Within two days (October 12-13, 2022), during the LIFE Platform meeting in Burgas, the participants from several Mediterranean countries were able to hear 16 presentations on-site and online. The event also contained a poster presentation session comprising posters from France and Bulgaria, and an online presentation of students from the USA, who worked in Atanasovsko Lake earlier this year.

Bringing together participants of different backgrounds is vital for successful experience exchange. And this is what we experienced during the event. The key lessons learnt reconfirmed:

1.            The importance of the integrated management of the complex wetland ecosystems

2.           The need to broadly apply participatory management (involving all stakeholders, especially the owners and managers) is the key to guaranteeing the effectiveness of conservation investment.

3.           The wetland management contracts are vital in ensuring compliance with the complex EU nature legislation.

4.           The involvement of statutory bodies is obligatory to implement management regimes of wetlands.

5.           Specific thematic workshops on nature-based solutions for wetland restoration should be organized for wetland practitioners and conservation professionals

6.           Toolkit with monitoring indicators to assess the carbon-storing potential of wetlands should be put together.

7.           The wetlands in Northern Europe should be more actively involved in the networking effort.

A booklet with abstracts of all presentations and videos from the Life Platform meeting is available to all interested in Innovative Approaches to Coastal Wetlands Management.
It is available for download from the Materials section.