The Director of International Affairs of the Biodiversity Foundation, Sonia Castañeda, together with the Director of the Spanish Wetlands Centre (CEHUM), María José Viñals, inaugurated today, in Gandia, Valencia, the workshop “Tools for the integration of biodiversity in municipal policies”.

The one in Gandia is the fourth of the workshops that have been taking place, between March and April, with the aim of facilitating the task of presenting candidacies to the “Capital of Biodiversity” contest of the Biodiversity Foundation, whose registration is open until April 30, in four categories (according to the amount of population of each municipality). The “Capital of Biodiversity” competition aims to protect the natural heritage in Spanish municipalities, through the promotion of conservation initiatives.

In this sense, the workshops will provide local managers with the necessary tools to launch or intensify their efforts for the protection of biodiversity. More than 40 people participate in the Gandia meeting and more than 10 municipalities from different Autonomous Communities are represented.

Designed specifically for local authorities, mayors, department directors, technicians and experts with direct responsibility for decision-making, the workshop agenda addresses the integration of biodiversity protection into municipal regulations and planning instruments; the design of measures for the conservation and protection of biodiversity; communication techniques for carrying out awareness-raising campaigns and financing instruments for local biodiversity protection initiatives.

During the day in Gandia, and those already held in Gernika, Seville and Madrid, the objective is to provide detailed information on the characteristics and requirements for participation in the “Capital of Biodiversity” contest.