Mediterranean countries discuss environmental security at OSCE, NATO workshop

VALENCIA, Spain, 10 December 2007 - Water scarcity, land degradation and desertification are the focus of a workshop, organized jointly by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, the OSCE Spanish Chairmanship and the OSCE Office of the Co-ordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities, that started today in Valencia.

Policymakers, scientists and experts from the Mediterranean region are taking part in the two-day workshop, which will assess the links between water scarcity, land degradation and desertification on the one hand and security on the other. Participants will discuss the specific role the OSCE, NATO and other organizations could play in fostering environmental security in the Mediterranean region.

"By examining the links between the environment and security we are looking into the relationships that land degradation might have on the stability of populations and on migratory pressures, as well as the opportunities that water management offers for co-operation," said Ambassador Jose Angel Lopez-Jorrin, Head of the OSCE Spanish Chairmanship's Task Force.

While NATO initiated the discussion on desertification and security, the OSCE is one of the first international organizations to focus on the impact of environmental threats to security. The Spanish OSCE Chairmanship demonstrated this commitment at the recent Ministerial Council, which adopted the Madrid Declaration on Environment and Security.

The workshop builds on a previous meeting, entitled "Desertification in the Mediterranean Region - a Security Issue", that was organized by the Scientific Committee of NATO in Valencia in 2003.

Organized with the support of the Desertification Research Center in Valencia (CIDE) and the Regional Government of Valencia, the workshop is of particular interest to the countries in the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation and the NATO Mediterranean Dialogue, which include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.