IMAP-MPA, EcAp MED III and Marine Litter MED II, three projects funded by the European Union (EU) and executed by the Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP), recently held their Steering Committee meetings (on 7 June, 15 June and 6 July 2022, respectively) to take stock of progress with representatives of beneficiary countries and partners.
Under the leadership of the UNEP/MAP Coordinating Unit, five MAP components –SPA/RAC, PAP/RAC, Plan Bleu, INFO/RAC and MED POL—are working with national teams of the beneficiary countries, namely Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, to deliver the projects’ activities.
As the projects edge closer to completion (activities are expected to be finalized by 2023), the Steering Committee meetings noted progress, particularly in the delivery of regional activities, and called for increased support to national teams in the implementation of the projects in the seven beneficiary countries.
The UNEP/MAP Coordinator stated that “the three projects represent a significant contribution of the EU, as a Contracting Party to the Barcelona Convention, to key UNEP/MAP priorities with a particular focus on achieving Good Environmental Status (GES)”.
Here are three areas where the projects are contributing to the achievement of GES in the Mediterranean region:
- Bolstering knowledge and assessment of the marine and coastal environment
The EU-funded projects have supported the development of baselines and assessment criteria for several Common Indicators of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme of the Mediterranean Sea and coast (IMAP). IMAP is a harmonized framework for the monitoring and assessment of GES across 11 Ecological Objectives in support of the implementation of the Ecosystem Approach. It was adopted by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (21 Mediterranean countries and the EU) in 2015.
As part of this endeavor the EcAp MED III project supports a science-policy interface that brings together scientific institutions, laboratories and policymakers with the aim of enabling the effective measurement of IMAP Common Indicators (1) and (15) dedicated to marine and coastal habitats. This constitutes one of the contributions that the project is making towards the production of the 2023 edition of the Mediterranean Quality Status Report (2023 MED QSR), one of the flagship knowledge products of the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention system, which will be based on quality-assured data produced through the implementation of IMAP.
The three projects are pushing for the expansion and strengthening of the IMAP Information System – a central piece of the infrastructure maintained by UNEP/MAP to facilitate the reporting of data in a harmonized fashion – and for the set-up of national IMAPs: country-based systems for the harvesting of data based on the IMAP regionally harmonized architecture.
- Strengthening biodiversity conservation
The IMAP-MPA project has contributed to the 3rd edition of the Mediterranean MPA Forum and a regional capacity-building programme aiming to enhance the management and sustainability of Mediterranean MPAs. The project has also deployed conservation, management and awareness-raising actions at Rachgoun Island (Algeria), Tyre Coast Nature Reserve (Lebanon), Shash area (Libya), as well as Jbel Moussa (Morocco) and the Kerkennah Archipelago (Tunisia). The IMAP-MPA Gender Action Plan, released in 2022, provides a blueprint for mainstreaming gender equality in biodiversity conservation in the Mediterranean.
The project also supported the delivery of the Post-2020 Regional Strategy for MPAs and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) by enabling an inclusive consultation process that culminated in the adoption of this landmark regional policy instrument at COP 22 of the Barcelona Convention (7-10 December 2021, Antalya, Türkiye).
- Accelerating the regional response to marine litter
At COP 22 the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention adopted the updated Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean (RPML)— a comprehensive framework for effective marine litter management. The Marine Litter MED II project is bringing impetus to the implementation of the updated RPML by piloting key reduction and prevention measures that this legally binding instrument encompasses.
The Marine Litter MED II activities include Adopt-a-Beach and Fishing-for-Litter pilots as well as the enhancement of the management of sea-generated waste in ports and marinas in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. Emphasis is placed on phasing out single-use plastics and enhancing extended producer responsibility. The project is also fostering cooperation with the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (BSC), General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and other regional partners affiliated to the G7 and G20 Marine Litter Action Plans.
 |
 |
 |
 |
