Interreg Euro-MED – StrategyMedFor

Despite the increase in Mediterranean forest cover in recent decades, these forests are not in good condition and require urgent action to increase their resilience to climate change and restore their biodiversity. According to recent studies, the Mediterranean basin is the second most affected region in the world by climate change. This will have an impact on the quality, integrity, distribution and cover of forest species, which will in turn impact the livelihoods of local communities. The StrategyMedFor project aims to develop a targeted Strategy for Sustainable Management of Mediterranean Forests for each forest type, adapted to foreseeable climate scenarios, thus contributing to their restoration and conservation. The project is scheduled to last for 2.5 years, from January 2024 to September 2026.

The Mediterranean basin is the third-richest hotspot in the world in terms of plant biodiversity and one of the greatest sources of endemic plants on Earth (Mittermeier et al. 2004; IUCN, 2008). Forest and wooded lands are, at the same time, one of the most threatened ecosystems in the Mediterranean because of the large population concentration and the high pressure from human activities (FAO and Plan Bleu, 2018), such as tourism, urbanization, agriculture, etc (Dernegi, D. 2010).

Moreover, the Mediterranean is one of the most affected regions by climate change (IPCC, 2021). Only 5% of natural vegetation in the Mediterranean basin remains (FAO and UNEP, 2020), the lowest of any biodiversity hotspot. Many international agreements (i.e. the Convention on Biological Diversity –CBD–; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change –UNFCCC– or the European Green Deal) point out the need of preserving and restoring forests to tackle the Sustainable development Goals –SDG–, the EU forest strategy and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 .

StrategyMedFor’s mission is part of the Natural Heritage Mission of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme focused on protecting, restoring and valorising the natural resources of the Euro-Mediterranean area.