Interreg Euro-MED project MPA4Change

Project partners:

• CSIC - Institute of Marine Sciences
• Consortium of management of Portofino Marine Protected Area
• University of Vigo
• DAN Europe Foundation
• Public institution Brijuni National Park
• National Research Council (UfM)
• EUROPARC Federation
• University of Algarve
• Marine Protected Area of Montenegro
• AP Marine Environmental Consultancy Ltd

Project description:

The Mediterranean Sea is considered a hot spot for climate change. The impacts of climate change are interacting with other environmental changes caused by human activities (e.g. overfishing, habitat loss and pollution). As a result, Mediterranean marine ecosystems and human livelihoods that rely on them are being affected. To contribute to reverse this severe degradation trend, MPA4Change will look to enhance the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and restoration as key Nature Based Solution for climate change adaptation by deploying a multi-level approach, from local MPA actions to Mediterranean strategies, in view to ensure its long-term sustainability and capacity.

To do so MPA4Change will work on 3 main axis:

1) promote and fine-tune consolidated tools for risk assessment, monitoring, data sharing, restoration, citizen science, participatory approaches and defining adaptation action plans, communication, 2) support the Policy dialogue and coordinate with EU, Mediterranean and Global ICZM/MSP Strategies (e.g., FAO/GFCM, UNEP/MPA, RAC/SPA, UfM)

3) develop a Roster of experts to fully operationalize the implementation of policies and tools ensuring the long-term sustainability and capacity for adaptation and mitigation to climate change.

The final expected main outcome of MPA4Change is to enhance the resilience of Mediterranean coastal areas in view to support the good environmental status and sustainable use of marine ecosystems. Fully aligned with Interreg Euro-MED specific objective 2.4’s challenges, MPA4Change will increase the capacity to adapt to climate change by i) enhancing the effectiveness of MPAs and restoration, ii) improving the coordination and cooperation of stakeholders across borders to tackle them and iii) reinforcing raise awareness and environmental culture to climate change.

Overall objectives:

The overall objective of MPA-CHANGE is to reinforce the role of MPAs as nature-based solutions for the implementation of EcAp to Climate Change adaptation:

Specific objectives:

1. Fine-tune and transfer the toolkit of MPA Governance plan including monitoring and adaption solution to the Climate change. At least 2 new takers MPA (from the eastern Mediterranean area: Bulgaria and Cyprus) will implement such solutions under the mentoring of experienced MPAs (Portofino and Brijuni);

2. Promote the role of MPAs as central tools for the adaptation to and mitigation of CC impacts in the Mediterranean, through Capitalization and mainstreaming with recommendations to promote the role of MPAs as nature-based solutions for the implementation of EcAp to CC adaptation;

3. Mediterranean region Ensure the long-term sustainability of the adaptation of MPA to face the Climate Change. Even if MPA managers and regional institutions are increasingly required to tackle the effects of CC in their vulnerable territories, few actors have the skills, capacities, or information needed to ensure monitoring and adaptation to related impacts. The partnership will address these problems by setting and structuring a Mediterranean pool of experts that will be available to act as advisors with those MPAs that aim at adapting their governance plans and implementing the MPA-change tool kit.

Activities and work packages:

WP1 – TRANSFERRING

1. Fine-tuning of solutions for Climate Change and Restoration
2. Training and knowledge-transfer programme
3. Transferring and Mentoring
4. Data sharing via global platforms

WP2 - LIAISING AND MAINSTREAMING

2.1 Synergies and capitalization

2.2. Policy advocacy

2.3 Mediterranean North-South and South liaising and cooperation

2.4 Communication and outreach

WP3 - LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND CAPACITY

3.1 MP4Change Roster: selection of members

3.2 MP4Change Roster: governance and financial model

3.3 Euro-Med Academy and Community activities

3.4 Carbon Footprint Assessment and Offsetting

Andrea Blašković, mag. oecol.

Senior expert adviser for nature protection

andrea.blaskovic@np-brijuni.hr