It is with great sadness that we learned of Thymio’s passing this week.

He was a visionary in many aspects of the Mediterranean environment and culture, and the founder, alongside Luc Hoffmann, of our MedWet initiative, the first of the Ramsar Regional Initiatives of the Convention on Wetlands. For its first ten years, Thymio coordinated the MedWet initiative on a voluntary basis and helped it to grow to the multilateral partnership it has become since. His outstanding commitment, his capacity to engage in dialogue with all stakeholders, and his sense of diplomacy were instrumental in setting up MedWet.

He brought together countries, NGOs, research organizations, making MedWet very innovative in its structure, governance, and capacity to foster dialogue for the wise use and effective conservation of wetlands throughout the Mediterranean basin.

He also founded the Society for the Protection of Prespa, MedINA, and contributed to the creation of WWF Greece and the Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (EKBY). Through these initiatives, he played a key role in redefining wetland conservation in the Mediterranean as something inseparable from culture, heritage, and local communities.

I only had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times as part of the Ramsar CoP meetings, but he made a strong impression. I remember discussing the importance of culture and wetlands, and the deep link between people and nature. He consistently emphasized that conservation cannot be separated from people’s lived relationships with landscapes. He was always deeply interested in other people and in new ways to connect them to wetlands, and at the same time had a twinkle in his eye and a ready smile.

We are deeply grateful for all that he achieved for MedWet, for wetlands, and for people, and our thoughts go to his family at this sad time. His legacy will continue to shape wetland conservation across the Mediterranean and beyond.

MedWet remains committed to continuing the path he founded and the vision he inspired, for the wetlands, the wildlife, and the people across the Mediterranean.

Chris Rostron
MedWet Coordinator