Press Release (96)137 2 October 1996

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Conservation of Biological Diversity as a Prerequisite for Sustainable Development in the Black Sea Region" Environmental experts will examine the threatened ecosystem of the Black Sea region at a workshop in Tbilisi and Batumi, Republic of Georgia from 5-12 October, 1996. The long-term development and prosperity of the riparian countries depend to a large extent on the vitality of the environment of the Black Sea region. The physiographical and environmental characteristics of this region make it a model for the solution of similar problems in a number of other enclosed seas and large lakes around the world. Fifty scientists from NATO countries and from NATO Cooperation Partner countries bordering the Black Sea will discuss the scientific basis for improved international cooperation for sustainable development of the marine coastal environment of the Black Sea region. Case studies of the ecosystems will consolidate existing data on the current state of its environment and ecology. The workshop will deal specifically with the analysis of the biological diversity and the natural and cultural heritage of the Black Sea region, as well as with the analysis of human impacts and threats to the biological diversity. On the basis of the analysis of these two aspects, workshop participants will try to identify mechanisms and technologies for ensuring the sustainable development of the region. Co-directors of the workshop are: Prof. M. Uppenbrink, President, Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Bonn (Germany), Prof. G. Sanadze, Vice-President, Georgian Academy of Sciences, Prof. V. Metreveli, President, Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tbilisi (Georgia) and Prof. V. Kotlyakov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russia). For further information, please contact Prof. Martin Uppenbrink (fax: (49-228) 8491 200 or Dr. L. Veiga da Cunha, Director of the Priority Area on Environmental Security, NATO (fax: (32-2) 707 4232). For more information, see NATO Science programme