Previous Training of Trainers Workshop © Tim Dodman

A regional Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on the Flyway Approach to the Conservation and Wise Use of Waterbirds and Wetlands will take place from 6 to 10 February 2023 in Mauritius, at the invitation of the Government of Mauritius. The ToT workshop targets technical experts from the following Small Island Developing States and Island Groups: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius (including Rodrigues Island) and Seychelles, as well as Mayotte, Réunion and the Scattered islands of the Indian Ocean.

The training will enable participants to enhance their knowledge and understanding on the flyway approach to the conservation and sustainable use of waterbirds and wetlands as well as ensure a sustainable approach to training. Participants will be expected to disseminate their new knowledge within their country or island group and beyond, including by designing, organising and implementing similar training courses at the national level.

The main training resources used to deliver the workshop include the Flyway Training Kit (FTK) developed under the UNEP/GEF African-Eurasian Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Flyway Project, the training kit for waterbird identification and counting developed by the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) and guidelines for the International Waterbird Census and the BirdLife International framework for monitoring Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas.

The workshop will be co-organized by the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat and the Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS), in close collaboration with the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, Ramsar Secretariat and the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative.

In addition to the financial and in-kind support provided by the Government of Mauritius, the workshop also benefits from a generous financial contribution from the European Commission through its Global Public Goods and Challenges (GPGC) Thematic Programme Strategic Cooperation Agreement (SCA) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).