Over 200 participants gathered in Valencia, Spain from 2-5 December 2003 for a NATO workshop to discuss security issues related to desertification in the Mediterranean region.

The workshop sought to provide a better understanding of an environmental phenomenon that is likely to have serious consequences for human dynamics and security of societies, as well as to develop a network of experts on desertification to assist NATO for future assessments and initiatives. Participants noted that desertification is a common threat to the Mediterranean region and is not only a biophysical phenomenon but also has socio-economic and political implications. The main implications of desertification identified in Mediterranean countries were water crises in terms of quantity and quality of resources, loss of fertile areas and reduction in food production, and drop in rural incomes and lack of opportunities. For more information, see the NATO web site for the meeting: http://www.nato.int/science/news/2003/n031202a.htm