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Landscape visualizations as an advocacy tool to support wetlands ecological restoration in the Mediterranean

 

Type of contract: internship

Deadline for applications: October 14, 2022

 

Context         

The Mediterranean Wetlands Alliance is a group of NGOs and research institutions in the Mediterranean formally established in January 2017, who seeks to increase the capacity of Mediterranean societies to ensure the protection, restoration and sustainable use of wetlands and rivers (http://www.medallianceforwetlands.org).

The Alliance is currently coordinated by the Tour du Valat institute and currently brings together 32 members from associations and research in 16 countries, working for the protection of the environment in the Mediterranean basin. It is a flexible and autonomous network that conducts, among other activities, advocacy to promote ecological restoration of wetlands.

So far, its main advocacy tool has been the Red Alert, a protocol to support NGOs to protect wetlands under threats at the international level. It includes advocacy and communication campaign support for the institution sounding the alarm from Alliance’s secretariat and members. Such threats are in general unsustainable development projects (a new highway in a key biodiversity area, unsustainable tourism complex, over extraction of water for unsustainable agriculture, etc).

The Green Light mechanism will become its 2nd important tool and focuses on ecological restoration. This advocacy and communication tool seeks to support civil society organizations to mobilize governments to promote the restoration of specific wetlands and rivers. The alliance will contribute to building a vision of restoration (including landscape visualizations) and developing a strategy to promote it among key decision makers and stakeholders. We bet on the power of landscape visualizations to convince decision makers to start restoration actions.

 Objectives of the internship

The student will support the test period of the Alliance’s green light initiative with the elaboration of a protocol to build landscape visualizations that will help member NGOs communicate with decision makers on how to begin restoration actions.

The successful intern will be tasked with supporting the creation of landscape models for restoration together with the Alliance’s members.

Example

He/she will support the elaboration of a specific protocol and questionnaire for ecological restoration experts to help shape a landscape model that can look convincing and attractive to decision-makers so that they engage into wetland restoration projects. She/he will produce visualizations for different sites (other examples at the end of this document), a reflection on the impact of the visualizations in the advocacy actions, and Guidelines for any future Green Light visualization to be made for other sites.

Profile

– Master student in Landscape architecture or related discipline

– Personal commitment to biodiversity protection and interest in wetlands ecosystems

– General knowledge of, and strong interest in, the Mediterranean region

– Interest in advocacy at the international level and in the world of environmental NGOs

– Aesthetic sense and creativity in visual aids (designing landscape models…)

– Interest and aptitude for video conferencing discussions

– Rigor, organization, dynamism, pro-activity, autonomy and sense of teamwork

–  Flexible and reactive

– Good oral/writing skills in English. Another Mediterranean language will be an asset

 

Duration

6 months starting on January 2023.

Additional information

The Tour du Valat, a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, is a private foundation recognized as being of public utility (www.tourduvalat.org). It is located in the Camargue, 30 km from Arles.

Hosting conditions

– The internship will take place at the Tour du Valat in the Camargue;

– Possibility of accommodation on site (66,70 €/month) and canteen during the week at lunchtime (3 €/meal) deducted from the monthly allowance.

– An internship allowance of 591 €/month;


To apply

Send your CV and motivation letter for this internship (in English) to [email protected]. Please state a name of a professor who can co-supervise this internship.

Send a portfolio of three of your previous landscape visualizations, describing in ½ a page how did you make them and why?

 

Selected candidates will be contacted by email for an interview.