Lively discussions on tackling climate change in Mediterranean MPAs held at the MPA Engage capitalization conference
On the 18th of June 2021, MIO-ECSDE organized the 1st MPA Engage capitalization event providing an opportunity for stakeholders to connect and share experiences towards a collective and consolidated response to climate change in Mediterranean MPAs.
Climate change is dramatically affecting the Mediterranean Sea, which is warming at a rate 20% faster than the world’s average. MPAs, despite the nature-based solution they offer to support efforts towards climate change adaptation and mitigation, are the first ones to feel the climate change effects.
The online event, organized by MIO-ECSDE and facilitated by Jeremy Wilks, climate correspondent at Euronews, brought together prominent speakers and more than 120 participants, to discuss the recent policy and scientific advances with regards to climate change and its impacts in the region. At the heart of the capitalization event lied the MPA Engage featured actions aiming to support MPA managers to adapt to and mitigate the ongoing climate change effects.
The members of the project’s capitalization boards, Science4Change (brings together scientists from the Mediterranean), MPA4Change (brings together managers of Mediterranean MPAs), Med4Change (brings together the main Mediterranean policy actors) and other stakeholders, engaged in lively discussions focused on key climate change related topics such as monitoring approaches, vulnerability assessments, citizen/participatory science campaigns and participatory decision-making processes for the elaboration of climate change adaptation and mitigation action plans in Mediterranean MPAs.
The main take-home message of the event, highlighted by Jeremy Wilks was “Act local, think Mediterranean!”
Find the event’s agenda here and the event’s recording here.
The MPA ENGAGE is an Interreg Med funded project aiming to support MPA managers to adapt to and mitigate the ongoing climate change effects in the Mediterranean Sea.
Read more here