Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: “A pulse for transformative changes in the Mediterranean Sea” (PANACeA Event). 14-16 October 2019, Malaga – Spain

BACKGROUND

The Interreg Med Biodiversity Protection Community featured by the PANACeA project is organizing a three-day encounter to share and celebrate the three years of collaborative workachieved by this community to safeguard mechanisms and tools that support a more effective management of biodiversity and ensure proper ecosystem functions across the Mediterranean.

The event will include various activities related to the latest achievements concerning collaborative science, management and policy and will demonstrate the work of over 200 institutions engaged in cooperation for biodiversity conservation related actions. It will also shed light on its major future steps and planned actions for the upcoming years and will inform on their alignment with post 2020 regional and global targets.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The agenda will include official acts involving protected area managers, international, Mediterranean, national, regional and local public authorities, research institutions and all those people and organisations interested in biodiversity protection and sustainable natural resource management in the Mediterranean region.

WHAT TOPICS WILL BE ADDRESSED

The global and regional goals for conserving and sustainably using nature and achieving sustainability are far from being met, especially in the Mediterranean region, with demonstrated consequences from trajectories and trends of overexploitation of biodiversity and natural resources. It is most likely that globally and in the Mediterranean, most of the Aichi Targets set for 2020 (3 months from the event!), will be missed and that goals set for 2030 and beyond may only be achieved through ”transformative changes across economic, social, political, and technological factors”. Loss of biological diversity is shown to be, not only an environmental issue, but also a developmental, economic, security, social and moral issue as well.

As we aim to make an effective change in policies and management practices to conserve Mediterranean biodiversity and ecosystems now and beyond 2020, the debate and solutions found by this Biodiversity Protection Community to the questions below could help effective upscaling and feeding the regional management and policy agendas for 2020 and beyond:

  • How to adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change on our ecosystems?
  • What to do to tackle transboundary challenges like pollution including marine litter?
  • Which are the key ecological areas that need protection and management to maintain healthy Mediterranean habitats?
  • What is the role of the various society actors inpreserving our natural capital, the core of our economies?
  • Which models of participatory decision making are effective for an integrated management of natural resources including local livelihoods?
  • How to limit the damage to our ecosystems while fostering a sustainable blue growth?
  • How would all these state-of-the-art mechanisms and solutions found by the community be included and effectively implemented in future looking regional policies to ensure that transformative changes take place?

 

Draft Agenda

Logistic note

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