The world is currently facing two major crises which are inextricably linked: an ecological crisis and a health crisis. At the root of these crises is the rise in environmental disturbances. How can we protect both wild species and public and animal health? Recent studies by scientists and stakeholders in a variety of domains are looking for answers to this question.

Following a phase of victorious optimism in the 20th century, particularly once antibiotic treatments were developed and vaccinations eradicated smallpox, recent decades have seen the emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases that are resistant to drugs and other disease-control agents, such as pesticides and antibiotics.
Read more

INTERVIEW OF FRANCOIS MOUTOU

Veterinary doctor and epidemiologist at the French Agency for Food Health Security
"Understanding diversity cannot be confined to drawing up lists of inventories, including micro-organisms".
Read more

Few links

• Consult the Ecohealth website
• Consult the Consortium for Conservation Medicine website

32nd Greater flamingo ringing event in the Camargue
Another successful operation for the Tour du Valat scientific team: over 800 chicks were ringed this year thanks to the help of environment professionals and a great many volunteers who came along on 4 August 2010. They were all keen to take part in the annual event organised by the Tour du Valat, the Camargue Regional Natural Park, and the French Coastal Protection Agency, with support from the Salins Group.
read more

The Tour du Valat in the news
This summer, other than articles about the annual ringing of flamingos, the Tour du Valat has been talked about it in the media. From the research in the Camargue to the work in the Mediterranean. Excerpts.
read more

International event on restoration ecology
The 7th European Conference on Restoration Ecology was held at Avignon's Pope's Palace from 23 to 27 August 2010. The Tour du Valat was a partner in the international event, organised for the first time in France by the Mediterranean Institute of Ecology and Paleoecology and the Avignon and Pays de Vaucluse University, with the support of the Society for Ecological Restoration International.
read more

Involving civil society in integrated water management
The southern and eastern Mediterranean regions suffer from a major lack of water, with annual water consumption exceeding renewable resources. The wetlands that contain some of these resources were destroyed over the last century due to a failure to recognise their value. A great many communities living near the marshes have thus become impoverished, and do not have much of a say in decisions and planning relating to water resources. Wetlands International has set up a project to improve civil society participation in dialogue with the governments in charge of wetlands and water management.
read more

Agropolis Dossier on Biodiversity
As part of its "2010: the year of biodiversity", Agropolis has decided to devote its next dossier to biodiversity. Since Montpellier is a leading scientific hub for biodiversity research, all the laboratories, teams, and research units that comprise the Agropolis community took part in the cataloguing project. Other laboratories, in Banyuls, Montpellier, and Perpignan, as well as outside organisations, such as the Tour du Valat and Telabotanica also helped to compile the dossier.
read more

Some of our latest publications include

The potential distance of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus dispersal by mallard, common teal and Eurasian pochard
Authors : BROCHET A.L., GUILLEMAIN M., LEBARBENCHON C., SIMON G., FRITZ H., GREEN A.J., RENAUD F., THOMAS F. & GAUTHIER-CLERC M., 2009.

Review : EcoHealth 6 p449-457

Community-based conservation in action: What does it really imply in terms of investment?
Authors : ERNOUL L., MATHEVET R., BECK N. & LEGEAY L., 2009.

Review : Conserv Soc 7 p205-212

Find all our current publications