FFEM PROJECT 2011-2015

FFEM project 2011-2015 : “Maximize the production of goods and services of Mediterranean forest ecosystems in the context of global changes”

Project funded by the French Global Environment Facility (Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial – FFEM) from 2011 to 2015.

In the framework of the Collaborative Partnership on Mediterranean Forests, the project “Maximize the production of goods and services of Mediterranean forest ecosystems in the context of global changes” was prepared by the Secretariat of the Silva Mediterranea FAO Committee and its partners (especially Plan Bleu) and presented by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy to the FFEM.

The overall objective of the project was to encourage stakeholders to manage and restore Mediterranean forests to ensure a sustainable supply of goods and services by these ecosystems.

The main objectives were to:

• Integrate the impacts of climate change in forest policies by providing technical information and tools related to the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of Mediterranean forests;
• Assess the economic and social value of goods and services provided by Mediterranean woodland ecosystems to support decision making and to promote policy guidelines mainstreaming;
• Improve the governance of forested lands through the participation of stakeholders in the design and implementation of strategies to reduce the pressures on ecosystems;
• Optimize and enhance the mitigation function (carbon sinks) of Mediterranean forests with methodological tools to enhance local efforts to protect and restore ecosystems;
• Strengthen coordination and experiences sharing among stakeholders in the region (coordination and communication through CPMF).

The project was organized into five components to meet these five objectives:

1. Integrating climate change impacts on forest management policies, and in this objective, producing data and tools related to the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of forests;
2. Estimating the economic and social value of goods and services provided by Mediterranean forest ecosystems, in order to effectively support decision making process and strengthen supporting actions towards the sustainable management of these ecosystems;
3. Improving governance modes of woodlands at the territory scale in order to promote locally strategies to reduce anthropogenic pressure on those ecosystems, while ensuring users that the goods and services they depend on can be maintained over the long term;
4. Optimizing and enhancing mitigation role of Mediterranean forests (carbon sinks), through the development of methodological tools to enforce local efforts to protect/restore ecosystems;
5. Strengthening coordination and exchange of experiences between stakeholders in the sub-region through coordination and communication activities within the CPMF and by creating a dialogue on common guidelines on adaptation and mitigation of climate change by the forest sector in the Mediterranean.

Each component followed three steps to provide concrete answers to forest managers, based on pilot sites, while providing strategic and political outlooks.

1. Capitalisation of existing data and studies and production of a synthesis;
2. Focus on a few pilot sites and implementation of activities in the five partner countries;
3. Exchanges at the regional level and international communication.

The six partner countries involved in the project were Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey (NB: due to the political situation in Syria, no action could be implemented in this country).

This project was in synergy with other regional projects on Mediterranean forests:

• GIZ regional project “Adapting forest policy conditions to climate change in the MENA region”
• European MED cooperation projects QUALIGOUV (“Improving governance and quality of the forest management in Mediterranean protected areas”) and FORCLIMADAPT (“Adaptation of Mediterranean woodlands to climate changes);
• European projects COST FP 2012 controlled by the Research Center of Arezzo with the support of FAO and FORESTERRA in which EFIMED participated.

For more information, visit the dedicated page on FAO’s website by clicking here.