The European Ramsar Meeting in preparation for the 12^th Conference of the Parties to Ramsar to be held in Uruguay in June 2015, started in earnest yesterday in the Tyrolean town of Kufstein, Austria.

MedWet countries in attendance are Bosnia, Bulgaria, France, Greece, the FYR of Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey. The MedWet Coordinator is present and very much regrets that other MedWet countries (Cyprus, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro and Portugal) are not present.

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to very rich and active discussions (using a “world cafe” technique) on integrative river corridor management, the conservation of Mediterranean island wetlands, and natural water retention measures. Today the discussions will focus on land use and land use planning.

The MedWet Coordinator is inviting delegates from MedWet countries, the European Commission and international NGOs to a “MedWet Briefing Breakfast” on 23 October to brief them on current developments in the MedWet Secretariat and the plans for a substantial MedWet presence at Ramsar COP12.

For more information contact the MedWet Coordinator, Mr Delmar Blasco

Photos credits by Aylin Hasan, Government Focal Point, Bulgaria.