5 June 2022. The World Environment Day 2022 calls for transformative changes in policies, including ensuring that maritime activities are sustainable, innovative and job-creation oriented. In order to tackle blue economy challenges, the UfM and the European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG Mare) are organising the UfM Blue Finance Conference on 22 June in Barcelona, bringing together financial institutions, banks, private investors as well as key representatives of the UfM countries. “The ocean economy is expected to double to $3 trillion by 2030, employing 40 million people, as compared to 2010” highlights the UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel…. read more
6 April 2022 – This multi-episode documentary, Mediterranean, Odyssey for Life, directed by Frédéric Fougea and narrated by Camélia Jordana and Guillaume Néry, will show the beauty of our shared sea through breathtaking footage and give a message of hope. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has been working on environmental and climate issues for many years and, as such, is very proud to have participated in this documentary, featuring an interview with the Secretary General. As an organisation working on regional cooperation, the goal is to raise awareness and build consensus among its Member States on how to respond to… read more
22 – 27 March. Access to water is a major challenge for the 21st century. Shortages, poor water quality or lack of sanitation facilities have a negative impact on food security, health, gender equality and the living conditions of the poor. The problems are numerous and complex: millions of people in the Mediterranean still lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation; there is an increasing competition between different water users and uses; and significant investments are needed to maintain and improve water infrastructure. The economic, financial and governance aspects of water resources management are usually at the heart of… read more
Groundwater resources are the main source of the water supply in many Mediterranean countries and are subjected to pressures resulting from unequal distribution, accessibility, and quality issues. Groundwater-intensive exploitation contributed to the decrease, deterioration, and disappearance of over 50% of wetlands during the past century. Wetlands’ ecosystem services are among the most productive habitats in the world. They can be considered as “biological supermarkets”, since they provide great volumes of food for many species, including humans. Yet, wetlands cover only between 1.7% to 2.4% of the total area of the Mediterranean coast. With a view to protecting Mediterranean wetlands, the… read more
In the Mediterranean region, there are over 80 million hectares of degraded land. More than 400,000 hectares of forests are burned each year and at least 16% of animal and plant species in Mediterranean forests are at risk of extinction due to environmental threats such as forest fires driven by climate change. Effective planning, implementation, and monitoring of large-scale programmes such as Forest Preservation and Landscape Restoration (FLR) are critical to achieving climate and restoration goals in the Mediterranean region. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Food Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) support a project to… read more
27 January 2022. Marine litter, the vast majority of which is made of plastics, is globally acknowledged as a major environmental and societal challenge of our time. The Mediterranean is one of the most affected seas by marine litter with more than 130 marine species are affected by debris originating primarily from shoreline activities. The new project “Plastic Busters CAP:Fostering knowledge transfer to tackle marine litter in the Mediterranean” kicked off today under the umbrella of the UfM initiative “Plastic Busters”, to become an instrument to improve Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), resulting in better local development planning. The main expected results of… read more
Ministers from the 42 Member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) gathered today in Cairo at the 2nd UfM Ministerial Conference on Environment and Climate action under the Co-Presidency of Jordan and the European Union. They agreed on a common agenda to strengthen efforts in the Euro-Mediterranean region to urgently tackle the multiple climate and environmental challenges it faces. This commitment reflects the highest possible ambition in accelerating transition towards sustainable, climate-neutral and green economies. Cairo, 4 October 2021. The Ministerial Conference was chaired by Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, on behalf… read more
9-10 June 2021. The 8th meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Blue Economy Working Group took place online on 10th June, chaired by the European Commussion and Jordanian Co-Presidency, with the assistance of the UfM Secretariat. The meeting focused on the implementation of the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy adopted in February 2021. Emphasis was placed on cooperation with stakeholders and financial institutions, the need for capacity building to support specific sectors within a broad Blue Economy approach, fighting unemployment, and supporting blue skills as enabler of growth. Furthermore, it was agreed to explore the possibility… read more
World Environment Day 2021 focuses on the theme of ecosystem restoration, aiming to prevent, halt and reverse the damage done to natural habitats. Restoration and other natural solutions can deliver one third of the mitigation needed by 2030 to keep global warming below 2C, while helping societies and economies adapt to climate change and preventing species extinction. The UfM recognises the need for healthy ecosystems in order to enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change and stop biodiversity loss. 4 June 2021. World Environment Day aims to engage governments, businesses and citizens in an effort to address pressing environmental issues, and… read more
28 May 2021. The 5th meeting of the UfM Task Force on Environment took place yesterday, bringing together country representatives and regional stakeholders of the UfM environment agenda. The virtual meeting was chaired by the UfM European and Jordan Co-Presidency, with the support of the UfM Secretariat. Its main objectives included: Discussing the priorities for action under the 2030 Greener Med Agenda, the new proposed tool for regional integration and collaboration; Exploring the opportunities for partnership and funding related to the 2030 Greener Med Agenda in view of the ongoing programming; Defining the operational modalities of the 2030 GreenerMed Agenda; Showcasing and… read more
