Among the key initiatives unveiled at the IUCN Congress is the action plan “The Mediterranean: a model sea by 2030” (PAMEx), launched jointly by eight Mediterranean governments and five international organisations. The plan contains 19 concrete actions to preserve marine biodiversity, end overfishing, achieve zero plastic pollution and develop sustainable maritime transport by 2030. The action plan includes a commitment to preserve 30% of the Mediterranean Sea through Marine Protected Areas, with at least 10% being strictly protected.
In an example of transboundary cooperation, Italy, France, Monaco, and Spain committed to develop a proposal for a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area in the North West Mediterranean to protect large cetaceans and other migratory species under the International Maritime Organization. The plan has received support from several global, regional and sectoral organisations and institutions, such ACCOBAMS, UNEP/MAP, IUCN and WWF.
Through the joint call “For a plastic-free Mediterranean”, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d´Azur region and IUCN signed a joint commitment to multiply actions to reduce plastic pollution, including calls for local projects, establishing an observation system, improving knowledge on best practices in the framework of a Charter of Commitment of Mediterranean regions.
New reports underline urgency to act
A series of new scientific reports released in a joint launch event during the IUCN Congress underlines the urgency to reverse the current trends in this region, which is warming up 20% faster than the rest of the world.
- The network of experts on climate change in the Mediterranean (MedECC) launched the MedECC MAR1 – Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Report.
- Plan Bleu (with SPA/RAC contribution on biodiversity topics) published its State of the Environment and Development Report
- Tour du Valat presented the Living Mediterranean Report.
“Biodiversity is a pillar of the green renaissance we wish to see in the Mediterranean. We must all join forces to end biodiversity loss and ensure a healthier future for all”, commented Khalil Attia, director of SPA/RAC.
At the launch event for the three reports, the involved partners emphasized that reversing biodiversity loss is possible and that solutions already exist. However, they emphasized that systematic change can only be achieved through a collaborative effort of policy and decision-makers, local communities, protected areas managers, administrations, academics, NGOs and the business and financial sector.
The potential benefits of conservation action for marine biodiversity and key commercial fish stocks in the Mediterranean were recently revealed in a report by the WWF on 30 by 30 in the Mediterranean.
“Bringing 30% of the Mediterranean under protection by 2030, with rights-based community-led approaches, is fundamental to reversing the current trend. Several Mediterranean countries have already expressed their support for this target, and we expect others to follow at the COP 22 of the Barcelona Convention in order to show the collective ambition of the region.”, commented Giuseppe Di Carlo, WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative Director.
Focus on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the Mediterranean
In an online vote before the IUCN Congress, IUCN’s Members approved Resolution 31 - The implementation of Nature-based Solutions in the Mediterranean basin, calling on Mediterranean governments and civil society to implement and actively promote NbS through the creation of networks and green infrastructures
With the “Mediterranean Solutions” stand in the Congress Exhibition Hall, 12 organisations from the region created a hub of activity that brought together representatives from different sectors to explore how to upscale NbS at a regional scale, with an emphasis on the new IUCN standard on NbS. The 12 regional organisations who jointly managed the “Mediterranean Solutions” aim to build on existing collaborations to strengthen collaborative and cross-sectoral responses to the climate and biodiversity crises.
“IUCN, through its Members and partners in the Mediterranean region, commits to supporting new coalitions to implement NbS to address the climate and biodiversity crises,” commented Antonio Troya, director of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.
With the participation of two Mediterranean organisations (MedPAN and the MedFund) the new Alliance for Global Marine Protection launched during the Congress, joined forces with other networks of marine protected area managers beyond the Mediterranean and conservation trust funds to achieve concrete implementation of the 30by30 targets, Furthermore, the Mediterranean Consortium to protect Biodiversity, launched a few months ago, will develop a joint initiative on Nature-based Solutions to increase coastal resilience in several countries of the region.
Despite the development of new initiatives and other networks during the IUCN Congress, all partners agreed on the need for sustained finance mechanisms and to enhance collaboration both with private sector and non-conservation stakeholders.
“Given the rapid changing trend of the Mediterranean conditions, mobilising funds for marine and terrestrial conservation is vital to keep knowledge updated through survey campaigns and data hubs.”, commented Susana Salvador, Executive Secretary of ACCOBAMS.
New financial partnerships launched
A number of new innovative financial instruments stemming from the collaboration between public and private donors were presented at the IUCN Congress.
These included new funding opportunities, such as the Highly Protected Mediterranean Initiative of The MedFund and the DIFME - Donor Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems of the Jensen Foundation, which were both signed in the presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Likewise, the French Facility for the Global Environment (FFEM) signed an agreement to launch the PPI-OSCAN III programme for small-scale initiatives in North Africa. All three initiatives will be co-financed by the MAVA Foundation.
Other interesting financial initiatives recently put in place and shared during the IUCN Congress were the Posidonia Fund (Fons Posidonia in Catalan) by the Balearic Islands Government which is embedded in a Posidonia law decree. Also, the Sebou Water Fund, a sustainable financing mechanism based on payment for ecosystem services, mobilised a significant amount of funds to support civil organisations in Morocco.
“The more closely the conservation community works together, the more funding we can generate and the more effectively we’ll be able to use it”, Paule Gros, MAVA Foundation.
A look ahead: Mediterranean milestones to come
The "Mediterranean Solutions" stand at the IUCN Congress has demonstrated that change has already begun, highlighting the strength of the existing political frameworks, partnerships and networks in the region at global scale.
In the upcoming months, further important milestones await, including the MPA Forum, the COP 22 of the Barcelona Convention (which will examine the New Post-2020 Strategic Action Programme for the Conservation of Biodiversity and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Mediterranean Region as well as a proposal to designate the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides (SOx)), and the IUCN Mediterranean Forum. These events will provide opportunities to take the momentum from Marseille forward and drive action to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030 and achieve ecosystem recovery and restoration by 2050 in the region.
