A workshop on "Ecological restoration of steppe and grassland in semiarid regions" was held at the University of Alicante on 17, 18 and 19 October, as to exchange experiences between Spain and other countries of North Africa.

The workshop was organized by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) joint with the AU-CEAM Unit, which includes members of the Department of Ecology at the University of Alicante and the Foundation of Centre for Environmental Studies in the Mediterranean (CEAM). This meeting is part of a project managed by IUCN-Med and is funded by the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID).The workshop attendees are currently working on forest management and administrations in North African countries.

In North Africa, the overexploitation of resources, through agriculture and overgrazing, has triggered the degradation of the steppes. The restoration of these areas requires action to improve the management and use of resources, and the application of agricultural systems with less impact on the environment.

The workshop addressed various aspects of ecological restoration: restoration techniques, projects to combat desertification and ecosystem services. The workshop also included two field trips to the area of Huéscar as to know some of the projects undertaken by the UA-CEAM team and share local experiences on grazing and steppes management as well as to discuss the workshop results.