The Executive Board of the Empower the Nature Network convened on June 20 in Ankara with the participation of regional representatives.
Within the scope of the project titled Sustainable Water for All through Nature-Based Solutions at Balıkdamı Wetland, carried out with the financial support of DIMFE (Donors’ Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems) and in partnership with the 5th Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, presentations and assessments were delivered on the dissemination across Türkiye of effective wetland conservation and the restoration of degraded ecosystems. At the meeting, comprehensive presentations were delivered to participants by Dr. Başak Avcıoğlu Çokçalışkan, Nature Conservation Director of the Nature Research Society, and Güler Bozok, Project and Network Coordinator, in line with the practices carried out at the Balıkdamı Wetland and the strategic objectives related to wetlands. The presentations addressed the restoration process at Balıkdamı Wetland, the challenges encountered in the field, the nature-based solutions (NbS) implemented, the outcomes of institutional collaboration processes, and the achievements attained, as well as methods for needs assessment and scientific monitoring in wetlands. Data utilisation, threat analysis, and scientific evidence-gathering techniques for restoration scenarios, alongside effective communication with public institutions and local stakeholders, the development of lobbying strategies, stakeholder mapping, and conflict resolution topics were also discussed in the meeting. Following the presentations, the concluding evaluation session underscored the importance of network member associations promoting ecosystem restoration within their respective regions and conducting advocacy activities to this end, and their support in this regard was formally requested.
Future Planning of the Empower the Nature Network
In the final segment of the meeting, discussions were held on the network’s roadmap, with a particular focus on communications. The meeting concluded with deliberations on enhancing the network’s capacity, advancing the more integrated implementation of local conservation efforts at the national level, and planning the activities to be carried out during the remainder of the year.
