Credit: Caroline Martin

Yesterday marked the opening of the cross-border "Itinérance aquatique/Wasserreiseroute" wetlands photo exhibition.

As part of the Interreg V Grande Région 2014-2020 project, the Luxembourg Minister of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, Carole Dieschbourg, and the President of the Parc naturel de la Haute-Sûre, Charles Pauly, inaugurated the wetlands photo exhibition on Sunday 3 February 2019 in Esch-sur-Sûre.

Every year, World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February, commemorating the signing of the Wetlands Convention on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The "Itinérance aquatique/Wasserreiseroute" project, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund Interreg Grande Région, aims to promote wetlands through cultural and tourist activities intended for the general public. The aim is to invite the public to discover these environments, but also to raise awareness of the need to preserve wetland habitats while meeting demand for green and cultural tourism.

The following nature parks have joined forces in this cross-border cooperation project, which runs until 31 December 2019: Parc naturel de la Haute-Sûre (LU); Parc naturel régional de Lorraine (FR); Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord (FR); Parc naturel de la Vallée de l’Attert (BE); Parc naturel Haute-Sûre Forêt d’Anlier (BE); Parc naturel des deux Ourthes (BE).

The six partner parks also initiated a photo competition between April and October 2018. This competition was open to all amateur photographers regardless of their age and the material used. The photos had to be taken on the territory of one of the six natural parks concerned. The competition featured six categories, including four thematic categories related to wetlands: wildlife, flora, landscape and heritage, as well as two categories for young people under 16 years old and school or out-of-school groups.

At the end of the contest, 239 photos were received from the six nature parks. In December 2018, a cross-border jury met to select 80 photos in total for a travelling exhibition that will circulate in the three countries (France, Belgium and Luxembourg). The jury also awarded 17 prizes for the best photographic shots of the six categories.