43rd meeting of the Wadden Sea Board held on Ameland

The interaction of effects of different activities in and around the Wadden Sea World Heritage property were in focus during the 43rd meeting of the Wadden Sea Board (WSB) on Ameland, Netherlands, on 15-16 May 2023. Besides cumulative effects, Members, Advisors, and Staff discussed the roadmap towards a Joint Strategic Environmental Assessment. Other topics included communication and branding, stakeholder engagement, and the Dutch-German research call. The WSB also congratulated Sascha Klöpper’s appointment as Executive Secretary of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat.The event was hosted by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality as well as the municipality of Ameland.

The meeting format followed a newly introduced concept of two annual meetings, one of which will be held online and the other in-person. The in-person meeting is accompanied by a site visit. During the May meeting, the participants were introduced to educational and management projects of the NGO It Fryske Gea in Hallum and on Ameland as well as to the artistic community and hospitality project Het Lage Noorden. The activities impacting the Wadden Sea observed during the visit fed into discussions on cumulative effects and how to address them during the development of the Joint Strategic Environmental Assessment.

The next Wadden Sea Board meeting will be held online on 20 November 2024.