After celebrating together the 2017 Mediterranean Coast Day in Ghar El Melah, on 26 September 2017, international partners of the Mediterranean wetland conservation project financed by the MAVA Foundation, launched a series of meetings in Bizerte, Tunisia, organised by WWF North Africa and MedWet. First was the meeting of the “M3 Coastal wetland” Steering Group which met to discuss the implementation of the project, review the objectives and monitor the processes. A special focus was given to the contribution of the MAVA project in the pilot sites: (i) Ghar El Melah in Tunisia, (ii) Buna delta in Albania, (iii) Oristano in Sardinia, Italy, and (iv) Ulcinj salinas in Montenegro, as well as three overarching initiatives: (i) governance, which PAPRAC leads, (ii) Salinas initiative and (iii) island wetlands. A monitoring and evaluation plan were agreed.
The lively discussions among the partners continued the following two days with a kick-off meeting of the communication campaign on wetlands, under the lead of the MedWet. The communication officers of partner organisations used the opportunity to get to know each other better, exchange on the issues and challenges to tackle together, and to point out their own strengths and weaknesses. Together with the project managers, they stepped forward with drafting possible communication and policy approaches consistent with those of the relevant target audiences, the joint key messages, future joint events, etc. PAP/RAC will support the local partners in organising the Coast Day events during the lifespan of the project. A new wetland community was born!
