MEDLAND 2020: “Design of a common framework for integrated management of territories to protect natural resources, in synergy with their social and economic valuations” (MED, 2013-2014)

Project’s presentation

MEDLAND 2020 project main objective was to promote a common integrated land management scheme to protect natural resources in synergy with social and economic valorisation in the Mediterranean basin. This project was scheduled to take place from 1 July 2013 to 31 December 2014.

MEDLAND 2020 was a capitalisation project and its overall aim was to strenghten the impact of the results and achievements of previous MED projects on territories in the fields of sustainable land and natural resources management in Mediterranean basin.

The project includes the participation of 14 partners from the Mediterranean Basin: France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal and Albany.

The MEDLAND program included 13 projects on Mediterranean forests and natural areas, grouped into four main themes:

  • Integrated management of protected natural areas, such as rural development tool to improve economic and social conditions of the population (Projects: QUALIGOUV, 2BPARKS, FOREST MODEL)
  • Management of natural risks (especially forest fires), improving the effectiveness of fire prevention, protection of citizens and infrastructure and public awareness (Projects: PROTECT, CYPFIRE, FOCLIMADAPT)
  • Economic and Social Value of territories to strengthen local development through sustainable tourism and the marketing of local products (Projects: 2BPARKS, MEDISS, SUSTEN, Rururbal)
  • Intelligent management of natural resources through innovation and the emergence of promotional markets (Projects: WOODE3, PROFORBIOMED, ​​OSDDT, Sylvamed)

Objectives

The project had five specific objectives:

  1. Create synergies among projects and partners and build up a “network of networks” in the Mediterranean context, with all its specificities, in order to reinforce the capacities of the strategic projects to disseminate and transfer their results and expertise;
  2. Develop synergies between operational tools, models and good practices implemented by different projects on Mediterranean natural resources, in order to enlarge the transferring capacity of the outputs of the associated project;
  3. Develop a lobby for the protection and valorisation of Mediterranean natural resources towards national, European and Pan-Mediterranean institutions, increasing the impact of territorial cooperation towards mainstream regional operational policies;
  4. Identify challenges and gaps for a Common integrated land management scheme to protect natural resources in the Mediterranean basin, in the context of Europe 2020;
  5. Contribute to the elaboration and the promotion of a shared vision by Mediterranean peoples about their woodlands.

The project focused on four work packages:

  • Administrative and financial management
  • Information, awareness raising and capitalization
  • Building up a network of networks on Mediterranean natural resources management
  • Transferring knowledge and expertise on Mediterranean natural resources management

Results

The achieved results are:

  • Implementation of a presentation and capitalisation website (www.medland2020.eu, transferred to www.medland2020.aifm.org)
  • Development of databases of transferable elements (tools, methods, best practices) and involved stakeholders in the management of Mediterranean natural resources and areas
  • Creation of an electronic book (e-book) on best practices for integrated management of Mediterranean territories
  • Publication of a policy brief setting out the broad policy guidelines for the management of protected areas, the management of natural hazards, the integrated land management and the intelligent management of natural resources
  • Organization of a conference in Brussels to the Mediterranean MEPs to relay the main conclusions and recommendations of the project
  • Organization of an international final conference in Marseille within the framework of the Collaborative Partnership on Mediterranean Forests (CPMF)