How Sustainable Tourism and Biodiversity Protection can go hand in hand
The GEF-funded MedProgramme's promotes sustainable tourism in two forms; through Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) plans and awareness-raising campaigns focused on the tourism sector in the context of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plans: Shaping Resilient Coasts
Under Child Project 2.1, "Mediterranean Coastal Zones: Water Security, Climate Resilience and Habitat Protection", the MedProgramme is redefining sustainability and climate resilience in coastal zones.
Sustainable Tourism was one of the priority themes highlighted by local stakeholders during the development of the ICZM Plan for Boka Kotorska Bay, Montenegro, which is currently in the stage of finalization. Progress on the ICZM Action Plan is on track, aiming to support relevant local and national decisionmakers, and local communities to adapt to climate change, adopting sustainable land use policies and practices. Integrating sustainable tourism ensures that economic, social, and cultural development aligns with environmental preservation and responsible resource use.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Awareness Campaigns: Advocating for Conservation
Child Project 3.1, "Management Support and Expansion of Marine Protected Areas in Libya", supports the management and expansion of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Libya. A core component of the project are awareness-raising and communication campaigns to highlight the value and importance of MPAs. These campaigns specifically target the tourism sector, alongside the general public, decision-makers, fisheries, coastal management, and urbanization sectors. Their engagement is crucial for reinforcing the governance and sustainable management of MPAs.
Uniting for a thriving Mediterranean
By integrating sustainable tourism into Coastal Zone Management plans and engaging the tourism sector in conservation efforts for Marine Protected Areas, the MedProgramme aims to achieve its broader objectives of enhancing environmental security, strengthening climate resilience and water security, and improving the health and livelihoods of coastal populations in the Mediterranean region.
About the project
The Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme): “Enhancing Environmental Security” is a six-year (2020–2026) Global Environment Facility (GEF)- funded, multi-focal area, and cross-sectoral initiative implemented in Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia, and Tu¨rkiye. UNEP/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) is the leading executing Agency; the GEF Implementing Agencies are UNEP and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the executing partners are UNESCO/IHP, European Investment Bank (EIB), IUCN Med, GWP Med, WWF Med, University of Geneva-GRID Geneva, Plan Bleu, PAP/RAC, SCP/RAC, SPA/RAC and INFO/RAC. The Programme is also supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The MedProgramme operationalises priority actions to reduce principal transboundary environmental stresses in coastal areas while strengthening climate resilience and water security and improving the health and livelihoods of coastal populations. Furthermore, it aims to promote sound environmental management that benefits women and men equally, through effective gender mainstreaming.
For more information, please contact Nina Baijens at nina.baijens1@un.org.
Words by Nina Baijens. Cover photo: Igor Sporynin/Unsplash.