Meeting of Civil Society representatives from across the Mediterranean Basin to protect wetlands.

On 18-20 November 2019, was implemented the training "Developing a local or national wetland observatory" in Tour du Valat (France). The event was attended by representatives of civil society from countries belonging to the Mediterranean basin (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Albania and Montenegro). This training followed the one held in Tirana on October 9-11 on threats to wetlands.

On November 19, 2019, the "Sustainable Menagement of wetlands in Mediterranean" FFEM project was launched, with #Albania officially partnering on the project. The project is funded by the French Development Agency (ADF) and supported by Tour du Valat. #INCA is the representative of Albania in this project.

This project aims to raise the attention of responsible authorities and CSOs on wetlands before and during decision making on spatial development and planning in the South and East of the Mediterranean. This includes building the capacity of civil society to take action to manage wetlands and increase capacity to influence the development sectors affecting these areas, including targeting the factors responsible for the degradation of these areas.

Mediterranean wetlands include ecosystems with multiple ecosystem services, which are at risk of extinction due to the severe pressures they face: demographic, economic and agricultural. However, wetlands can, in the long run, provide resources to the local community if used sustainably. They can be safeguarded with the involvement of civil society in partner countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Albania and Montenegro).

Further activities will be ongoing and good news is expected to come in terms of wetland protection in Albania, and not only.