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Indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources,
pollution of water tables and watercourses with
deterioration of the relevant environmental
components, the insufficient and inequitable
access to drinking water for the populations, the
phenomena of poaching and illegal logging are
the most critical issues.
Regarding the specific training program in
Environmental Protection, which has been
particularly treated due to the enormous problems
facing the Sahel, the intention is to provide the military with a deep assimilation of the theoretical
and practical concepts of protection environmental and to equip the team with some experts able to
identify the most frequent environmental problems in order to find an effective response.
In addition to the explanation of the basic concepts in the environmental field (ecology and
sustainable development, climate change, sustainable resource management), the issues of greatest
interest in the field of waste, protection of endangered animals and plants (CITES convention) have
been dealt with, with direct links to the most frequent crimes to the environment by referring to the
relevant legislation.
The scope of this type of training is to disseminate in the learners solid bases for an "environmental
awareness" in order to make them able to understand environmental problems. It also helps them to
better understand that the main environmental issues at global level affect the whole planet and they
inevitably have devastating effects, often irreversible, at the level of fragile local ecosystems.
In order disseminate environmental awareness, the ecology and environmental key principles were
also introduced through the analysis of the main international conventions over time, the “Rio
Convention on Biodiversity for the concept of ecosystem and the sustainable use of resources and
sustainable development”; the “Bern Convention on the Conservation of Fauna and Natural
Habitats”; the “Bonn
Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory
Species”; the “Ramsar
Convention for wetlands”.
This last one has a particular
value considering that in
Mauritania there is a very
high quantity of migratory
bird species, especially in
the area called “Banco of
Arguin” National Park, an
extraordinary beautiful
UNESCO site.
The protection of endangered protected species - ensured by the Washington Convention - assumed
a particular relevance especially related to the local fauna and to an in-depth analysis of the national
legal framework that regulates hunting activity.

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