European topic centre - university of malaga
Meet our team members

David Rodríguez
Senior researcher
davidrr@uma.es
+34 951 953 102
David Rodríguez-Rodríguez holds a European-mention PhD in Conservation Biology, an MSc in Ecological Restoration, two BScs: in Biology and in Environmental Sciences, and one University Specialist Degree in GIS and Remote Sensing.
He is author of 37 indexed articles, 6 books and 4 book chapters on territorial sustainability and biodiversity conservation.
Currently, he works as a Senior Researcher on Biodiversity Conservation and Management at the European Topic Centre, University of Malaga. His work and research interests include: protected area effectiveness evaluation; sustainability assessments at different ecological and spatial scales; environmental and socioeconomic indicator development; impacts of environmental policies and regulations; territorial planning; environmental sociology; and ecological restoration.
RESOURCES
Journal Articles

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Knecht, N.; Llopis, J. C.; Heriarivo, R. A.; Rakotoarison, H.; Andriamampionomanjaka, V.; Navarro-Jurado, E.; Randriamamonjy, V.
Socioeconomic impacts of small conserved sites on rural communities in Madagascar Journal Article
In: Environmental Development, pp. 100965, 2024, ISSN: 2211-4645.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem services, Environmental conservation
@article{RODRIGUEZRODRIGUEZ2024100965,
title = {Socioeconomic impacts of small conserved sites on rural communities in Madagascar},
author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and N. Knecht and J. C. Llopis and R. A. Heriarivo and H. Rakotoarison and V. Andriamampionomanjaka and E. Navarro-Jurado and V. Randriamamonjy},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211464524000034},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2024.100965},
issn = {2211-4645},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Environmental Development},
pages = {100965},
abstract = {Madagascar is considered one of the top global biodiversity hotspots while at the same time is among the world's least developed countries. Pressing socioeconomic needs such as food provision often lead to unsustainable land use and widespread loss, fragmentation and degradation of natural habitats. Thus, ascertaining the socioeconomic effects of small conserved sites is urgent in order to show their benefits and identify their costs to attain sustainable rural development on the island. Here, we used structured questionnaires in two surveys to key local stakeholders, including 1) managers of three conserved sites smaller than 100 ha, and 2) local communities living around such sites (cases) and similar neighbouring communities unaffected by those conserved sites (controls), following a Before-After-Control-Impact design. Median income did not differ between case and control communities, although case communities reported better self-perception of their economic situation and wider availability of basic services. Substantial revenues from tourism accrued only to one local community from a conveniently located, community-managed site: Anja Community Reserve. No differences in the economic effects from the establishment of the conserved sites were found between sex, age or education levels of community members. Exploitation of natural resources from conserved sites was either prohibited (two sites) or severely restricted (one site). As a result, case communities tended to collect fewer natural resources from nearby areas than control communities. Contrary to expectations, case communities reported less economic impact than control communities during the COVID-19 pandemic even though visitors were reduced to zero, which likely indicate greater socioeconomic resilience due to previous community investments and greater availability of ecosystem services. Successful, bottom-up and replicable approaches to locally manage natural resources sustainably are urgently needed in a country with rich and vanishing biodiversity, weak institutions, high poverty rates and strong dependence on natural resources for subsistence.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem services, Environmental conservation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

Zhang, Yin; West, Paige; Thakholi, Lerato; Suryawanshi, Kulbhushansingh; Supuma, Miriam; Straub, Dakota; Sithole, Samantha S.; Sharma, Roshan; Schleicher, Judith; Ruli, Ben; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Rasmussen, Mattias Borg; Ramenzoni, Victoria C.; Qin, Siyu; Pugley, Deborah Delgado; Palfrey, Rachel; Oldekop, Johan; Nuesiri, Emmanuel O.; Nguyen, Van Hai Thi; Ndam, Nouhou; Mungai, Catherine; Milne, Sarah; Mabele, Mathew Bukhi; Lucitante, Sadie; Lucitante, Hugo; Liljeblad, Jonathan; Kiwango, Wilhelm Andrew; Kik, Alfred; Jones, Nikoleta; Johnson, Melissa; Jarrett, Christopher; James, Rachel Sapery; Holmes, George; Gibson, Lydia N.; Ghoddousi, Arash; Geldmann, Jonas; Gebara, Maria Fernanda; Edwards, Thera; Dressler, Wolfram H.; Douglas, Leo R.; Dimitrakopoulos, Panayiotis G.; Davidov, Veronica; Compaoré-Sawadogo, Eveline M. F. W.; Collins, Yolanda Ariadne; Cepek, Michael; Burow, Paul Berne; Brockington, Dan; Balinga, Michael Philippe Bessike; Austin, Beau J.; Astuti, Rini; Ampumuza, Christine; Agyei, Frank Kwaku
Governance and Conservation Effectiveness in Protected Areas and Indigenous and Locally Managed Areas Journal Article
In: Annual Review of Environment and Resources, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 559-588, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Protected areas
@article{doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-081348,
title = {Governance and Conservation Effectiveness in Protected Areas and Indigenous and Locally Managed Areas},
author = {Yin Zhang and Paige West and Lerato Thakholi and Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi and Miriam Supuma and Dakota Straub and Samantha S. Sithole and Roshan Sharma and Judith Schleicher and Ben Ruli and D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and Mattias Borg Rasmussen and Victoria C. Ramenzoni and Siyu Qin and Deborah Delgado Pugley and Rachel Palfrey and Johan Oldekop and Emmanuel O. Nuesiri and Van Hai Thi Nguyen and Nouhou Ndam and Catherine Mungai and Sarah Milne and Mathew Bukhi Mabele and Sadie Lucitante and Hugo Lucitante and Jonathan Liljeblad and Wilhelm Andrew Kiwango and Alfred Kik and Nikoleta Jones and Melissa Johnson and Christopher Jarrett and Rachel Sapery James and George Holmes and Lydia N. Gibson and Arash Ghoddousi and Jonas Geldmann and Maria Fernanda Gebara and Thera Edwards and Wolfram H. Dressler and Leo R. Douglas and Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos and Veronica Davidov and Eveline M. F. W. Compaoré-Sawadogo and Yolanda Ariadne Collins and Michael Cepek and Paul Berne Burow and Dan Brockington and Michael Philippe Bessike Balinga and Beau J. Austin and Rini Astuti and Christine Ampumuza and Frank Kwaku Agyei},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-081348},
doi = {10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-081348},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
journal = {Annual Review of Environment and Resources},
volume = {48},
number = {1},
pages = {559-588},
abstract = {Increased conservation action to protect more habitat and species is fueling a vigorous debate about the relative effectiveness of different sorts of protected areas. Here we review the literature that compares the effectiveness of protected areas managed by states and areas managed by Indigenous peoples and/or local communities. We argue that these can be hard comparisons to make. Robust comparative case studies are rare, and the epistemic communities producing them are fractured by language, discipline, and geography. Furthermore the distinction between these different forms of protection on the ground can be blurred. We also have to be careful about the value of this sort of comparison as the consequences of different forms of conservation for people and nonhuman nature are messy and diverse. Measures of effectiveness, moreover, focus on specific dimensions of conservation performance, which can omit other important dimensions. With these caveats, we report on findings observed by multiple study groups focusing on different regions and issues whose reports have been compiled into this article. There is a tendency in the data for community-based or co-managed governance arrangements to produce beneficial outcomes for people and nature. These arrangements are often accompanied by struggles between rural groups and powerful states. Findings are highly context specific and global generalizations have limited value.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Protected areas},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

García-Millán, V. E.; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Oncina, A. Martín; Andrianarimisa, A.; Randriamiharisoa, L. O.; Martorell-Guerrero, G.; Bóveda, A.; Abdul-Malak, D.
Identification of Priority Forest Conservation Areas for Critically Endangered Lemur Species of Madagascar Journal Article
In: Land, vol. 11, iss. 9, no. 1455, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Forest, Geotechnology, Protected areas
@article{García-Millán2022,
title = {Identification of Priority Forest Conservation Areas for Critically Endangered Lemur Species of Madagascar},
author = {V. E. García-Millán and D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and A. Martín Oncina and A. Andrianarimisa and L. O. Randriamiharisoa and G. Martorell-Guerrero and A. Bóveda and D. Abdul-Malak},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091455},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091455},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-09-01},
urldate = {2022-09-01},
journal = {Land},
volume = {11},
number = {1455},
issue = {9},
abstract = {Forests have extraordinary importance for the conservation of endemic species in Madagascar. However, they are disappearing fast due to a number of pressures, notably unsustainable agricultural practices leading to aggravated status of biodiversity. Here, we used a number of ecological and spatial criteria to identify and prioritise unprotected forest areas for the conservation of the eight critically endangered species of lemur belonging to the Lemuridae family in Madagascar. By combining spatial information layers on the distribution areas of the studied lemurs, forest extension and conservation status, and potential human impacts (such as roads, human settlements and agriculture lands), it was possible to identify the most appropriate sites for the expansion of the conservation areas of critically endangered lemur species. Seven new sites, totalling over 33,000 ha, were identified as priority sites for the protection of those species. All of them were adjacent to or inside (just one site) existing protected areas (PAs), which likely makes their protection both feasible and socioeconomically efficient by enlarging those PAs. Legally protecting these sites would not only take Madagascar one little step ahead for meeting oncoming global biodiversity targets for 2030 but could also make a substantial contribution to the mid-term survival of the studied lemur species.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Forest, Geotechnology, Protected areas},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Sánchez-Espinosa, A.; Abdul-Malak, D.
Potential contribution of OECMs to international area-based conservation targets in a biodiversity rich country, Spain Journal Article
In: Journal for Nature Conservation, vol. 62, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Protected areas
@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2021b,
title = {Potential contribution of OECMs to international area-based conservation targets in a biodiversity rich country, Spain},
author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and A. Sánchez-Espinosa and D. Abdul-Malak},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126019},
doi = {10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126019},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-15},
journal = {Journal for Nature Conservation},
volume = {62},
abstract = {Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are new conservation tools intended to complement protected areas (PAs) at achieving effective biodiversity conservation and meeting international area-based targets. However, OECMs have been rarely considered in practical terms until recently. Here, we performed a rapid evaluation on the degree of fulfilment of current area-based international biodiversity targets, post-2020 foreseeable oncoming targets, and ecological targets by considering: 1) Protection coverage; 2) Inclusiveness of important areas for biodiversity; 3) Protection management; 4) Connectivity; and 5) Habitat representation, on land and at sea in Spain, a Euro-Mediterranean, biodiversity rich country. We conducted the evaluation under two scenarios: 1) Scenario 1 considers designated PAs; and 2) Scenario 2, that also includes potential OECMs. In order to generate Scenario 2, thirteen legal categories were assessed against international guidance on OECMs as a first step to screen their likelihood of providing OECMs in Spain. Our findings show that some potentially satisfactory OECM categories such as Public Utility Forests, River Reserves or Geoparks meet the OECM criteria to a large degree and deserve further study. Our results also highlight that Spain is currently well above most foreseeable post-2020 biodiversity targets and even close to some ecological targets using just PAs, except for marine protected area (MPA) management and MPA offshore coverage. Adding OECMs would noticeably improve the country’s figures yet without reaching many exigent ecological targets. OECMs can become a useful, cost-effective biodiversity conservation tool that contributes to international targets under new, more ambitious area-based conservation requirements in Spain and elsewhere. Nevertheless, for this to happen, suitable biodiversity management and monitoring schemes must be ensured.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Protected areas},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Martínez-Vega, J.
Representation and protection of the threatened biodiversity by the largest Spanish regional network of protected areas Journal Article
In: Endangered Species Research, vol. 35, pp. 125-139, 2018.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem services, Pressures, Protected areas, SOSTPARK
@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2018e,
title = {Representation and protection of the threatened biodiversity by the largest Spanish regional network of protected areas},
author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and J. Martínez-Vega},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00878},
doi = {10.3354/esr00878},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-03-15},
journal = {Endangered Species Research},
volume = {35},
pages = {125-139},
abstract = {The main global strategy to stop biodiversity loss is the designation of protected areas (PAs). Spain is a highly biodiverse country. It has one of the world's greatest terrestrial PA coverages. However, the status of its biodiversity is delicate as a result of serious pressures, and some important areas for biodiversity are outside PAs. We used official census data to spatially assess how 71 habitats of community interest (HCIs), 126 regionally threatened flora, fauna and fungi species and subspecies (RTSs), and 33 globally threatened species or subspecies (GTSs) are represented in a network of 404 PAs in Andalusia, a region rich in biodiversity in southern Spain. We also assessed the legal and managerial protection afforded to these threatened habitats and species by those PAs. The Andalusian PA network expands across one-third of the region’s territory and includes the threatened species’ richest areas. However, it only covers 57% of the area of occupancy of RTSs, 81% of the regional area of occupancy of GTSs, and 53% of the extent of HCIs. Over 61% of the regional PA network area is assigned more than 1 PA designation category, although cumulative legal protection is marginally related to RTS richness and unrelated to GTS richness. RTSs and especially GTSs occupy the most relative area in Ramsar sites (i.e. wetlands of international importance), although these are of relatively minor importance for threatened habitats. Wetlands and agricultural areas are the broad ecosystem types showing the greatest numbers of RTSs and GTSs. Seven GTSs were not included in the Andalusian Register of Threatened Species. One hundred and eleven unprotected Areas of High Importance for Threatened Species (AHITSs) and one Area of High Importance for Threatened Biodiversity (AHITB) were identified. Those species and sites are good candidates for a targeted expansion of legal protection of biodiversity in the region.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Ecosystem services, Pressures, Protected areas, SOSTPARK},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Abdul-Malak, D.; Soukissian, T.; Sánchez-Espinosa, A.
Achieving Blue Growth through maritime spatial planning: Offshore wind energy optimization and biodiversity conservation in Spain Journal Article
In: Marine Policy, vol. 73, pp. 8-14, 2016.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Blue Growth, Climate Change, Conservation and management, Pressures
@article{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2016d,
title = {Achieving Blue Growth through maritime spatial planning: Offshore wind energy optimization and biodiversity conservation in Spain},
author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and D. Abdul-Malak and T. Soukissian and A. Sánchez-Espinosa},
url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305824278_Achieving_Blue_Growth_through_maritime_spatial_planning_Offshore_wind_energy_optimization_and_biodiversity_conservation_in_Spain},
doi = {10.1016/j.marpol.2016.07.022},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-11-01},
journal = {Marine Policy},
volume = {73},
pages = {8-14},
abstract = {Spain has a high potential for renewable energy production, being the world's third country by installed on-shore wind power. However, it has not yet fully developed its renewable energy production capacity, with no commercial offshore wind production to date, and remains highly dependent on fossil fuel imports. The country is also one of Europe's most biodiverse, on land and at sea. This study spatially assesses the country's offshore wind energy potential by incorporating the newly designated marine protected areas (MPAs) to the official Spanish strategic environmental assessment for the installation of offshore windfarms (SEA). It also identifies optimal areas for offshore windfarm development according to key physical variables such as wind speed, depth and substrate type. It finally assesses real commercial windfarm projects against current environmental constraints. The results show that nearly 50% of the whole area within 24 nm from the Spanish coast could be suitable for offshore windfarm development at the planning phase. However, only 0.7% of that area is optimal for wind energy production with current fixed turbine technology. Nevertheless, either area would allow Spain to meet its national targets of 750 MW of ocean power capacity installed by 2020 under adequate local wind conditions. Over 88% of all commercial windfarm project area is within the SEA's Exclusion zone, thus unfeasible under current circumstances. Technological breakthroughs like floating turbines may soon make the optimal windfarm area (OWA) less restrictive and reduce current environmental impacts of marine windfarms within a truly sustainable Blue Growth.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Blue Growth, Climate Change, Conservation and management, Pressures},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Technical Reports

Fortuna, C.; Sánchez-Espinosa, A.; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Abdul-Malak, D.; Podestà, M.; Panigada, S.
2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Maritime transport, Mediterranean sea
@techreport{Fortuna2022,
title = {Pathways to coexistence between large cetaceans and maritime transport in the north-western Mediterranean region: Collision risk between ships and whales within the proposed north-western Mediterranean PSSA, including the Pelagos Sanctuary},
author = {C. Fortuna and A. Sánchez-Espinosa and D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and D. Abdul-Malak and M. Podestà and S. Panigada},
url = {https://panaceaweb.adabyron.uma.es/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-to-coexistence-between-large-cetaceans-and-maritime-transport-in-the-north-western-Mediterranean-region.pdf},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-11-18},
urldate = {2022-11-18},
abstract = {This short report is the result of a collaborative effort among researchers from ISPRA in Italy and ETC-UMA in Spain supported by Mediterranean institutions partnering in the MBPC project. The level of maritime traffic and the intricacy of the network of shipping routes within the Pelagos Sanctuary and the new proposed north western Mediterranean Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA is an area that needs special protection through action by International Maritime Organization (IMO) because of its significance for recognized ecological or socio-economic or scientific reasons and which may be vulnerable to damage by international maritime activities) has an impact on fin whales, particularly in spring and summer when they can be found in the region to feed. Many of these shipping routes also cross several marine protected areas (MPAs), including large Nature 2000 sites. To assist in the identification of hotspot areas in the Pelagos Sanctuary and adjacent areas concerning key biodiversity and pressures, ETC-UMA produced several spatial data analysis, maps and informative interactive dashboards with Mediterranean-level data, which are now part of this report and other products now available through the MBPC Knowledge platform online, hosted and maintained by ETC-UMA.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Maritime transport, Mediterranean sea},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Abdul-Malak, D.
An assessment of marine biodiversity protection in the Mediterranean Sea: A threatened global biodiversity hotspot Technical Report
2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Mediterranean sea, Protected areas
@techreport{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2022,
title = {An assessment of marine biodiversity protection in the Mediterranean Sea: A threatened global biodiversity hotspot},
author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and D. Abdul-Malak},
url = {https://panaceaweb.adabyron.uma.es/wp-content/uploads/An_assessment_of_marine_biodiversity_protection_in_the_Mediterranean_Sea.pdf},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-11-01},
urldate = {2022-11-01},
abstract = {The Mediterranean Sea is a World’s biodiversity hotspot. It harbours around 11% of all marine species in less than 1% of the global marine area (Bianchi & Morri, 2000). Furthermore, around 20% of those species are endemic (Coll et al., 2010). Nevertheless, Mediterranean marine biodiversity is under threat by a number of pressures including overfishing, pollution, introduction of alien invasive species, coastaldevelopment and rising water temperature and acidity.
Efforts to conserve the Mediterranean environment have been going on for years, notably since the adoption of the Barcelona Convention against marine pollution in 1976 and its expanded version to cover the protection of the broader marine and coastal environment in 1995. Moreover, the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the related Habitats Directive in the European Union in 1992 additionally supported conservation actions in the region, especially in the European Union side of the Mediterranean.
As a result of those efforts, an increasing number of marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designated across the Mediterranean Sea
representing over 9.5% of the Mediterranean Sea, but mainly in the North-Western Mediterranean (Gomei et al., 2019). When addressing managerial effort, this percentage drops dramatically, with 1.27% of the Mediterranean sea being covered by MPAs that effectively implemented their management plans in 2018 (Gomei et al., 2019). New international protection coverage targets are likely to include 30% of marine and coastal areas being effectively protected by networks of MPAs or Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) by 2030 (CBD, 2021). Additional protection targets by the European Union require that 10% of important areas for biodiversity are designated under legally stringent no-take (M)PAs by 2030, which may further broaden the long-lasting North-South marine protection gap in the Mediterranean (Adbulla et al., 2008).},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Mediterranean sea, Protected areas},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}
Efforts to conserve the Mediterranean environment have been going on for years, notably since the adoption of the Barcelona Convention against marine pollution in 1976 and its expanded version to cover the protection of the broader marine and coastal environment in 1995. Moreover, the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the related Habitats Directive in the European Union in 1992 additionally supported conservation actions in the region, especially in the European Union side of the Mediterranean.
As a result of those efforts, an increasing number of marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designated across the Mediterranean Sea
representing over 9.5% of the Mediterranean Sea, but mainly in the North-Western Mediterranean (Gomei et al., 2019). When addressing managerial effort, this percentage drops dramatically, with 1.27% of the Mediterranean sea being covered by MPAs that effectively implemented their management plans in 2018 (Gomei et al., 2019). New international protection coverage targets are likely to include 30% of marine and coastal areas being effectively protected by networks of MPAs or Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) by 2030 (CBD, 2021). Additional protection targets by the European Union require that 10% of important areas for biodiversity are designated under legally stringent no-take (M)PAs by 2030, which may further broaden the long-lasting North-South marine protection gap in the Mediterranean (Adbulla et al., 2008).

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Meliane, I.
2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Mediterranean sea, Protected areas
@techreport{Rodríguez-Rodríguez2020,
title = {Report on the Regional Workshop on “other Effective Area-Based Conservation measures” in North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean: Identifying, advancing and reporting OECMs. Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations. Tunis, 10th-11th of February 2020.},
author = {D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and I. Meliane},
url = {https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/content/documents/2020/oecm_workshop_report_semed_2020-.pdf},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-05-01},
abstract = {Report prepared by the European Topic Centre of the University of Malaga on behalf of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Mediterranean sea, Protected areas},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}

Gomei, M.; Abdulla, A.; Schröder, C.; Yadav, S.; Sánchez-Espinosa, A.; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, D.; Abdul-Malak, D.
Towards 2020: how Mediterranean countries are performing to protect their sea Technical Report
2019.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Mediterranean sea, Pressures, Protected areas
@techreport{Gomei2019,
title = {Towards 2020: how Mediterranean countries are performing to protect their sea},
author = {M. Gomei and A. Abdulla and C. Schröder and S. Yadav and A. Sánchez-Espinosa and D. Rodríguez-Rodríguez and D. Abdul-Malak},
url = {https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/towards2020_report_nov2019.pdf},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-11-01},
keywords = {Biodiversity, Conservation and management, Environmental conservation, Marine protected areas, Mediterranean sea, Pressures, Protected areas},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}

Boosting Climate Resilience: Wetland4Change Project Advances Flood Management Solutions for Mediterranean Coastal Zones
The Mediterranean coastal zone´s combination of multiple severe climate hazards – rising temperatures, water scarcity, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events – makes it a hotspot for highly interconnected climate risks for the ecosystems and societies. Recent catastrophic floods in ...
RESTORE4Cs 1st Policy Brief: How can coastal wetlands help achieve EU climate goals?
The first RESTORE4Cs Policy Brief of RESTORE4Cs, “How can coastal wetlands help achieve EU climate goals?“, highlights the importance of European coastal wetlands for reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions. The key messages of the first RESTORE4Cs Policy Brief include: Coastal wetlands are important natural carbon stores, ...
Mapping the Impact of Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean
The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation with the support of ETC-UMA in the framework of the Blue Tourism Initiative, has released a comprehensive report entitled “Mapping the Impact of Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean: Vulnerability Assessment of Coastal and Marine ...
StrategyMedFor Presented at Annual Medforval Meeting 2024
StrategyMedFor was prominently featured at the Annual Medforval Meeting 2024, held from June 5-7 in Fontecchio, Italy. The event brought together 25 practitioners from national parks and natural reserves across 9 Mediterranean countries, providing a valuable platform for StrategyMedFor to ...
Celebrating leadership in environmental management: an interview with Dania Abdul Malak
From designing integrated ecosystem assessments in Europe and the Mediterranean to transforming outcomes into evidence-based recommendations for regional stakeholders, the European Topic Centre on Spatial Analysis and Synthesis (ETC-UMA) stands as a flagship for territorial cooperation. At the forefront of ...
Save the date! Unlocking solutions for coastal conservation in Europe
How can coastal wetlands respond to major European Union objectives such as climate neutrality, biodiversity protection, and pollution reduction? What key role do coastal wetlands play in achieving EU commitments for climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation? The European Topic Centre ...
Towards a Strategy for the Sustainable Management of Mediterranean Forests (StrategyMedFor)
The StrategyMedFor project, co-financed by the Interreg Euro-MED programme, was launched at the University of Malaga during a two day meeting that took place on March 18 and 19, 2024. The European Topic Centre on Spatial Analysis and Synthesis (ETC-UMA), ...
Collaborative science for forests by ETC-UMA showcased in Slovenia during the COP23
As UNEP MAP partner organization, ETC-UMA recently engaged in the organization of a session with Mediterranean institutions under the topic of climate change, entitled: From COASTAL to FOREST ecosystems: Mediterranean Nature-based Solutions to tackle climate change and ensure the Resilience ...
Tools for conserving the Spanish coast
On the initiative of the Instituto Universitario Hábitat Territorio y Digitalización (iHTD) of the University of Malaga, around 70 representatives of Spanish public administrations, researchers, architecture and environmental science players and civil society signed up to the second debate on ...
GreenEye System: a cloud-based system to monitor wetlands in Andalusia
Developed in the frame of the LifeWatch INDALO project cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the study of biodiversity and global change in Andalucia, GreenEye System, this new cloud-based monitoring system, provides useful tools for wetlands’ assessment, ...
Looking back and forth to Mediterranean Forests
Timely published to enrich the knowledge available to fight fires and climate change challenges after an extremely hot summer, the proceedings of the Seventh Mediterranean Forest Week “Forest and Ecosystem Restoration for the next Mediterranean Generations” held from 21 to ...
More space for innovative Mediterranean forest data partnerships
The report entitled A knowledge baseline on Mediterranean forests supported by innovation launched in July by ETC-UMA provides a highlight of what Mediterranean countries and institutions are doing to integrate new digital, satellite and Artificial Intelligence technologies into forest monitoring ...
The Earth from Space shown by ETC-UMA at FANTEC 2023
Students from 80 centers from all over Andalusia came together on Friday 19 May 2023 at the High School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Malaga to participate, one more year, in the Andalusian Technology Fair 2023. Antonio Sanchez ...
ETC-UMA launches new technologies applied to ecosystem knowledge
Built on the Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform, the new wetland monitoring system based on remote sensing data, developed by ETC-UMA and presented in April 2023 at the National Centre for Environmental Education (CENEAM by its acronym in Spanish) ...