In April 2022, a 2-day workshop by German expert Holger Thomsen for more than 30 protected areas (PAs) commu­ni­ca­tions officers identified best-practice exam­ples of communication activities in PAs and devel­oped draft com­munication plans for three “virtual” pro­tected areas in the “Northern”, “Gobi” and “Western Step­pe” areas based on a 10-step approach re­commended by OECD-DAC. This peer-to-peer exchange famili­arized participants with the draft Natio­nal Environmental Education and Com­munication Strategy (NEEC) and encouraged them to devel­op their own local communication strategies.

On Day 1, three working groups used an executive summary of the NEEC to make their comments and develop ideas for improvement. They emphasised the fact that PAs lack political, administrative, and financial support both on national and on local level. This was identified as the main obstacle to successful environmental communication. They also underlined the need for additional trainings on topics related to communication and public relations, e. g. graphic design, photography, and social media management. 

Four working groups were formed randomly. Together, they prepared a best-practice examples of successful communication activities in PAs, e. g. activities for the protection of vultures, and awareness raising events for herders and visitors. This very interactive point on the agenda was much appreciated as it allowed the participants to learn from each other.