The National Conference on Wetlands in Egypt

The National Conference on Wetlands in Egypt took place on 7 December in Cairo, as part of the project “Wetland-based solutions for Water, Climate Resilience and Biodiversity in Egypt”, funded by the Région Sud – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

The event was co-organised by the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory, in partnership with MedWet, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency and the RAED- Arab Network for Environment and Development.

Bringing together 50 participants from across Egypt and several international organisations, the conference aimed to:

✔️ Raise awareness of the crucial role of wetlands for water, biodiversity, climate adaptation and human well-being in Egypt;
✔️ Share the latest data from the Mediterranean Wetlands Outlook 3;
✔️ Present ongoing national initiatives, including the RESCOM project led by the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium with the support of the Agence Française de Développement and Fonds français pour l’environnement mondial (FFEM), recently launched on Lake Burullus;
✔️ Strengthen dialogue between public institutions, researchers and civil society, and
✔️ Lay the foundations for updating Egypt’s National Wetlands Strategy.

The conference opened with an introduction by Chris Rostron, MedWet Coordinator, who also chaired the first session on the Status and Trends of Wetlands in Egypt. Anis Guelmami (Tour du Valat) presented the results of the Mediterranean Wetlands Outlook 3 and moderated the second session on Wetland-based Solutions, while Elisa Tuaillon moderated the third session on Policy and Governance.

A lively discussion on priorities for a National Wetlands Strategy followed, facilitated by Anis Guelmami and Noha Samy, from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, with key themes emerging around capacity building, local stakeholders’ engagement, science and data, cross-sectoral relevance and sustainable funding.

During the conference, the MedWet Coordinator, Chris Rostron, met with Noha Samy from the Egyptian Ministry of Environment and Vice President of the MedWet Initiative. The exchange focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration and discussing how MedWet can support the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of Egyptian wetlands, including through technical support, knowledge sharing, and regional cooperation within the Mediterranean framework.

The MedWet Coordinator, Chris Rostron, with Noha Samy from the Egyptian Ministry of Environment and Vice President of the MedWet Initiative.

This conference forms part of a broader ambition to mainstream wetlands as Nature-based solutions in national water, climate and biodiversity policies in Egypt.

🙏 A warm thank you to all participants for their valuable contributions, and to the partners and donors for their continued support.