1. Introduction
When the Mediterranean members of IUCN set off in 1994 to create
a Mediterranean programme of IUCN, no one could have envisaged
how far the idea would come, but after 10 years, it is a reality
with a functional team and network. The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean
Cooperation (IUCN-Med) began working on 1 October 2001 and this
activity report for 2004 intends to bring IUCN members and partners
in the region up to date with activities carried out in our fourth
year of operation. The Centre receives core support from the
Consejería de Medio Ambiente of Junta de Andalucia and
the Ministry of Environment (Spain), which we acknowledge with
grateful thanks.
Most of the areas in which we have focussed in 2004 deal with the reinforcement
of capacity (both inside and outside the office) and launching pilot activities
to build a regional constituency, identifying how best to respond to the regional
needs and context, adapting and adopting IUCN procedures to our local reality,
while building working and personal relationships with key Spanish and Mediterranean
partners. During the year, collaboration agreements have been reached with
Fundación CONAMA, Seo Bird Life - Malaga Science and Technology Park,
The Regional Activity Centre of Specially Protected Areas (RAC SPA), Italian
Ministry of Environment, University of Valencia, Forum de Barcelona and the
European Commission.
In addition to this we have run a series of activities to demonstrate IUCN's
added value and to continue to build good working relations with key regional
partners, IUCN National Committees, and IUCN members. Not least we have also
developed innovative ways of working with the European and West & Central
Asia and North Africa (WesCANA) programmes, regional commissions and global
thematic programmes in a cross cutting manner as this programme is unique within
IUCN in developing an ecosystem approach to programming (1). Amongst other
things, IUCN-Med established closer internal working relations with IUCN programmes
and initiatives such as WesCANA through the implementation of the North Africa
Biodiversity Programme in Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia; the Global Marine Programme;
the Water and Nature Initiative (WANI); the Global Programme; the Environmental
Law Programme; the Monitoring and Evaluation Initiative; the Forest Conservation
Programme; the Species Survival Commission Duck, Turtle and Shark Specialist
Groups and with the Conservation International Centre for Applied Biodiversity
Science- Biodiversity Assessment Initiative.
The external strategic review, finalised in November 2004, has shown that the
majority of over 100 members and partners interviewed feel that IUCN does good
quality work, has a positive image and provides leadership on a wide range
of issues, being regarded in the region as a credible partner. This very encouraging
result reflects very positively on the Mediterranean membership as a whole,
and also on the Centre's core donors, the Junta of Andalucia and the Ministry
of Environment of Spain who have supported the development of the office and
programme. The Naples members meeting in June also showed how the Secretariat
and Members can work together to share experience and build a more sustainable
Mediterranean.
The next few years set the scene for further strengthening of our working relations
with our members throughout the Mediterranean, now that we have a competent
professional team in place - they work hard and play hard and are a great group
of people to work with, so do get in touch with us if you have any ideas you
want to take forward with other members in the region.
(1) In that respect it is worth mentioning that
the Mediterranean programme is conceived as a regional thematic
programme, and does not seek to replace or duplicate any ongoing
RoFE or WesCANA programmes in the region.
| Mediterranean results: |
The management structure and systems for the Mediterranean
Programme are developed and strengthened to support effective
delivery of the programme.
Sources of funding are diversified over time.
Project pipeline is strong and relevant to the key needs
of the region. |
In addition to these structural issues the Centre
also began running technical activities that are described in
more detail below.
2. Programme development and implementation
The 2002-2004 strategy for the programme envisages a set of
key results in different programme areas, and the table below
summarises key result areas where progress has been made during
2004.
Much of 2004 has been devoted to the IUCN Mediterranean Members
Meeting held in Naples in June, graciously hosted by the Italian
Ministry of Environment and the Vesuvius National Park and to
prepare the Mediterranean contributions to the World Conservation
Congress in Bangkok, 17-26 November 2004, we have also put in
place a contribution process in Spanish, French and English to
develop the 2005-2008 a intersessional plan that provides the
framework for our future activities.
Below you will find summaries of the main activities led by the IUCN Centre
for Mediterranean Cooperation followed by its contributions to the implementation
of other processes.
Relevant documents:
2002-2004 strategy EN | FR | ES
Intersessional Programme 2005-2008: EN | ES
Regional Situation Analysis (May 2003): EN
Table. Mediterranean results areas from
the 2002-2004 strategy where progress has
been made in 2004.
|
KEY RESULT AREA |
MEDITERRANEAN PROGRAMME
RESULTS |
- Effective management and restoration of ecosystems
|
- The effectiveness of PAs at regional level is assessed
and improved
- Multi-country/transboundary actions for biodiversity
conservation are supported
- Support is given to the sustainable management of Mediterranean
forests
- The sustainable use of Mediterranean fishery resources
is pursued
- Integrated water catchments management is promoted
|
- Key institutions, agreements, processes and policies
|
- Development and implementation of Barcelona Convention
provisions on biodiversity and resources use are supported
- Refinement of legal instruments for protected areas
is undertaken
- Implementation of Convention on Biological Diversity
is supported in the region
- Mediterranean outputs to the World Parks Congress (2003)
are promoted
- Guidance on adaptation strategies to climate change
is developed under the UNFCCC
|
- Equitable sharing of costs and benefits
|
- Protected areas are used to support and revitalise
rural economies.
- Experience in integrating conservation and local economies
is developed and shared
|
- Assessment of biodiversity and of related social and
economic factors
|
- Information on species and PAs is made available to
regional actors
- Status of threatened species in fisheries is assessed
|
- Information management and communication systems
|
- A technical bridge between global convention processes
and the Mediterranean region is developed
|
- Effective, efficient, and accountable governance and
management of the Union
|
- North-South linkages between IUCN members are supported
and structured
- Capacity of IUCN Commissions in the region to support
the programme is enhanced
- The management structure and systems for the Med Programme
are developed and strengthened to support effective delivery
of the programme
- Leadership is provided by the IUCN Secretariat and
the IUCN membership
- Sources of funding are diversified over time
- Project pipeline is strong and relevant to the key
needs of the region
- Linkages, networking and partnerships among IUCN members
and Commissions in the region to support the programme
are enhanced
|
2.1 Processes and projects organised by IUCN
Azahar Seminar: Nature Tourism as Driving Force of Sustainable
Development
A
seminar to encourage sustainable tourism initiatives linked to
Mediterranean protected areas was held in Malaga from 6-17 September.
More than 20 participants from 12 southern countries -Albania,
Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco,
Mauritania, Serbia and Montenegro, Tunisia, Syria and Turkey
- exchanged knowledge and identified opportunities for joint
cooperation on sustainable tourism during the two week seminar
held in Malaga. This activity was supported by the Spanish Agency
of International Cooperation (AECI) and is a contribution to
implementing the conclusions of the World Parks Congress in Durban
(2003).
Documents:
Project
Report (only in Spanish)
Links:
Azahar
Programme http://www.programa-azahar.org/
| Mediterranean results: |
- Protected Areas are used to support and revitalise rural
economies
- The effectiveness of PAs at regional level is assessed and improved |
Marine Biodiversity Conservation beyond Territorial Waters
in the Mediterranean
A
two-day legal experts' workshop, hosted by IUCN's Centre for
Mediterranean Cooperation and the Total Corporation, was held
in Malaga on 15-16 March. The discussions focused on how to improve
the protection of high sea maritime zones in the Mediterranean
(as no exclusive economic zone has been declared in the Mediterranean)
through closer cooperation between neighbouring states. One of
the main themes was the harmonisation of high seas protection
measures, such as the creation of specially protected areas and
the extension of jurisdiction beyond the existing breadth of
12 nautical miles with sui generi zones such as fishing and ecological
zones. Strengthening the Mediterranean legal framework for marine
conservation further supports the reinforcement governance of
the high sea (which covers 80% of the global oceans). The workshop
was held in partnership with the IUCN Environmental Law and Marine
Programmes.
A full information pack on the legal aspects of the governance
of the Mediterranean Sea has been produced following the completion
of the first phase of this programme. The CD-ROM containing the
information lays the foundations for future work linking governance
to management of natural resources and the establishment of high
seas marine protected areas within the Mediterranean region.
Documents:
CDrom
Towards an Improved Governance in the Mediterranean Beyond Territorial
seas.
| Mediterranean results: |
- A technical bridge between global conventions processes
and the Mediterranean region is developed.
- Refinement of legal instruments for protected areas is undertaken |
Promoting Sustainable Aquaculture in the Mediterranean
To
ensure that the aquaculture sector in the Mediterranean does
not exacerbate environmental degradation and social tensions,
the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation convened a group
of experts from Algeria, Belgium, France, Spain and Tunisia in
May in Barcelona to discuss development of a programme on aquaculture
and environment-related issues. The objectives of the programme
include promoting best environmental management practices for
sustainable aquaculture, and developing and reinforcing communication,
partnerships and links between environmental representatives
and the aquaculture sector in the Mediterranean. The meeting
was followed by a workshop held in Bangkok during the World Conservation
Congress in November to present sustainable aquaculture practice
in the Mediterranean.
The first conclusion is that more communication and collaboration between conservation
and the production sector is necessary. A memorandum of Cooperation between
IUCN and the Federation of European Aquaculture producers (FEAP) has been prepared.
On the other hand, it has been agreed that more work has to be done about criteria
and indicators for sustainable development of aquaculture.
Documents:
Mediterranean
Marine Aquaculture and Environment. Outcomes of the workshop
hosted in Barcelona, May 2004
(PDF - 384KB)
L'aquaculture
en Algerie et son contexte Maghrebin (only
in French)
| Mediterranean results: |
- The sustainable use of Mediterranean fishery resources
is pursued.
- Linkages, networking and partnerships among IUCN members and Commissions
in the region to support the programme is enhanced |
|
|
The Mediterranean
deep-sea: highly valuable ecosystems
in need of protection - (PDF)
Book EN
Brochure EN
| FR
| ES
|
The Mediterranean Deep-Sea: Highly Valuable Ecosystems in Need
of Protection
Submarine canyons, cold seeps, brine pools, cold water corals
and seamounts are the hidden secrets of the Mediterranean deep
seas. Deep waters ecosystems are highly vulnerable to commercial
exploitation due to the low turnover rates of the species adapted
to these environments and the lack of adaptation of deep ecosystems
to cope with strong external perturbations. The CoP-7 of the
Convention on Biological Diversity (Kuala Lumpur, 2004) invites
States to raise their concerns regarding the issue of conservation
and sustainable use of genetic resources of the deep sea bed
beyond limits of national jurisdiction. A round table on the
knowledge and conservation status of the Mediterranean deep sea
ecosystem has been organised during the Commission Internationale
pour L'Exploration Scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée
(CIESM) in June in Barcelona. As a result, a proposal to ensure
the long-term sustainability of Mediterranean deep-sea ecosystems
based upon sound scientific information currently available has
been published by a joint initiative between the WWF Mediterranean
Programme and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.
| Mediterranean results: |
- Status of threatened species in fisheries is assessed |
Ecosystem approach to Mediterranean Fisheries
The IUCN Fisheries Working
Group of the European Sustainable Use Specialist
Group met in Brussels from 25-27 March. Over-fishing,
degradation of the marine environment and
loss of marine biodiversity are on-going problems
occurring in the Mediterranean waters. Marine
ecosystems are complex communities of interacting
organisms and our knowledge of them is limited.
In addition, the way in which fisheries affect
them is badly understood.
The ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF)
emerged during the 1990s as a concept related
to the management of biodiversity and natural
resources. This concept is firmly embedded
in a number of key international documents
and legal instruments. The introduction of
the ecosystem approach to fisheries management
aims to ensure that fishery management decisions
do not adversely affect the marine environment
and wildlife. Although there are some conceptual
problems with this term, IUCN experts believe
this approach may contribute to maintaining
the health of the ecosystem. They are therefore
identifying possibilities to implement this
concept to fisheries across the Mediterranean
region. Implementation may kick off through
the development of case studies under the
framework of the General Fisheries Commission
for the Mediterranean (GFCM) projects. A first
case study on the Alboran sea is being considered.
A second workshop was held with the same group
of specialists in Copenhagen in October 2004.
It was decided to propose to the European
Commission a 3-year project to identify best
practices for implementation of the Ecosystem
Approach to Fisheries (EAF). A third workshop
on EAF was organised during the Forum of the
World Conservation Congress in Bangkok in
order to exchange views and experiences at
the global level.
Other issues discussed during the meetings
of the IUCN Fisheries Working Group-European
Sustainable Use Specialist Group were shark
finning, high seas protected areas and by-catch.
A sub-group of inland water fisheries was
also set up within the IUCN Fisheries Working
Group.
Documents:
Report
of the Workshop on the Ecosystem Approach
with a Focus on the Mediterranean Sea
(Brussels 2004).
Report: Subcommittee on Marine
Environment and Ecosystems (SCMEE) Scientific Advisory Committee
(SAC) General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean
(GFCM) (Malaga, May 2004)
Summary of the views on ecosystem
approach to fisheries of the 15th Meeting of the ESUSG’s
Fisheries Working Group (Copenhagen, October 2004)
The 3rd IUCN World Conservation
Congress: Workshop on “Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries".
(Bangkok, November 2004)
IUCN Information Paper
on Shark finning
| Mediterranean
result: |
- Linkages, networking and partnerships
among IUCN members and Commissions in the region to support
the programme is enhanced
- The sustainable use of Mediterranean fishery resources is pursued |
Integrated Catchment Management in the Basin of the Moulouya,
Morocco
Within
its Water and Wetlands programme, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean
Cooperation is developing pilot projects aiming to promote the
use of environmental flows as a tool to develop integrated watershed
management plans. During the week of 22-26 of March, staff from
the Centre visited Morocco in a mission to explore the possibilities
to undertake a project in the Basin of the Moulouya, and to identify
and strengthen linkages with potential partners.
The largest basin of Morocco (54,500 km2), the Moulouya suffers
from long drought periods combined with sudden floods, problems
of erosion and dam siltation. It has two sites of special ecological
interest declared, one at the river mouth and the other in the
surroundings of the Mohamed V reservoir. The meetings held between
the director of the Moulouya Basin Agency (ABM), M.Abdelilah
Wardi, helped to identify points of common interest, such as
capacity building of the ABM staff, climate change adaptation
and management of the sites of special ecology interest management
(SIBEs).
A second scoping mission was held in early July to better define
the issues the project would tackle. In close cooperation with
personnel of the Moulouya Basin Agency, the IUCN-Med delegation
drafted a project proposal to submit to potential donors. During
this project definition phase the main working lines of the project
were defined; such as the cooperative implementation by IUCN-Med
jointly with the Agence du Bassin Hydraulique de la Moulouya
and regional stakeholders. The main objective will be the sustainable
development in the region maintaining the basin ecological functions
and its biodiversity richness.
The process will also provide clear linkages and will put into
practice proposals and environmental flows methodologies in the
basin. The project will complement the already ongoing activities
in the delta region done by the Département des Eaux et
Fôrets through the project funded by GEF and will increase
the capacity in the river agency but also through the local NGOs
and the universities holding relevant data and capable of providing
technical advice to the ABM.
Links:
Water & Nature
Initiative http://www.waterandnature.org/
Direction Générale
de l'Hydraulique de Maroc. http://www.mtpnet.gov.ma/dgh/
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change http://unfccc.int/2860.php
| Mediterranean results: |
- Integrated Catchment Management is
promoted
- Guidance on adaptation strategies to climate change is developed under
the UNFCCC |
Environmental Flows Can Help to Manage Ephemeral Rivers
Many Mediterranean rivers are temporary - that
is to say they do not flow constantly, but dry out in summer.
How to use rainy periods to recharge groundwater sources to secure
water during drought, or to include social matters such as flood
risk management, were just two out of the many faces of river
management that were raised at the workshop on the Provision
of Environmental Flows in Intermittent and Ephemeral Mediterranean
Watercourses organized by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
on 18th September in Madrid. Scientists from across the Mediterranean
basin and even from other areas of the world with Mediterranean
climate (South Africa, Australia) concluded that the use of environmental
flows as a framework for integrated water management might be
valuable in trading off the economic, social and environmental
needs of these special habitats associated with water scarcity.
However, experts pointed out the lack of knowledge of these ecosystems
and hence the lack of a scientific basis for managing them. The
meeting contributed to consolidating a network of experts on
environmental flows for ephemeral rivers (also known as temporary,
seasonal, wadis, or intermittent systems). The network is assessing
to what extent environmental flow approach can manage ephemeral
rivers; compile the current knowledge on this field as well as
evaluate what might be needed to adapt environmental flow assessment
tools to ephemeral rivers.
Report:
Mediterranean ephemeral watercourses
Working documents:
Biotic
Components of an ephemeral stream in Mediterranean:
Study case of the Zegzel-Cherraa system in
Morocco
River dynamics
of intermitent/ephemeral rivers
| Mediterranean results: |
- Integrated Catchment Management is promoted |
Red Lists for Amphibians, Reptiles, Freshwater Fishes and Sharks
in the Mediterranean
More
than sixty experts gathered in a five-day workshop in Malaga
in December to finalise species assessments for the 108 species
of amphibians, the 370 species of reptiles recorded in this region
and develop a population assessment for 249 freshwater fishes
endemic to the Mediterranean. With amphibians, reptiles and fishes
relying on freshwater, their decline is a warning about the state
of the Mediterranean water resources. Even though the situation
in freshwater habitats is less well known than for terrestrial
habitats, early signs show it is likewise serious. Unique forms
of life and relic species can be lost in the coming years if
we do not halt biodiversity loss. IUCN is working on guidelines
and criteria at regional level that will help conservation planning
and implementation in the region and also feed into the global
assessments being made for all major taxonomic groups.
Shark fisheries have expanded dramatically in size and number around the world
since the mid-1980s, primarily in response to the rapidly increasing demand
for shark fins, meat and cartilage. Despite the boom-and-bust nature of virtually
all shark fisheries over the past century, most shark fisheries today still
lack monitoring or management. The Mediterranean region is known to be an important
habitat for cartilaginous fish and is thought to encompass unique breeding
grounds for species such as the White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
and Thornback Ray (Raja clavata). It may be surprising then that there
is insufficient information for many Mediterranean species. Further research
on the ecological status and exploitation of these populations is urgently
needed. The preliminary results of a workshop of experts convened by the IUCN
(Shark Specialist Group, Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, and Global Marine
Program) highlighted the highly threatened status of several sharks and rays.
Some species, such as the Mediterranean populations of Sawfishes (Pristis
spp) and Common or Gray Skates (Dipturus batis), may even be locally
extinct. Approximately 46% of sharks and related species in the Mediterranean
are threatened (IUCN categories "Critically Endangered", "Endangered" or "Vulnerable").
However, 30% are "Data Deficient" which indicates a lack of scientific
and fisheries data but it must be emphasised this does not necessarily exclude
these species from being a conservation concern. The Barcelona Convention recently
adopted an Action Plan for cartilaginous fish and IUCN supports its implementation.
IUCN is grateful to all the participating scientists for offering to share
their data on these species through the Red List assessment process.
Mediterranean Red Lists:
Mediterranean sharks
Endemic freshwater fish
Reptiles
Amphibians
Partners:
Conservation
International (http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/home)
IUCN Species Survival
Commission (http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/)
IUCN
Shark Specialist Group (http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/organizations/ssg/ssg.htm)
| Mediterranean results: |
- Capacity of IUCN Commissions in the
region to support the programme is enhanced
- Information on species and PAs is made available to regional actors
- The sustainable use of Mediterranean fishery resources is pursued |
Cooperating for the implementation of the Protocol concerning
Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity of the Barcelona
Convention
A 3-day workshop was organised in Malaga in
close cooperation with the Regional Activity Centre for Specially
Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) in order to discuss and propose a set
of criteria for amending the Annex II and III lists of the Protocol.
Annex II is the List of Endangered or Threatened Species whereas
Annex III is the List of Species Whose Exploitation is Regulated,
according to the SPA Protocol of the Convention of Barcelona.
A group of experts including RAC/SPA national focal points and
experts as well as IUCN experts gathered and drafted a set of
revised criteria which will be proposed to the Conference of
Parties in 2005.
Links:
Regional Activity Centre for
Specially Protected Areas. http://www.rac-spa.org/
| Mediterranean results: |
- Development and implementation of Barcelona
Convention provisions on biodiversity and resources use
are supported |
Mediterranean Members Decide their Future
 |
| Mediterranean Member Meeting held
in Naples (June 2004) |
Over one hundred IUCN Mediterranean members,
including NGOs, government agencies and States gathered in Naples
(Italy) from 19-22 June, to evaluate the progress, achievements
and programme of the IUCN's Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation,
and draw up a line of work for the coming four years.
As an outcome of the conference, the members endorsed the Naples Declaration
which supports the work developed by the Centre in these first three years
and the IUCN intersessional programme 2005-2008 for the Mediterranean region.
The Declaration also calls for further collaboration and explores potential
partnerships with the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, members and
other regional institutions; exchange of knowledge and experience in managing
natural resources and conserving biological diversity; and urges all Mediterranean
countries and IUCN to coordinate their actions to promote specific strategic
plans for the conservation of the major Mediterranean environmental systems
such as mountain areas, large river basins, marine and coastal areas, islands
and the high sea.
IUCN is grateful to the Italian Ministry of Environment, Federparchi and the
Vesuvius National Park for financing and hosting this event.
Documents:
Naples Declaration (June 2004): EN | FR | IT
Summary- Report
Participants list
| Mediterranean results: |
- Linkages, networking and partnerships
among IUCN members and commissions are supported and enhanced
- Capacity of IUCN Commissions in the region to support the programme
is enhanced |
3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress shows Know-How
for Conservation and Development
IUCN consists of diverse constituencies, but
during the Bangkok Congress on 17-25 November around 5,000 participants
managed to focus on what united rather than on what divided them.
The Congress has recreated IUCN as a touchstone in the conservation
movement around which people can work together. If we can work
hard to keep this going it will make our work much more effective
over the next few years. IUCN has achieved a tremendous amount
over the past three years in rethinking, re-energizing and repositioning
conservation - and Bangkok helped bring many of these efforts
to a head. We have come away from the Congress with an incredible
momentum for our work and that of our community over the next
intersessional period, and a new sense of direction for engaging
with the world on the contribution of conservation to the development
process. While the extinction crisis intensifies, the 3rd IUCN
World Conservation Congress has shown how reliable information
and extensive know-how, a deep-rooted passion for life in all
its forms, and powerful collaboration with all sectors of society
can improve the wellbeing of six billion people and the 15,589
species identified in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The nine days congress underlined the concrete benefits of conservation
action to poverty reduction and a healthy planet, and the effectiveness
of the approaches and tools we have at our disposal. With huge
areas of wilderness being lost every day, 1.4 billion people
living along rivers with serious water shortages, glaciers and
polar caps melting due to a 0.6 C increase in temperature, the
conservation movement now invites the world: work with us to
reverse the trend. Participants heard the world's latest scientific
knowledge, saw the launch of landmark initiatives, took part
in high-level debates, signed a number of agreements, and voted
on over 100 resolutions on critical conservation issues, ranging
from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to the conservation
of our oceans. The approved motions are now officially published.
Five resolutions are related to the Mediterranean region concerning
partnerships on Mediterranean mountains, impacts of maritime
traffic on marine biodiversity, strengthening the IUCN Centre
for Mediterranean Cooperation and reinforcing work on Mediterranean
protected areas. This illustrates the active role of Mediterranean
members within the Union.
Documents:
Comments from Mediterranean
Members and Councillors
Mediterranean news in the Congress: EN | FR | ES
Links:
IUCN World
Conservation Congress: http://www.iucn.org/congress/index.cfm
| Mediterranean results: |
- Linkages, networking and partnerships among IUCN members
and commissions are supported and enhanced.
- The management structure and systems for the Med Programme are developed
and strengthened to support effective delivery of the programme.
- Leadership is provided by the IUCN Secretariat and the IUCN membership. |
Playing
the Mediterranean Table Game
What are the greatest threats to protected areas
in the Mediterranean? Ignorance may well be one! To raise awareness
amongst the youth of the biodiversity-rich Mediterranean region,
the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation released a new
table game on Mediterranean protected areas and presented it
at the Universal Forum of Cultures held in Barcelona (Spain)
in August. Players need to answer various questions on the benefits
of protected areas to species conservation and ecosystem management,
while protecting these areas from various 'threats' such as climate
change, pollution, forest fires and other environmental hazards.
Through this initiative, IUCN seeks to complement its daily work on political
and management issues throughout the region. The game also builds on one of
the objectives of the Durban Action Plan, endorsed by last year's Vth IUCN
World Parks Congress, which calls for greater involvement of young people in
the governance and management of protected areas.
Links:
Universal
Forum of Cultures, Barcelona 2004. http://www.barcelona2004.org/eng/portada.htm
| Mediterranean results: |
- Leadership is provided by the IUCN Secretariat and the
IUCN membership
- Mediterranean outputs of the World Parks Congress (2003) are promoted |
Engaging the Private Sector on Caring for Birds
The
Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation and the
Spanish Society of Ornithology (SEO/Birdlife)
along with 16 companies of the Parque Tecnologico
de Andalucia (PTA) have promoted a joint initiative
to bring employees that come everyday to work
at this important techno polis closer to nature.
The project has developed an inventory of
the main birds which use the PTA as their
habitat or as a stop over during their migratory
path, and a series of bird watching activities
guided by the volunteers of SEO mainly for
workers of the PTA companies, but also for
students and interested individuals. Several
routes have been identified and various panels
will be installed to provide general information
to help understand, learn and appreciate how
vitally important birds are for our environment.
Awareness of world's birds, their value to
our community and the need for their conservation
has been growing sharply supported by better
data than ever before. Key actions have been
identified for all Globally Threatened Birds
with some successful conservation stories.
However, local actions are needed as well.
Links:
Project:
Trabajando en verde. http://iucn.org/places/medoffice/new_page/convocatoria.html
SEO/Birdlife:
Sociedad Espanola de Ornitologia http://www.seo.org/
Parque Tecnologico de Andalucia.
http://www.pta.es/
| Mediterranean results: |
- The management structure and communication system for
the Med Programme are developed and strengthened to support
effective delivery of the programme
- Leadership is provided by the IUCN Secretariat and the IUCN membership |
Important Plant Areas in the Mediterranean: Bridging Science
and Policy
Important
Plant Areas (IPAs) are intended to be areas of great botanical
importance for threatened species, habitats and plant diversity
in general, that can be identified, protected and managed as
sites. The WWF/IUCN Centres of Plant Diversity project (1994)
identified large regions of botanical global importance, and
the Mediterranean was among one of the major hotspots. The IUCN
Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation and Plantlife International
are working in partnership with the IUCN Species Survival Commission
and Planta Europa to develop the Important Plant Areas (IPA)
programme in the Mediterranean region.
This programme is intended to identify areas that are appropriate for a site-based
approach to conservation. Responding to International policy processes, IPA
identification provides the framework for governments to achieve Target
5 in the Convention on Biological Diversity's Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
IPA identification is also a tool intended to add to conservation efforts by
providing specific plant data (Red Lists) that can inform other existing national,
regional and global conservation programmes. It will also make available a
foundation of mapped data regarding IPA's, set standards and act as a reference
point linking science and policy, thus guiding relevant national legislation
and providing a structured approach for future environmental impact assessments,
compensation measures and further decision-making processes.
The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
along with the different partners undertook the first national
workshop in the region on 11-13 October 2004 in Rabat, Morocco.
This workshop helped the Moroccan Government prepare the grounds
for the identification of Important Plant Areas, realise its
fulfilments to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and generate
a tool to help mainstream science into policy and decision-making.
Documents:
Proposed Important Plant Areas in Morocco (only
in French)
Important
Plants Areas in Morocco workshop, Rabat, 11-12
oct.2004
Links:
IPA site
selection manual (in three languages) http://www.plantlife.org.uk/IPAmanuals.htm
Convention on
Biological Diversity http://www.biodiv.org/welcome.aspx
| Mediterranean results: |
- Implementation of the CBD/UNCCD is supported in the region
- North-South linkages between IUCN members are supported and structured |
Cooperation North-South for the Chikli Island in Tunisia
IUCN
along with the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation (AECI,
acronym in Spanish) and several Tunisian institutions (Institut
National du Patrimoine and l'Agence Nationale de Protection de
l'Environnement) are exploring opportunities to develop a management
plan for the island and its surroundings. As a first commitment,
IUCN through the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation set forth
a framework for this future management plan, which will be developed
by a joint team made up of representatives of the aforementioned
institutions. This process, with the participation of Tunisian
institutions, local and private sector involvement, aims to set
up an effective management system of cooperation between among
IUCN members.
The small island of Chikli is also known as Chekla. It is a
natural reserve in the middle of the El Bahira Lake, a shallow
water lagoon connected to the sea. It is an important nesting
space for birds, specially for little egrets (Egretta garzetta).
Yet, looking down from a well preserved Spanish Fortress from
the XVI century; the view includes an ongoing urban expansion
of the city of Tunis.
Links:
Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional.
http://www.aeci.es/
Agence Nationale de Protection de l'Environnement.
http://www.anpe.nat.tn/
Institut National du Patrimoine.
http://whc.unesco.org/sp/tun.htm
| Mediterranean results: |
- North-South linkages between IUCN members are supported
and structured
- The effectiveness of PAs at regional level is assessed and improved |
Promoting conservation of threatened plants in North Africa
Recognising
the social, cultural and growing economic importance of medicinal
plants on one hand, and threats to their survival on the other,
IUCN and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation have
been working with countries in North Africa to promote the conservation
of endangered and economically useful medicinal and aromatic
plants in North Africa, as well as promote indigenous knowledge,
and equitable participation of people in the management and conservation
of those plants. North Africa has one of the oldest, richest
and most diverse cultural traditions associated with the use
of medicinal plants. A considerable percentage of the population
in North Africa still relies on traditional medicines for their
primary health care needs. Nowadays, the demand for medicinal
plants is increasing in both developing and developed countries
due to growing recognition of natural products having no side
effects and easily available at affordable costs. Moreover, many
experiences from other developing countries have proven that
the cultivation of medicinal plants, in addition to their role
in conserving biodiversity and promoting traditional use, can
also contribute to improving livelihoods of rural communities.
An important product of the Programme is the compilation by all
five North African countries of a compendium on medicinal plants
with scientific information on the plants and description of
their traditional usage. Experts from the region met in October
2004 in Egypt to develop this compendium, which will be posted
on the Programme's website.
Links:
North
Africa Biodiversity Programme http://iucn.org/places/medoffice/nabp/
| Mediterranean results: |
- Implementation of CBD/UNCCD is supported in the region
- Experience in integrating conservation and local economies is developed
and shared |
Distribution of the Basking Shark in the Mediterranean: Implications
for Conservation
The
pelagic Basking Shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is used as
a case study as it is globally endangered, wide-ranging in the
Mediterranean, and unlike many other cartilaginous fishes, distribution
data for this species is available. A paper was presented at
the 8th European Elasmobrach Association Conference in October
in London as a first step in providing a decision support tool
for implementing regional and national conservation plans of
action, in particular, the United Nations Mediterranean Action
Plan for Cartilaginous Fish Species. This project can be extended
to include other endangered Chondrichtyans in the Mediterranean,
specifically those whose ecology may result in high susceptibility
to fishing. Cartilaginous fish are known to be a large diversified
group occupying a great variety of habitats and displaying different
life strategies. Populations are dynamic and fluctuations may
depend on oceanographic and biological parameters, and commercial
exploitation. However, there is a lack of life-history and habitat
distribution data in many areas and this has traditionally impeded
conservation efforts.
IUCN would like to thank these scientific experts who contributed unpublished
data to this collective product.
Documents:
Status and Conservation
of Sharks in the Mediterranean Sea (October 2004).
| Mediterranean results: |
- Information on species and PAs is made available to regional
actors
- The sustainable use of Mediterranean fishery resources is pursued |
2.2 Events supported by IUCN
International
Seminar on Road Infrastructures and Natural Protected Areas:
Putting Into Action Durban Resolutions
IUCN along with IUCN member WWF supported the
organisation of a seminar on road infrastructures and natural
protected areas promoted by the regional government of Andalucia
from 26-27 January in Seville. Diverse groups such as conservationists,
governmental institutions and civil engineers, who have traditionally
clashed, discussed during three days how to keep working together
on the quest for solutions and new mechanisms to harmonize and
optimize development, roads and natural areas, in a more sustainable
way.
By bringing together different sectors, this initiative is an example of putting
into action one of the main Durban resolutions approved at the World Park Congress
celebrated in South Africa last year. As a result of the seminar, an accord
and several recommendations have been produced by more than a hundred participants.
Driving through gorgeous landscapes produces pleasure to many people. However,
roads may also have significant negative impacts on nearby communities and
natural areas. It is a fact that thousands of animals get hit by motor vehicle
cars, apart from other kind of disturbance (noise, pollution). However, different
combinations of solutions such as fencing, underpasses and so on, have been
effective in routing animals off the road.
Documents:
Final recomendations (only
in Spanish)
Seville Accord (only in Spanish)
| Mediterranean results: |
- Mediterranean Outputs of World Park Congress (2003) are
promoted
- A technical bridge between global convention processes and the Mediterranean
region is developed |
Training Course for Protected Area Managers
During two weeks in February, 15 experts on
protected areas coming from the Maghreb region joined a training
course organized by the Junta de Andalucia in Malaga with the
support of the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected
Areas (RAC/SPA), the Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. Amongst the
speakers, the IUCN Councillor Zohir Sekkal heralded the need
for an in-depth view of the protected areas in Algeria and encouraged
the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation to help to identify
pilot projects in collaboration with the regional government
of Andalucia and other institutions.
One of the subjects underscored was the work programme to declare
the Transcontinental Biosphere reserve between Andalucia and
Morocco with more than 1.000.000ha of land in the area of Alboran.
Moreover, the representative of RAC/SPA explained the importance
of the "specially protected areas of Mediterranean Importance" (SPAMI)
and called for more SPAMI declarations in North African countries.
For UNITAR, the Mediterranean landscape has a strong link with
the Maghreb region and consequently with the traditional values
and culture of local communities.
Links:
Regional Activity Centre
for Specially Protected Areas. http://www.rac-spa.org/
Unitar http://www.unitar.org/
| Mediterranean results: |
- The effectiveness of PAs at regional level is assessed
and improved. |
National Strategies and Policies for Wetlands in Mediterranean
Countries
Capacity building has been the main component
in the regional seminar organized by MedWetCoast in Beirut from
16-20 February in an effort to facilitate exchange of experience
and expertise across the Mediterranean on wetland and coastal
issues. Spain, France, Turkey, Albania, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco,
Palestine Authority and Tunisia shared their experience in the
preparation and implementation of national strategies.
The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation introduced the
environmental flow concept as a valuable tool to link wetland
management and watershed planning. Environmental flow broadly
recommends the management of water resources in an integrated
and sustainable way on the basis of hydrological basins, hence,
ensuring that downstream wetlands and rivers are provided with
water of quality and quantity to maintain their natural functions
and values. These activities form part of the IUCN support to
the implementation of the Ramsar Convention.
Links:
Ramsar Convention http://www.ramsar.org/
Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative.
http://www.medwet.org/
| Mediterranean results: |
- Integrated Catchment Management is promoted
- North-South linkages between IUCN members are supported and structured |
Revitalising Partnerships for Mediterranean Forests
Mediterranean
forests share many unique and common features, and Silva Mediterranea
is an international forum dedicated to Mediterranean forest issues
in which member countries meet, share experiences and set cooperative
programmes. Silva Mediterranean became a statutory body of FAO
in 1948, and the revitalisation of this forum was undertaken
in 2002, based on the growing need for such an initiative at
the regional level.
Silva Mediterranea and Blue Plan have joined forces to work
on the Mediterranean Forest Sustainable Development Project.
To set the stage for the implementation of this initiative, a
meeting was held from 23-24 January at the Blue Plan offices
in Sophia Antipolis, where the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean
Cooperation was present as a member of the steering committee,
and introduced its regional preparatory work on Forest Landscape
Restoration. The meeting gathered the Mediterranean steering
committee of Silva Mediterranea, as well as regional experts
and research organisations working on forest issues. The aim
of this common project, with a duration of 3 years, is to develop
Mediterranean-specific thought process for promoting the inclusion
of woodland management in regional planning, improve capacities,
as well as gather information and case studies and make them
available to decision-makers.
Links:
CDrom
Forest Landscape Restoration in the Mediterranean.
ttp://iucn.org/places/medoffice/CDForest/index.html
International Association
for Mediterranean Forests. http://www.aifm.org/
FAO
- Silva Mediterranea. ttp://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/x1880E/x1880e0a.htm
Plan Bleu - Regional Activity Centre http://www.planbleu.org
| Mediterranean results: |
- A technical bridge between global convention processes
and the Mediterranean region is developed
- Support is given to the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests |
Spanish Workshop on Marine Turtle Tagging
The
Mediterranean holds a remarkable loggerhead turtle breeding population.
Over twenty Spanish experts discussed tagging methodologies and
standard models that allow scientific assessment of marine turtles
which swim through Spanish waters and live in the Mediterranean.
This workshop, organized by the Spanish Ministry of Environment
at the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation from 31 March-1
April, aimed at coordinating the different methodologies applied
by a wide range of scientists in Spain so as to create a unique
marine turtle tagging protocol. This experience can be a good
example to be taken by other countries as a way to bring together
scientists that often work on marine conservation but come from
various backgrounds. As scientist information is hard to come
by, success on marine turtle conservation needs cooperation between
different sectors and also collaboration between countries.
These activities support the implementation of action plan under
the Barcelona Convention and the Regional Activity Centre for
Specially Protected Areas.
Documents:
Press Release (only
Spanish)
Links:
Regional Activity Centre
for Specially Protected Areas. http://www.rac-spa.org/
| Mediterranean results: |
- Linkages, networking and partnerships among IUCN members
and Commissions in the region to support the programme is
enhanced
- Multi-country/transboundary actions for biodiversity conservation are
supported |
WWF and IUCN Input to the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable
Development
The WWF Mediterranean Programme Office and the
IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation as major conservation
organizations in the region, will participate to the development
of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD).
The aim is to suggest input and outline orientations that could
feed into the strategy, promote engagement of a broad spectrum
of actors and stakeholders and help ensure that the strategy
responds to global and regional commitments and challenges. For
that, the two organizations have highlighted several issues to
be taken into consideration in the MSSD and that help mainstream
sustainability into national and regional policies and processes.
Among these issues, the development of national and regional
Red Lists of Endangered Species and working on developing indicators
from them as well as the need to build biodiversity concerns
in the context of the World Trade Organisations and Euro-Med
Partnership were outlined.
Other issues include linking biodiversity conservation with
poverty alleviation, enhancing governance and integrating the
Ecosystem Approach to support synergies among the conventions,
conserve biodiversity and help in combating land degradation
in the Mediterranean. The MSSD should be finalised by November
2005, and for that process, a wide consultation is being carried
out, involving all relevant stakeholders in the region.
Documents:
Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (Draft feb 2005) EN | FR
WWF-IUCN input to
the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development
| Mediterranean results: |
- Linkages, networking and partnerships among IUCN members
and commissions are supported and enhanced
- A technical bridge between global conventions processes and the Mediterranean
region is developed |
Assessment of the Economic Value of Sustainable Use of Resources
The Tunisia and Morocco IUCN national committees,
in collaboration with IUCN SSC Sustainable Use Specialist Group
have embarked on a project to assess the economic value of natural
resource use in their respective countries. By involving scientists
and national partners, the committees hope to obtain the best
possible overview of the national data available on how natural
resource use contributes to the national economy. Several national
workshops have been organised to plan data collection and assessment
and the results are expected early in 2005. The National Committees
are breaking new ground in finding ways for the membership, and
the commissions to work together at national level with a common
purpose.
Links:
IUCN SSC Sustainable
Use Specialist Group http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/susg/
| Mediterranean results: |
- Implementation of the CBD/UNCCD is supported in the region
- Linkages, networking and partnerships among IUCN members and commissions
are supported and enhanced |
3. Communication Activities
During 2004 the communications of the Centre
have been consolidated. Regular electronic bulletins have been
sent out to members (in English, French and Spanish) for information
and to encourage their participation in the programme; the web
site has been designed following IUCN's corporate image and is
regularly updated with news, events and reports; and relations
with the press are improving as we associate our communications
strategy with major regional or global events (eg. Ramsar Convention,
etc). 14 press releases linked to ongoing activities have been
distributed to the press.
The website records around 123,554 visitors and a total of 184,045
documents have been downloaded from the site in 2004. The website
therefore continues to play its role in disseminating IUCN results
and this can be expected to increase as new results are posted
on a regular basis.
|
|
Top 10 Downloaded Documents |
Downloads |
| 1 |
Les Espèces Introduites et Envahissantes dans les îles
Méditerranéennes (FR) |
10,356 |
| 2 |
Management of Protected Areas in the Mediterranean (EN,
FR, ES) |
8,394 |
| 3 |
The Mediterranean Deep Sea Ecosystems (EN) |
4,598 |
| 4 |
Climate change and water resources in the Mediterranean
(EN, FR, ES) |
4,276 |
| 5 |
Impacts des changements climatiques sur les ressources
en eau et les zones humides du Maroc (FR) |
3,016 |
| 6 |
La problématique de l'aménagement des bassins
versant - Maroc (FR) |
2,424 |
| 7 |
Dossier sobre tiburones (ES) |
2,247 |
| 8 |
Marine and Coastal Protected Areas - A guide for planners
and managers (EN) |
2,195 |
| 9 |
Centro de Cooperación del Mediterráneo de
la UICN: Análisis de la Situación Regional
(ES) |
2,187 |
| 10 |
Recomendaciones para el diseño de herramientas:
coexistencia de espacios naturales protegidos e infraestructuras
viarias en Andalucía (ES) |
1,716 |
|
Geographic
regions |
Visits |
% |
| North America |
54,774 |
44.33% |
| Western Europe |
39,237 |
31.76% |
| Asia |
5,396 |
4.37% |
| South America |
4,222 |
3.42% |
| North Africa |
3,177 |
2.57% |
4. Administration
During 2004 the staffing of the office has been
consolidated and the following full-time and part-time positions
were occupied:
|
Staff |
|
| Ameer Abdulla |
Marine Specialist officer |
| Chadi Abi Faraj |
Web design intern |
| Cesar Alcácer |
Water officer |
| Andrés Alcántara |
Protected areas senior officer |
| Sonia Ávila Carmona |
Protected areas intern |
| Claudiane Chevalier |
Marine Lawyer |
| Isaac Jiménez |
Finance and administration officer |
| Lourdes Lázaro |
Communication officer |
| Agnese Mancini |
Marine Programme Intern |
| José Pérez |
IT support (part time) |
| Miriam Puga |
Executive assistant (part time) |
| Rami A. Salman |
Programme coordinator |
| Sonsoles San Román |
Executive Assistant |
| Cecilia Saura |
Library and administration Intern |
| François Simard |
Marine coordinator |
| Jamie Skinner |
Director |
| Virginia Tschopp |
Programme officer |
5. Outlook for 2005
Our Centre, your Centre, opened its doors just
over four years ago and since then we have made substantial progress
in establishing IUCN as a credible regional partner and meeting
the expectations of our membership. This was largely confirmed
in our first independent external review, to which many of you
contributed and which will be available publicly in 2005. The
31 December 2004 also marked the end of the Centre's first funding
agreement with the Junta of Andalucia and the Spanish Ministry
for Environment, and they have both confirmed their continued
support to the Mediterranean Centre for the 2005-2008 programme.
The Members recorded their thanks to these core donors in the
resolution passed in Bangkok.
Looking forward, there are a series of exciting
Mediterranean resolutions from Bangkok and now that the Centre
is at the end of its "installation" phase we can begin
to make strategic plans for reinforcing IUCN's Mediterranean
activities, and building on our long term relations with key
members, commissions and partners. In doing so all of you can
and should play a central role, whether it be in providing information
to consolidate the knowledge we have on Mediterranean biodiversity
and resource use, by sharing your experiences in the field, or
by developing and implementing policies and projects in each
of your countries and internationally. Collectively we can move
towards our shared goal of ensuring the conservation and sustainable
use of our Mediterranean natural resources.
The 2005 programme builds on the planning process
for the 2005-2008 programme discussed in Thailand at the 2004
World Conservation Congress. The Mediterranean programme has
consulted members on its draft situation analysis that analyses
key environment and development challenges for the Mediterranean
region, and will start implementing the 2005-2008 programme during
2005, taking into considerations the Bangkok resolutions.
Summary
