L´Albufera is included in an international network of cooperation among lakes of great ecological value

Vicente Aleixandre has received today the diploma of the Living Lakes Network (27 May 2009)

L'Albufera's lake forms part of the Living Lakes network, an international net of cooperation among lakes and wetlands of great ecological value. Living Lakes has recognized today the importance of the ecosystem of the mentioned Valencian Lake.

Antonio Guillem, Thomas Feske, Vicente Aleixandre (Concejal del Ayuntamiento de Valencia), Eduardo de Miguel and Francisco Collado (Técnico del Ayuntamiento de Valencia).

The Councilman of the City council of Valencia, Vicente Aleixandre, has received today, of hands of one founder of the international network, Thomas Feske, this recognition together with a diploma that credits L'Albufera as lake associated with the Living Lakes network, which began with six water landscapes and which today has a whole of 60 lakes of five continents.

After delivery this diploma, which has been celebrated in the Municipal Chamber, the Councilman Vicente Aleixandre, he has been grateful for this "high international recognition, which demonstrates that L'Albufera is much more than a lake". This way, in his intervention, he has alluded to the ecosystems that surround it (beach, forest of The Devesa, and rice-fields) and all they grant an especial value to the lake.

The Councilman also has spoken about the "responsibility of the Valencian people, which have to preserve this patrimony", and of "the bet of the City Council of Valencia, which for years works to recover and to preserve this natural space". For it, he has explained, "the City Council has realized a great investing effort and also, has stimulated different European projects to favor the sustainable development of the area".

From now, he has finished, "also we want to share all our experience and to learn of the works realized in other similar areas and to expire this way with the aims of the international network of which already we form a part".

In representation of this network, Thomas Feske, has remembered that the associate lakes exchange experiences and design, campaigns and congresses are organized, one of which will be able to be celebrated in Valencia; and joint projects are prepared to achieve a common aim, to preserve our lakes.

Living Lakes was born in 1998 of the hand of another not governmental organization, Global Nature Fund, which as has explained today in Valencia his coordinator, Eduardo de Miguel "promotes pilot projects, foments the conservation and protection of all the lakes, wetlands and reservoirs of sweet water of the world, that they can choose to forming a part of the Living lakes, providing that they fulfilled the requirements of environmental value demanded in the network”.

From now on, both organizations (Fundación Global Nature & Valencia City Council) will represent to L'Albufera Lake in the meetings and events that arise, and will report to the City Council of Valencia on all the activities in which the lakes will have right to take part.

On the photo:

Javier Jiménez (Técnico del Ayto. y colaborador con Global Nature), Julio Aguado (Asesor del Concejal), Antonio Guillem, Thomas Feske, Vicente Aleixandre, (Concejal del Ayuntamiento de Valencia), Amelia Quintana (Técnico del Ayto), Eduardo de Miguel, Juan M. Benavent (Técnico del Ayto), Francisco Collado (Técnico del Ayuntamiento).