Engaging Mediterranean key actors in Ecosystem Approach to manage Marine Protected Areas to face Climate change
The Mediterranean is being and will be heavily impacted by Climate Change (CC). There is a global (CBD), EU (Directive on Birds/Habitats) and Med (UNEP/MAP, MAPII, MSSD; Barcelona Convention) consensus to strengthen Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as key tools to prevent further biodiversity loss and maintain ecosystem.Although the EU policy, MSP and MSFD, provides the framework to address CC effects, their current implementation is essentially missing. Likewise, most MPAs lack of specific adaptation plans to CC.The overall objective of MPA-ENGAGE is to promote the role of MPAs as nature-based solutions for the implementation of EcAp to CC adaptation: The QUINTUPLE HELIX (MPAs, socio-eco actors, local/regional authorities, scientists and citizens) from 8 countries will cooperate towards adapting the management of 7 Med MPAs to CC impacts. The engagement, for the first time, of citizen scientists (recreational divers) and small-scale fishery actors will be essential.The operational know-how will be capitalized and transmitted (by Trainings, Twinning &Data Sharing) to key coastal actors to develop an extremely robust and resilient strategy for success.Lastly, MPA-ENGAGE will promote a Med Policy Dialogue among an assembly of associates (scientists, MPAs, & Networks/regions). The unambiguous support to MPA-ENGAGE by organisations such as MEDPAN, RAC-SPA, UNEP/MAP, FAO; GFCM, CPMR-ICM, WWF and UfM well demonstrates the compliance with wider EU & Med strategies and policies.
