23 October 2013: The Oases Association Network (Réseau associatif de développement durable des oasis – RADDO) has released the report of the International Meeting to Safeguard Oases, which considered solutions to sustainably manage oases.

The meeting, which was held as part of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) and took place in Djerba, Tunisia, from 23-25 March 2013, brought together development policy makers, researchers, government representatives and civil society. During the meeting, participants, inter alia: stressed the importance of multi-sectoral approaches, in particular in the management of water resources; discussed issues related to the management of transboundary resources; and recognized the multi-functional nature of oases ecosystems by identifying their economic potential.

Meeting participants further recognized the role of all stakeholders in safeguarding oases ecosystems, calling on decision makers to promote innovation and help address climate change, and on local populations to preserve such valuable resources.

The meeting was co-financed by the Global Mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The GGWSSI was launched by the African Union (AU) in 2007 to address land degradation and desertification in the Sahel-Sahara region to boost food security and adapt to climate change. [Global Mechanism Press Release] [Publication: Workshop Report: Terres et Vies Oasiennes au Defi du Changement Climatique (in French)]