In addition to new projects to be launched and continuing building on the achievements of those already finished, IUCN Mediterranean partners and Secretariat have engaged in preparing their contribution to the World Conservation Congress 2016 to be held in Hawai’i under the motto “Planet at the crossroads”. Benchmarking projects on conservation and sustainable development will be showcased and shared at international level to prove the value of nature-based solutions to preserve the Mediterranean and the planet at large.
Among the proposals submitted to the World Conservation Congress, IUCN-Med is supporting a Knowledge Cafe on Biosphere Reserves to present the Mediterranean experience and another one on “Data cold spots – How citizen science can help fill the information void in understudied areas of various regional seas, in addition to a workshop entitle “Are we forgetting plants? How to integrate Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) for plants into spatial planning?” and a Poster on Conserving wild plants for people in the south and east Mediterranean.
Following the World Parks Congress in 2014 "Parks, people, planet: inspiring solutions", the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation will continue working with the French, Italian and Spanish governments to coordinate the Mediterranean dimension within the IUCN Green List of Protected Areas (GLPA). The GLPA is intended to highlight global successes in protected areas in relation to progress towards a fair, effective and innovative management, acknowledging the efforts made primarily in management. Among the advantages of belonging to the Green List there is a better international recognition, more political support, interest in quality tourism and a boosted motivation among protected area managers and staff. In Europe, five sites in France, two in Spain and one in Italy conform the current Green List of Protected Areas.
In relation to ecotourism in protected areas, IUCN-Med will continue supporting the network created through the MEET project to expand the Mediterranean Experience in Ecotourism with the 20 protected areas participating as pilot sites and the involvement of tour operators and related tourism industries. In parallel, various training activities for protected area managers and participatory processes for the creation and promotion of ecotourism products will be coordinated and promoted, through channels such as the World Travel Market in London.
Further work will be developed for the identification and better awareness of Important Plant Areas and the general concept of Key Biodiversity Areas in the Mediterranean, as well as the monitoring of climate change on key ecosystem services in the Mediterranean context through LifeAdaptaMed. IUCN-Med is also participating in the development of the Red List of Ecosystems in Europe which is coordinated by the IUCN office in Brussels. Based on the experience collected during the preparation of the Red List of Forest Ecosystems in Morocco, the work of experts will help identify if an ecosystem is vulnerable, endangered or even critically endangered, based on a set of internationally accepted criteria regarding the assessment of the risk of collapse.
Within the Mediterranean marine programme, efforts will continue to improve the legal, policy and institutional framework to encourage the creation and better management of marine protected areas with a focus on non-European countries. The Centre will be assisting RAC / SPA in the assessment of priority areas for conservation in the Mediterranean, in particular in Alboran, the Strait of Sicily and the Adriatic. The involvement of the fishing community as a key stakeholdedr will be sought in devising nature-based solutions both in protected areas and other beyond national jurisdiction.
Collaboration will the Mediterranean Network of Protected Area Managers (MedPAN) will continue to improve the monitoring of climate change and invasive species. The new Life project will also assist in assessing the carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems such as marshes and seagrass.
Two significant projects will continue in 2016 for North Africa. The Small Initiatives Programme for Civil Society Organizations in North Africa to strengthen the technical, administrative and financial capacity of CSOs in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia; and the project for the promotion of the Value of Key Biodiversity Areas through the participation of civil society organizations in the conservation and management of natural resources in four countries in North Africa.
In addition to this, IUCN-Med will be promoting the participation of North African Members and partners in the World Conservation Congress 2016 and the completion of the current and future programme of work for the region.
A new Protocol of Collaboration will be negotiated with the Spanish institutions that support the Centre for a five year commitment to maintain the offices in Malaga. The support provided by the MAVA Foundation under the framework agreement remains crucial to complement and consolidate the basic operating funds for staff and project activities. Additionally, increased collaboration with the IUCN Members, Commissions, new partners and other regional offices will be pursued. The Management of IUCN-Med will work on expanding and strengthening collaborative links with governmental Members and key international and regional institutions in the Mediterranean, and with local and national partners and institutions for the implementation of local actions.
