Human activities in Mediterranean coastal and marine areas are intensifying the environmental degradation and the impact of cumulative pressures on ecosystems and the services they provide. Improving the socio-ecological resilience of vulnerable areas and local economies is a solution critically needed for the long-term sustainability of the region. Setting transformative governance mechanisms, building capacities, ensuring sustainable financial and community engagement for bringing  improvements to people’s lives and nature form the core of the answering solution.

As a capitalization project, ENSERES seeks transformative changes with an integrated solution approach at transboundary level, both in and outside areas under legal protection, and involving public authorities, socio-economic actors and civil society organisations engaged in natural and urban areas. It focuses on transferring and mainstreaming ecosystem-based management tools to implement integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) processes in multi-level conservation and territorial practices. 

ENSERES will build the capacities to set common goals for public authorities and natural resource users,  boost sustainable financing mechanisms for co-management, and act for the operative territorialisation of actions at various scales. Based on transferring activities at pilot site level in the Gulf of Gades (Tunisia) and the area of the Tyre Coast Nature Reserve (Lebanon), outreach activities will ensure the dissemination of approaches at Pan-Mediterranean level  through existing networks such as the Mediterranean Protected Areas Network (MedPAN), the Network of Mediterranean coastal cities (MedCities) and the network of managers of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI network).