Security issues related to desertification in the Mediterranean region was the subject of a workshop, which took place in Valencia, Spain, on 2-5 December. Desertification is an issue widely debated among specialists, particularly within the framework of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). However, this NATO workshop presented the first opportunity for desertification in the Mediterranean region to be discussed in connection with security, and this novel approach attracted a large attendance, with 225 participants, and a correspondingly large number of contributed papers.
The opening address was given by Mr. Jean Fournet, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, in which he stressed the importance of combined action by scientists, policy-makers, members of governments and international organisations for a better understanding of the consequences of desertification for stability and security in the Mediterranean region.
Official delegations from all the Mediterranean Dialogue countries attended, and experts participated from the following NATO or NATO Partner countries - Albania, Armenia, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the United States. International organisations were also represented, including OSCE, European Union and FAO. Sponsored jointly by the NATO Science Committee and the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS), workshop organizers included the US Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Valencia, the UNCCD and the Desert Research Institute of the University of Nevada. The co-directors were Dr. Jose Rubio of the University of Valencia, Spain, and Dr. William Kepner of the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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Dr. Kepner gave a presentation in which he posed the question – How is desertification related to security? - and slides from this opening presentation are provided here, together with those from his closing presentation. Also provided are the extensive slides of Prof. Hans Guenther Brauch of Germany, whose presentation focused on possible security-related, pro-active strategies to prevent desertification issues posing security challenges.
Other contributions which were particularly relevant to the security issue came from Dr. Peter Liotta (US Naval War College) on the subject of Environmental and Human Security, which highlighted the “trigger mechanisms” that can unleash conflicts and create socio-economic disparity; and from Prof. Uriel Safriel of the University of Jerusalem who spoke about dryland development, desertification and security in the Mediterranean. The Executive Secretary of UNCCD, Ambassador H. A. Diallo also participated in the workshop and gave a far-reaching presentation on the social and economic consequences of desertification in different regions of the world.
The main points raised during a full three days of discussions were as follows:
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