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MedWet Regions Network reports on 2nd meeting

2nd meeting of the MedWet Regions Network

The second meeting of the MedWet Regions Network took place in the island of Menorca, on 24-27 March 2001. It was hosted by the Govern de les Illes Balears and organised by Tour du Valat. The 25 participants represented a first group of seven regions of the Western Mediterranean that form the MedWet/Regions network, namely Andalucia, Balearic Islands, Catalunya, Corse, Languedoc-Roussillon, Toscana and Valencia. All of them are autonomous regions, with clear responsibilities for wetlands. It is planned that in the future the network will be completed with additional regions from other Mediterranean countries.

The aim of the meeting was to discuss the development of a wetland conservation and wise use project based on multiregional collaboration. A project structure for Interreg IIIB was agreed with all seven regions participating. Its main focus will be to develop a common information system (based on wetland inventories and monitoring), management plans of wetlands, training and public awareness. The next meeting of the network will be held in June 2001 in Andalucia.

-- reported by Thymio Papayannis and Pere Tomas Vives; photos by Gabriel Perello.

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 ). Posted 9 April 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.