The final meeting of the ‘Civil Society Organisations and Wetlands’ project brought together fourteen partners from ten Mediterranean countries in Tunis from 23 to 26 March. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress and achievements of three and a half years of regional initiatives (training courses, waterbird counts, Red Alerts, etc.) aimed at strengthening the role of the participating organisations in the protection of wetlands.
Whilst Mediterranean wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate as a result of human pressures, particularly in the southern and eastern regions of the basin, this meeting highlighted the vital role of civil society in their conservation and emphasized the need to strengthen its capacity to take effective action
Implemented in 11 countries and involving fifteen civil society organisations, the ‘Civil Society Organisations and Wetlands’ project has helped to professionalise these organisations, strengthened their advocacy capacity – notably through the ‘Red Alert’ initiative – and developed waterbird monitoring via the Medwaterbirds network (Mediterranean Waterbirds). It has also led to the development of a shared data platform for collecting, managing, and sharing information on illegal hunting activities.
“Wetlands cannot be protected without a strong, well-organised and recognised civil society. This project demonstrates that cooperation across the Mediterranean is a key driver for taking concrete action on the ground.”
Laura Dami & Christian Perennou, project coordinators.
Coordinated by the Tour du Valat, this project was implemented in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD). It received support from several institutional and technical partners committed to biodiversity, including the MAVA Foundation for Nature, BirdLife International, the French Ministry for Ecological Transition, the French Biodiversity Agency and the Tour du Valat.
Watch the video below to find out how the project has fostered cooperation between Mediterranean stakeholders and helped raise public awareness of issues relating to wetlands and waterbirds. Through workshops, training sessions and the sharing of experiences, take a look back at the key initiatives carried out in the partner countries.