LAB Workshop 2007 in Zagreb

The first international LAB workshop took place in Zagreb, Croatia from the 15-17 October 2007.  Twenty cities attended, representing over 54 million citizens worldwide, and participants included both technical and political representatives. Organisations which attended included ICLEI, IUCN’s Countdown 2010, SANBI and Croatian Local and National Government.

Cities and regions that participated at the workshop were Bonn, São Paolo, King County, Edmonton, Île de France, Barcelona, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Seoul, Liverpool Council (Sydney), eThekwini (Durban), Leicester, Waitakere (Auckland), Joondalup (Perth), Tilburg, Ekurhuleni, Walvis Bay, Nagoya, Amsterdam, and the hosts Zagreb.

The workshop affirmed the foundational value of biodiversity to humanity and the critical role of cities and local governments in protecting and enhancing biodiversity resources. The three day workshop included presentations, interactive discussions, poster displays, technical site visits and social events. Presentations by the participating cities covered the topics of biodiversity management challenges, tools for biodiversity planning and management, and ideas for initiating and implementing the 5 LAB on-the-ground initiatives.

The workshop also afforded participants the opportunity to enjoy what the City of Zagreb had to offer. City tours were provided by the Zagreb Tourist Board, the technical site visit included 4 natural park areas all within close proximity to the city centre, and social events were organised in the evenings, which included a reception dinner hosted by the Deputy Mayor of Zagreb.

View photographs from the workshop here