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Brief report on MedWet/Com4

MedWet/Com4 meets in Sesimbra, Portugal

The 4^th meeting of the Committee of the Mediterranean Wetland Initiative (MedWet) has just taken place in Sesimbra, Portugal, 21-23 May 2001. The meeting, attended by over 60 members of the Committee and observers from throughout the Mediterranean Basin, was splendidly organised and hosted by the Instituto da Conservaçâo da Natureza (ICN), Portugal, at the Hotel do Mar, Sesmibra, a fishing village south of Lisbon.

Main themes covered

During the meeting the Committee reviewed the progress of the MedWet Initiative since its 3^rd meeting in Djerba, Tunisia, in 2000, notably the preparations for the establishment of a MedWet Coordination Unit in Athens, Greece, under the support of the Greek government. Other key topics discussed included how to ensure the long-term future of the MedWet Initiative, the developing links with the Barcelona Convention and the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med), the development of the MedWet Regions network and North African technical network, the inclusion of Mediterranean specificities in the 2^nd Ramsar Strategic Plan 2003-2008 and priorities for the MedWet Workplan 2001-2002, and plans for the Mediterranean presence at Ramsar’s COP8 in Valencia, November 2002. This will include, as a follow-up to the MedWet/Com3 Technical Session on the cultural values of Mediterranean wetlands, a Resolution on the management of cultural heritage of wetlands and a contribution to the COP8 focus on cultural wetland issues, being prepared by the Spanish Medwet Centre (SEHUMED).

MedWet Inventory

Immediately before the full MedWet/Com4 meeting, the re-established MedWet Inventory Working Group (IWG) met to review progress on the further development of the MedWet Inventory System, and in particular the development by the Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (EKBY) of a major upgrade of the MedWet Inventory Database - the key tool for those undertaking national wetland inventory in the Mediterranean for their handling and analysis of inventory data and information. To facilitate this work the IWG has established a MedWet Database Technical Unit (MWD-TU) at EKBY in Thessaloniki, who are leading on development of the database for MedWet. The upgraded database, scheduled for release in late 2001, will feature full compatibility with the existing MWD2000 inventory database, but also with added flexibility for its use on a wide range of computer systems and with additional functionality. notably with the addition of monitoring and mapping (linked to GIS) modules and data entry in different local languages.

Mediterranean salinas

A technical session of MedWet/Com4 pondered "Mediterranean salinas: tradition and sustainable use". The session reviewed the cultural, historical and biological importance of salinas (salt pans) as Mediterranean wetlands and discussed the major pressures these vital wetlands face from the changing global market for salt produced in different ways. This is leading to the abandonment of many traditional salinas, their conversion increasingly to mechanised production techniques, and to other uses such as aquaculture and rice production that diminish or destroy their cultural landscape and biodiversity importance. The technical session developed recommendations for the future management of Mediterranean salinas and the establishment of a multi-sectoral MedWet Salinas Working Group to promote sustainable management of salinas.

Related events

A study tour on the day before the MedWet/Com4 meeting visited the nearby Sado Estuary Ramsar site and nature reserve, with a tour of the estuary on the last remaining traditional salt boats and visits to traditional salinas, rice fields and colonial waterbird breeding colonies.

During the Medwet/Com4 meeting, Medwet Senior Advisor (and former MedWet Coordinator) Thymio Papayannis was presented with a unique award as a "Ramsar Wetland Person of International Importance" in recognition of his great efforts in developing the MedWet Initiative during its first 10 years.

Conclusions of MedWet/Com4 and its technical session on Mediterranean salinas will be posted shortly on the Ramsar Web site.

-- reported by Nick Davidson, Deputy Secretary General, 25 May 2001

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 28 May 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.