On September 23 & 24, Wetland4Change participated in the Symposium “+Biodiversity: For Wetlands in Andalusia + Governance”, an event organized by our sister project WE GO COOP Interreg Euro-MED and hosted by the Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences | Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales in Cadiz, Andalucia, home to many wetlands, with 25 Ramsar sites.
The event was part of WE GO COOP’s mission to strengthen collaborative governance of wetlands through the establishment of a Mediterranean Community of Practice for Wetland. Building on knowledge and experience from previous EU-funded projects, the project seeks to transfer and consolidate a regional network of practitioners, and to advance the use of Wetland Contracts as an innovative governance tool that connects environmental protection with sustainable local development.
Throughout the symposium, participants examined the main challenges faced by vulnerable wetland ecosystems and discussed how multi-level, participatory governance can improve management, coordination, and cooperation in wetland conservation. The event also showcased experiences in conserving and restoring municipal wetlands, offering valuable insights into local-level action and innovation.
For Wetland4Change, this was a valuable opportunity to connect with experts and communities from Andalusia and beyond and sharing the knowledge gathered in the 5 pilot sites of the project in Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Bulgaria, contributing to the shared vision of safeguarding wetlands and connected riverbasins biodiversity in the European region and enhancing collaborative governance across the Mediterranean.
