The Ramsar [1]Convention, Initiative MedWet [2]and Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts et à la Lutte contre la Désertification du Maroc [3] (Moroccan High Commission on Water, Forests and Combating Desertification) are holding an international symposium on water and wetlands in the Mediterranean basin, which will take place from 6 to 8 February 2012 in the Moroccan city of Agadir. The event will be attended by some of the most important wetland conservation bodies – BirdLife International [4], UICN [5], the Tour du Valat, WetlandsInternational [6]and WWF International [7].
The aim of the 2012 symposium is to assess the status of water and wetlands in the Mediterranean, evaluate the many issues involved, and draw up an action plan for the next 20 years.
In 1991, a first International Symposium on Wetlands in the Italian city of Grado gave rise to the MedWet Initiative, which has become a model for the protection of Mediterranean wetlands
20 years later, the Agadir Symposium intends to assess the current situation, and identify the new issues for the next 20 years. It will also be an opportunity to present the first results of the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory’s first report “Mediterranean Wetlands Outlook 2012”.
L’occasion également de présenter les premiers résultats du 1er rapport de l’Observatoire des Zones Humides Méditerranéennes « Les zones humides méditerranéennes : état des lieux 2012 ».
You can already register online at the symposium website, agadir2012.medwet.org [8], which will tell you all you need to know about the programme, objectives, partners, registration procedure, and much more.