Bonn, 17 December 2009 – Organized in the frame of the WetCap project, this workshop was attended by 28 representatives from the governments, NGOs and research institutions of the five project countries Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia as well as of Libya. In addition, experts from BirdLife International, UNEP/AEWA, UNEP-WCMC, Wetlands International, the Spanish BLI partner BirdLife/SEO, the BirdLife Africa Partnership Secretariat and the French Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage took part.

The workshop was opened by Ms. Hayet Mesbah from the Moroccan “Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts et la Lutte contre la Désertification” (HCEFLCD) who welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of this capacity building workshop for the region of North Africa. “This workshop is a significant step towards the implementation of AEWA and the Ramsar Convention in the region as it allows the participants to gain additional knowledge on waterbird and wetland conservation, to exchange information and establish close cooperation with experts from the different countries and institutions and, by doing so, to consolidate the overall regional cooperation.”

The workshop was jointly facilitated by Dr. Lincoln Fishpool from BirdLife International, Mr. Simon Delany from Wetlands International, Mr. Andrew Cottam from UNEP-WCMC and the Regional Coordinator of the WetCap project Dr. Imad Cherkaoui.

After introductory presentations on the WetCap project, delivered by the UNEP/AEWA African Coordinator Ms. Evelyn Moloko, and on the CSN tool by Mr. Delany and Dr. Fishpool, participants from the countries involved in the WetCap project were invited to analyze closely the current version of the CSN tool and to identify gaps in information and potential priority sites for field surveys and monitoring missions. For this exercise, participants were first divided into country groups and, at a later stage, into two sub-regions in order to select and agree on the six priority sites per sub-region. The final selections will be among those recommended for follow-up work to the WetCap Steering Committee.

The last day of the workshop was dedicated to site monitoring, both through BirdLife International’s Important Bird Areas programme and the International Waterbird Census, which is annually carried out in the framework of Wetlands International. Participants were encouraged to discuss the benefits and ways of harmonizing monitoring activities under these programmes, taking account of resources, expertise and existing activities in the region. A country case was also introduced by the representative from the Tunisian “Association Les Amis des Oiseaux (AAO)” for this purpose. In addition, there was a field trip to the Merja Sidi Boughaba Ramsar Site; a practical and good example of a well-managed Wetland of International Importance, thanks to the influence of the National Centre for Environmental Education. Its designation was based on its importance as one of the best nesting sites for the Marbled Teal as well as an important wintering and passage ground for most migratory birds, which pass through the Moroccan Atlantic flyway.

The CSN tool workshop was the first activity carried out under Component 2 of the WetCap project on “Increasing knowledge on waterbirds and wetlands in North Africa”. Funds permitting, it will be followed by gap-filling surveys and monitoring missions in each country in 2010 and 2011.

The CSN tool is one of the most innovative outcomes of the UNEP-GEF African-Eurasian Flyways Project “Wings over Wetlands” (WOW). This central web-based portal combines currently dispersed data found on waterbird species, their migratory routes, key wetland areas and ecological sites in the International Waterbird Census, Important Bird Areas Database, the Ramsar Sites Information Service and the World Database on Protected Areas. The CSN tool will be available online in late 2010.

Launched in March 2009, the WetCap project is a 3-year project, which was developed under the umbrella of AEWA and in close cooperation with SEO/BirdLife. While the AEWA Secretariat is responsible for the overall management of the project, a regional coordinator, provided by SEO/ BirdLife, facilitates the project implementation and coordinates project activities. Technical support is provided by the project partners; BirdLife International and Wetlands International, together with local partner organizations. The project is co-sponsored by the Spanish development cooperation agency Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID).

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