world biosphere site in the UK in 40 years