The
Malta National BioPlatform, coordinated by Dr. Adriana Vella from the University
of Malta recently organised a Biodiversity Conference with the theme: Our
Natural Capital: Research and Actions toward Conservation. This conference
held on 19 October at the Malta Council for Science and Technology, was
a great success both in terms of attendance as well as participation.
The opening speeches by Mr. Ronald Gallimore from the Delegation of the
European Commission to Malta, Ms. Moira Dillon, National contact person
for the FP6 sustainable development program and Mr. Natalino Attard, Director
of the local government, local councils, were very powerful in their message
and gave an excellent start to a fruitful conference on the subject.
All participants greatly appreciated the initiative and all the contributions,
including the many posters that were made available for participants
from both local and European workers. Dr. Adriana Vella, conservation
biologist and coordinator of the Malta National Biodiversity Platform also
contributed with a presentation and as chairperson of this conference.
Proceedings are being prepared.
The natural world that surrounds us all is the essence of life on Earth.
Understanding and respecting its diversity of forms, dynamics and interactions
may pave the way to more concrete ways of dealing with reducing the serious
loss of biodiversity world wide. Recognising this, the Convention
for Biodiversity and the Johannesberg Summit have particularly urged the
world to focus its urgent attention on the value of safeguarding Biodiversity.
Recently, on World Food Day, the UN Secretary-General also focussed on the
need for greater attention to the role of biodiversity in the fight against
hunger.
As different countries work towards this goal, the European Union is also promoting research strategies and actions for the conservation of European and Global biodiversity. Through such efforts, the Maltese Islands are part of the European Bioplatform project that made it possible for the Malta National Bioplatform to be set up last year, with various contributions to, and from, both government and non-government entities.
With a view to increasing local awareness and promoting research and
action by various entities on Biodiversity, the Malta National Bioplatform
(University of Malta), in collaboration with the Malta Council for Science
and Technology and the Delegation of the European Commission in Malta,
organized this full day conference focussing on relevant biodiversity research
and conservation measures utilized and required for effective long-term
survival of species and habitats.
For further details contact the coordinator of the Malta National
Biodiversity Platform, Dr. Adriana Vella, Ph.D. via email: avel@cis.um.edu.mt
Bioplatform website: http://www.bioplatformmalta.org/