As climate pressures intensify across the Mediterranean, the need for coordinated action to conserve and restore ecosystems across the spectrum has never been more urgent. Wetlands, forests, coastal or marine ecosystems host habitats that strengthen the region’s adaptability and resilience, yet are increasingly threatened by drought, wildfires, sea-level rise and land-use change. Responding to these challenges requires institutions to collaborate, share data and align restoration priorities across borders.
At COP24 in Cairo, the European Topic Centre on Spatial Analysis and Synthesis (ETC-UMA) contributed to this collective effort through two high-level side events and follow-up engagement in the Egyptian National Conference on Wetlands. Together, these activities showcased how scientific innovation, climate-smart indicators and multi-country cooperation are helping accelerate progress towards Mediterranean restoration targets.
Bringing Science and Policy Together for Coastal and Marine Restoration
Further to its role as a partner to the Barcelona Convention, ETC-UMA co-organised the side event “Mediterranean Coastal and Marine Restoration: Bridging Local Practice and Policy for Biodiversity and Climate Resilience”, together with MedWet, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation and partners of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium.
The discussion underscored an urgent reality: despite their essential role in climate mitigation, coastal protection and biodiversity, Mediterranean coastal and marine ecosystems still receive far less restoration attention and investment than they demand. Examples from Wetland4Change, RESTORE4Cs, RESCOM, REST-COAST and the MedPAN network illustrated how local initiatives are already delivering results from recovering coastal wetlands to enhancing marine habitats, while providing evidence that can feed directly into national and regional policies.
Participants emphasised the importance of connecting land, coast and sea through a multi-ecosystem vision. As blue carbon ecosystems gain recognition and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration calls for accelerated progress, the need for coordinated action through regional mechanisms, including the Barcelona Convention system, is becoming increasingly evident. The event reaffirmed that coastal and marine restoration must occupy a central place in Mediterranean environmental strategies.
Restoring Mediterranean Wetlands and Forests Through Innovation and Governance
A second side event, co-organised by ETC-UMA and Plan Bleu, shifted the focus inland to highlight the mounting challenges faced by Mediterranean wetlands and forests. Climate extremes, land degradation and expanding human pressures are weakening natural systems faster than countries can restore them individually. Yet the findings shared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations revealed a promising trend: Mediterranean nations are facing similar ecological and governance constraints, making collaboration not only possible but highly advantageous.
In this session, ETC-UMA presented its climate-smart geospatial indicators, designed to help national authorities plan forest restoration with future climate conditions in mind and harmonise their strategies with EU and global biodiversity frameworks. MedWet contributed insights from the long-term implementation of wetland contracts, which have evolved into a practical, locally anchored governance tool that countries can integrate into broader frameworks such as Integrated Coastal Zone Management and SAPBIO.
Plan Bleu’s contribution placed emphasis on evidence-based recommendations and participatory governance, showcasing how the Natural Heritage Mission is supporting countries in adopting more integrated and ecosystem-based approaches to environmental decision-making.
National representatives from Egypt, France and Lebanon added political perspectives that highlighted how restoration is progressing on the ground, revealing a gradual regional convergence in priorities, tools and governance pathways.
A common theme ran through the entire discussion: restoring wetlands and forests is increasingly seen as a collective Mediterranean undertaking, built on shared data, shared challenges and shared solutions.
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Looking Ahead: Contributing to Egypt’s Roadmap for a National Wetlands Strategy
ETC-UMA’s participated in Egypt’s National Conference on Wetlands, a pivotal event aimed at developing a roadmap for a National Wetlands Strategy. Egypt hosts an extraordinary diversity of wetland systems, from Nile Delta lagoons and riparian corridors to oases, lakes and mangroves. These ecosystems sustain water availability, food production, biodiversity and climate resilience, yet they remain under significant pressure from urbanisation, pollution and unsustainable water use.
The conference, co-organised by Tour du Valat, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, RAED and partners from the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory, brought together government agencies, researchers, and civil society organizations to enhance knowledge, highlight national initiatives, and foster a shared understanding of priorities for integrated wetland management. ETC-UMA contributed to this dialogue by supporting the design of the roadmap, sharing insights from assessment and monitoring frameworks essential for the successful implementation of a national wetland strategy. Additionally, ETC-UMA provided valuable input on the policy outcome indicators and metrics developed by the Restore4Cs project, which helped ground the strategy in evidence and data, ensuring informed decision-making in the prioritization of conservation and restoration actions for these vital national resources.
Building Regional Partnerships and Next Steps
Throughout COP24, ETC-UMA advanced cooperation with Mediterranean partners namely FAO Silva Mediterranea, and PAP/RAC, further to some collaboration intentions with several ministries in the region.
These engagements reflect ETC-UMA’s commitment to providing the Mediterranean region as well as countries with scientific evidence, geospatial tools and collaborative platforms that enable progress toward shared Mediterranean biodiversity and climate goals.
