Context
Wetlands play a key role in environmental resilience and in supporting the well-being of urban and peri-urban populations. To recognise and encourage cities’ commitment to the protection and sustainable management of wetlands, the Ramsar Convention has established the Wetland City Accreditation Scheme. Momentum around this accreditation is growing steadily, with 74 cities currently accredited worldwide, including 14 in the Mediterranean. However, this regional dynamic still needs strengthening, particularly in light of the ongoing call for applications, which runs from the end of March 2026 to 31 December 2026. Cities will have this period to prepare and submit their applications, with results expected to be announced at the Ramsar Convention COP16 in 2028, in Panama.
In this context, MedWet is organising an information webinar to support potential candidate cities, particularly in the Mediterranean region, and to strengthen their understanding of the accreditation process.
Target audience
- Mediterranean cities
- Wetland managers, including the MedWet Managers network
- NGOs and civil society organisations
- National institutions
- Ramsar focal points
Expected outcomes
- Increased engagement of cities in the accreditation process
- Improved understanding of the accreditation application process
- Better representation of Ramsar Wetland Cities across the Mediterranean basin
- Identification of future candidate cities
Webinar details
Duration: 1h30
Platform: Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86246401905?pwd=7PJwM2TTNwudJbl7CHSxfwLqVFqpDH.1
Languages: English (French subtitles)
Date: Thursday 25/06/2026 at 11:00 CET
Agenda
| Time (France) | Session / Presentation | Speaker(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 – 11:05 | Welcome remarks | Mr. Zebedee Njisuh Senior Adviser Africa at the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands | 5 min |
| 11:05 – 11:10 | Presentation of the MedWet initiative and its role within the Ramsar Independent Advisory Committee on Wetland Cities | Mr. Chris Rostron MedWet Coordinator -member of Independent Advisory Committee on Wetland Cities | 5 min |
| 11:10 – 11:20 | Presentation of the MedCities network | Ms. Carolina Pérez Valverde Head of Policy and Knowledge sharing at MedCities | 10 min |
| 11:20 – 11:30 | Presentation of the Wetland City Accreditation: history, criteria, and timeline | Ms. Sana Mezoughi MedWet Advisor For Wetland City Accreditation in The Mediterranean | 10 min |
| 11:30 – 11:40 | The Wetland City Accreditation program and Wetland City Network: Benefits for cities and their citizens | Mr. Seung Oh Suh, Executive Director, Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia (RRC-EA) / Wetland City Network Secretariat | 10 min |
| 11:40 – 11:50 | Dynamics of Ramsar cities in France | Mr. Bastien Coïc Director at Association Ramsar France | 10 min |
| 11:50 – 12:00 | Feedback from City 1 (Southern Mediterranean) | Ms. Imen Rais WWF North Africa’s Freshwater & Wetlands Program / Ghar el Melh (Tunisia) City | 10 min |
| 12:00 – 12:10 | Feedback from City 1 (Northern Mediterranean) Findings and reflections, 7 years after obtaining the Wetland City accreditation | Mr. Laurent Gavory Natural Areas Project Manager, Amiens City (France) | 10 min |
| 12:10 – 12:30 | Q&A and general discussion | All participants | 20 min |
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