The Man and Biosphere Programme, also known as MaB by its abbreviations in English (Man and Biosphere), arose in the Intergubernamental Conference of experts for the rational use and the conservation of biosphere resources, organized by UNESCO in September of 1968.

Initiated in 1971, it is centred on the interactions between the man and the environment with the main objective of promoting a sustainable balance between the use and the conservation of natural resources, the socioeconomic development of the local populations and the conservation of cultural values linked to these ones.