Mediterranean Reflections : Activity Report 2011
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Mediterranean Reflections Activity Report 2011 IUCN CENTRE FOR MEDITERRANEAN COOPERATION Click on the images or texts marked for access to online content. Table of Content Mediterranean Reflections - 2011 Director’s Message ........................................................................................................... 04 Highlights of 2011 ........................................................................................................... 06 Designing a sustainable future in the Mediterranean Conserving biodiversity ................................................................................................ 08 Managing ecosystems for human well-being .............................................................. 20 Changing the climate forecast ...................................................................................... 26 Greening the world economy ....................................................................................... 28 North Africa FORUM .......................................................................................................... 32 What the members said in Rabat ................................................................................. 34 Informing the Mare Nostrum Spreading the word ...................................................................................................... 40 Publications and reports .............................................................................................. 42 Cooperation Agreements ................................................................................................... 45 Funding allocation .............................................................................................................. 46 Preview of the 2012 work agenda .................................................................................... 47 Our Donors ......................................................................................................................... 50 Main donors .................................................................................................................. 50 Project donors ............................................................................................................... 50 New Members in 2011 ...................................................................................................... 51 The Malaga team .............................................................................................................. 52 Published by: IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation ISBN: 978-2-8317-1480-6 © International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources developing conservation actions, as well Lebanon, or the exchange of experiences on Director’s Message as providing nature-based solutions for the coastal dune restoration and rehabilitation, different environmental challenges. as well as oasis governance. The Centre also Moreover, since its creation IUCN-Med has supported the development of a sustainable A spring for the governance aimed at becoming a cooperation platform fishing industry through case studies and in of natural resources to strengthen networking in environmental, collaboration with the relevant expert regional scientific, and political institutions, both at institutions. Mention must also be made of governmental and non-governmental levels, the Alboran Sea project, which is an example and in the private sector, in order to enhance of successful collaboration between both the integration of the social, economic, and sides of the Mediterranean. cultural dimensions in regional conservation All of this was possible thanks to the The intense history and cultural tradition and economic crisis with major uncertainties strategies. support from our main donors and project of the Mediterranean region have marked regarding their future. The activities carried out by IUCN-Med in sponsors that year after year reaffirm their the interrelations between productive The evolution of these changes will 2011 allowed enhancing the Centre’s visibility trust in the Centre, and the support of systems and ecosystems, transformed and imply a review of the region’s support through greater collaboration with Members expert networks and institutions that help modelled by human beings, resulting in and cooperation lines in order to boost and national committees and were geared at implement the IUCN work programme in the the landscapes and communities we know development policies that help to diversify supporting instruments for the governance of Mediterranean. today. Indeed, such close links between the economies of these countries and to the Mediterranean. We discussed ecotourism This year is marked by the Río+20 Summit productive systems and biodiversity reconsider their growth model. The IUCN models and better ways of protecting and the next IUCN World Conservation highlight the fact that conservation Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN- land and marine areas, and worked on Congress in Jeju (South Korea). Their results, policies must be urgently integrated into Med) considers that these changes are an creating a system to monitor Mediterranean along with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity sector policies, especially before rapid opportunity to influence the creation of new biodiversity trends. Further work was done 2011-2020 (Aichi targets), will mark the new development takes place. development models based on a sustainable on the identification of important areas for IUCN Mediterranean Programme. use of biodiversity and natural resources. In the course of 2011 there were a number biodiversity in Northern Africa and the Middle of political, social and economic changes Good knowledge of the natural, social and East, and finally, a further understanding of in the Mediterranean region that may have cultural environment is needed if we want Mediterranean species was achieved thanks Antonio Troya significant implications on the governance of conservation and development policies to to the first full assessment of marine fish in be fully integrated, thus contributing to an accordance with the IUCN Red List. Director & Programme Coordinator natural resources and environmental policies. IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation The “Arab Spring” triggered important economic diversification enabling greater In the field of ecosystem management, we political changes in Northern African prosperity and welfare for Mediterranean worked on training and disseminating the countries, questioning their participatory peoples. best available knowledge in connection to and wealth-sharing model. On the other IUCN-Med has been working on creating restoration and planning, such as the project hand, countries on the Northern shore are the best possible knowledge on biodiversity, for integrated forest management, training immersed in an episode of serious financial designing tools to influence policies and and monitoring plan for fire prevention in 4 MEDITERRANEAN REFLECTIONS 2011 IUCN CENTRE FOR MEDITERRANEAN COOPERATION MEDITERRANEAN REFLECTIONS 2011 IUCN CENTRE FOR MEDITERRANEAN COOPERATION 5 2011 Highlights 26 January 3 March 30 June 5-7 October In the framework of the MedPan project to improve At the IUCN Spanish Committee meeting in Ciudad The Island of Formentera (Balearic Islands, This year IUCN North African Members had the the management of marine protected areas, the Rodrigo (Salamanca), IUCN-Med worked to Spain) asked to join the IUCN family and signed opportunity to debate the region’s main concerns coordination meeting in Marseille helped the implement the Resolution on Conservation of the an agreement with IUCN-Med to collaborate in at the Rabat Forum organized by IUCN-Med in main partners identify the areas of collaboration Western Iberian Peninsula (R. 4.131) adopted by the projects related to the protection of nature and collaboration with Moroccan authorities. Moreover, regarding climate change and invasive species, World Conservation Congress (Barcelona, 2008). environmental sustainability, with a special focus on the IUCN Director General attended the Conference as well as a training programme on sustainable the island’s natural heritage. on World Heritage held in Segovia (Spain). tourism planning within these marine protected areas. 4-5 April The ‘Mediterranean Biodiversity Assessment II’ 7-9 November project starts in April. In the framework of the Another project taking off this year with the 9 February International Year of Forests, the Collaborative participation of IUCN-Med is the EU project In Morocco, the idea of marine protected areas as Partnership on Mediterranean Forests held the MEDINA, designed to enhance Northern African a useful tool for fishing management is still a new second Mediterranean Forest Week in Avignon countries’ capacity to control and monitor their concept. IUCN-Med technically assists Moroccan (France). This platform allows scientists, main marine and coastal ecosystems. The Centre authorities to elaborate a sustainable fishing actors and policy makers to debate on the also participated in various regional workshops strategy in marine protected areas. development of strategic policies. to draft a set of recommendations for coastal dune restoration and management in the western 16 February 25 April Mediterranean. The Alboran Sea stands out for its wide diversity The 4th Meeting of FAO CopedMed II Committee of species. This area has been selected as a pilot on the sustainability of marine resources in Central