27-Aug-2010

An Exchange Visit Linking Yawri Bay (Sierra Leone) and Joal (Senegal)
Thirteen Sierra Leonean delegates recently visited the Joal Marine Protected Area in Senegal. Authorities from the fishery and forestry departments, parliamentarians, civil society and fishermen of Yawri bay interrogated, observed, and experienced first-hand the functioning of the Joal marine protected area. The seven day exchange visit is part of a process establishing at least two marine protected areas within Sierra Leone, starting with the Yawri bay area.
Below, WIA Communications talks to some of the representatives about their expectations.

30-Jul-2010

The Malian government has made public plans to launch a sustainable development guide by September 2010. Speaking to Wetlands International’s Mali Progamme Coordinator, Bakary Kone, the ministry of environment confirmed that they were indeed in the final stages of reviewing the guide expected to provide a common vision for all Inner Niger Delta activities in Mali. Covering ten years, the first 3 year phase has been guaranteed funding by the Swedish and Dutch governments that also invested into the development of the guide.

07-Jul-2010

The Government of Mauritania expressed its concern for the environment and welcomed the input of civil society during the 5^th West African Coastal and Marine Forum held this week in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Main concerns are the fragility of the country’s ecosystems in the face of climate change and its energy requirements. Civil society representatives, such top officials from Wetlands International, gave important inputs for the solving of these critical environmental problems. 

05-Jul-2010

Nouakchott, Mauritania. Six West African governments have set their signature on a document to commit them to the protection of the sub-region’s mangroves on June 30th. This Mangrove Charter also features country-specific Action Plans in which detailed activities are described to be undertaken by the same governments. The signing is a breakthrough realized by three years of work by nature organizations Wetlands International and IUCN.

22-Jun-2010

Tunis, Tunisia. The shared ambition of Africa’s sustainable development has brought Wetlands International and the African Development Bank (AfDB) together. The first step of working towards this common goal has been set last week in Tunis, where high level representatives from both sides agreed to direct cooperative action on the topics of water and climate change.

27-May-2010

The conservation of the West African manatee has received a strong impulse by the training in and implementation of monitoring techniques to government and NGO officials from six West African countries, from 20 to 25 of May in Toubacouta, Saloum Delta, Senegal. Facing challenges in knowledge on this relatively invisible marine mammal, the new monitoring and analysis techniques create the new norm and lays the foundation for a common database for the whole West African region.

21-May-2010

Wetlands are the home to 40% of the world’s biodiversity. With half of the world’s wetlands destroyed over the past 100 years the home, breeding and resting ground of many of the world’s species have disappeared. Today, on International Day for Biodiversity 22^nd of May 2010, Wetlands International calls for the protection and restoration of the world’s wetlands for the protection of biodiversity.

07-May-2010

“Save migratory birds in crisis – every species counts!” - is this year's central WMBD theme and aims to raise awareness about globally threatened migratory birds, with a particular focus on those birds on the very edge of extinction - the Critically Endangered. On 8-9 May 2010 thousands of people around the world will be attending World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) events which will celebrate bird migration and highlight migratory birds in crisis.

03-May-2010

A task force has been created in Sierra Leone to improve the management of its coastal areas, with the aim of biodiversity conservation and effective marine and coastal resource management. Together with the baseline studies, their work will provide the necessary input to develop conservation activities that will have major impact at the national level.

30-Apr-2010

The internationally important wetlands of Banc d’Arguin National Park in Mauritania can now rely on 16 new guides specialised in waterbird eco-tourism. The Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) project has trained the guides as part of its newly developed eco-tourism strategy, which includes a circuit of observation towers, tourist infrastructure and training of members of the local Imraguen community.