The United Nations Biodiversity Conference took place in Cancun, Mexico from December 2-17. KKL-JNF’s work was presented at the KKL-JNF pavilion and at a side event on forestry policy and biodiversity in KKL-JNF forests.
COP 13, the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, was hosted by Mexico at the city of Cancun. The COP is the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). About ten thousand participants, including representatives of the countries parties, observer countries and other international organizations met to negotiate agreements and commitments that promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The conference included side events, exhibitions, presentations, fairs, and forums on business, civil society, youth, local communities, and indigenous populations, among others. KKL-JNF was represented at the conference by Yahel Porat, KKL-JNF Landscape Architect and Ecologist, and Efi Naim, KKL- JNF Hula Valley and Golan Heights Forester.
Visitors to the KKL-JNF pavilion learned about KKL-JNF’s work in various fields and were very impressed by the professional publications on biological diversity in Israel in general, and in the forests specifically. Government officials, activists from green organizations, scientists and journalists expressed interest in future collaborations with KKL-JNF.
A number of young people inquired about environmental academic studies in Israel.
An especially productive discussion took place with the Turkish delegation, whose pavilion was right next to KKL-JNF. Plans were made for future cooperation with governmental organizations in Turkey. Participating in the discussions were Bouraq Tatar, an ornithologist, and Moustafa Akintchinoglo, a deputy director in the Turkish Ministry of Forestry and Water.
The Israeli pavilion was located in a very central location and attracted people from countries throughout the world, including countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations.
On December 12-13, KKL-JNF held a side event entitled “Restoring Degraded Landscapes in Israel: Hula Valley - the historical Jordan River and Mediterranean Forestlands.” After a short explanation and video clip about KKL-JNF, Efi Naim and Yahel Porat presented lectures on new forestry management policy, the Hula Lake restoration project, conservation and biodiversity in KKL-JNF forests, and the Hula Park cranes project. About 20 people attended the event, which included light refreshments, drinks and a short discussion after the lectures.
Efi Naim and Yahel Porat also attended a number of sessions at the conference, including lectures and discussions on dealing with urban waste, preserving water habitats in urban environments, recognition of indigenous community conserved areas, environmental projects in third world countries, the importance of preserving traditional grazing areas, and more.
These sessions afforded the KKL-JNF representatives an opportunity to share knowledge with professionals from around the world and create ties that may lead to future collaborations.