StrategyMedFor

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.

Background

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. Mediterranean forests are part of a landscape mosaic that reflects the interactions between variable climatic and geomorphological conditions, regional landforms and human influence.

According to recent studies, the Mediterranean basin is the second most affected region in the world by climate change (MedECC, 2020). 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.

Overall, forest management should not aim unilaterally to maximise the current production of forest products and services, but also to increase the resilience of the landscape and better manage future risks. The management of Mediterranean forests should therefore improve the heterogeneity and adaptability of currently simplified and often unsuitable forest systems.

This project aims to provide a decision support system for countries to map their different forest categories, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and set their priorities according to the principles established by the scientific community and adapted to the Mediterranean context.

The objectives of StrategyMedFor

By participating in European and international forest strategies and policies, we are addressing the needs and knowledge gaps in strategies and action plans for the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests. For this reason, the main objective of StrategyMedFor is to develop a Strategy for Sustainable Management of Mediterranean Forests (SSMMF) targeted for each forest type and adapted to foreseeable climate scenarios. The novelty of this work is the integration of new technologies and data at the Mediterranean scale in a spatial context, combining geospatial data, GIS and climate scenario modelling in the development of the strategy.

Our SSMMF strategy will be a reference document for the next decade in the European and Mediterranean context. It will provide robust scientific recommendations on forests to be protected, restored or managed in a resilient way, as well as guidance on how to do so. Specific tools are planned, such as thematic mapping on the state of forests in real time and priority areas for action, in order to make sustainable management more effective at the regional, national and local levels.

We mobilise the relevant forest stakeholders at all levels, in expert consultation, exchange of experiences, knowledge transfer, governance, network consolidation and implementation of actions.

Partnership

The StrategyMedFor project has brought together 7 main partners in 6 countries of the Interreg MED cooperation area as well as relevant associated partners from the EU and international forest scene, to set up this project which is specifically aimed at the Mediterranean forest ecosystem.