The Mediterranean Sea Programme: Enhancing Environmental Security
2020-2025
The Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme): “Enhancing Environmental Security” is a five-year Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded multi-focal area initiative implemented in Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey. UNEP/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) is the leading executing Agency; the GEF Implementing Agencies are UNEP and the EBRD, and the executing partners are UNESCO/IHP, EIB, IUCN Med, GWP Med, WWF Med, Plan Bleu, PAP/RAC, SCP/RAC, and SPA/RAC. The EBRD also supports the Programme.
The MedProgramme aims to reduce major transboundary environmental stresses in coastal areas while strengthening climate resilience and water security and improving the health and livelihoods of coastal populations. It also seeks to promote sound environmental management that benefits women and men equally through effective gender mainstreaming.
The programme builds on earlier initiatives such as the MedPartnership, ClimVar and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) GEF projects, which have enriched the knowledge and understanding of the Mediterranean environment. To find out more about MedProgramme visit UNEP/MAP page MedProgramme.
PAP/RAC activities in MedProgramme
Child Project 2.1 “Mediterranean Coastal Zones:
Water Security, Climate Resilience and Habitat Protection”
This Child project aims to improve water security, human and ecosystem health, and climate resilience in coastal hot spots. The project comprises two components, both focused on sustainability and increased resilience: one on the coastal zones and the other on coastal aquifers.
The coastal zone management component is led by PAP/RAC, supported by Plan Bleu/RAC and GWP-Med, and its objective is to support countries in expanded compliance with the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol, adoption of national ICZM Strategies, coastal plans and instruments, and improved gender equality.
The coastal aquifers and related ecosystems component is executed by UNESCO-IHP and aims to improve the sustainability of the services provided by coastal aquifers and groundwater-related coastal habitats.
The following activities related to the coastal zone management components are to be implemented:
SCCF Project “Enhancing Regional Climate Change Adaptation in the Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Areas”
The project aims to enhance the capacities of countries in the Mediterranean region to adapt to
climate change with a view to influencing wider development processes in the region. PAP/RAC’s activities are mostly focused on mainstreaming adaptation into ICZM plans.
Two Coastal Plans, under development within both projects are: