EFICENT launching event 3rd of April 2009 Friburg, Germany EFI Mediterranean Regional Office –EFIMED In brief Marc Palahi Head of EFIMED

Background for EFIMED The challenges related to the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests in a context of rapid global changes; need: Science based information for sound management and policy making. International cooperation and research networking for: Mobilizing efficiently resources, enlarging and sharing knowledge, building capacities and improving the science-policy interface. EFI had the experience, expertise and appropriate research infrastructures to establish EFIMED

Mediterranean forests require special attention Key role in the welfare of urban and rural societies Important but non-market goods and services (2/3) of the total value is due to non-market services Unique world’s natural heritage: exceptional biodiversity species, 4 times more diverse in ¼ of the land Affect the water and soil resources soil losses 15 tons/ha/yr, 60% of “water poor” countries are in Med region Increase vulnerability to forest fires and land use changes in a context of climate change Temp. increase more than average and rainfall decrease SCIENTIFICALLY BASED INFORMATION FOR SOUND MANAGEMENT POLICY MAKING

16 August NetworkingAdvocacyInformationResearch Capacity building To promote, coordinate and conduct research on Mediterranean forests to promote their conservation and sustainable management Implementing EFI strategy at a Mediterranean level

Strategic research topics NetworkingAdvocacyInformationResearch Capacity building Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forests

Wildfires: a major axis of EFIMED activities Research EFIMED research on modelling risk of fires and inclusion in forest management planning MASIFF – Development of a Methodology for the Analysis of Socio-economic Impact of Forest Fires and Economic Efficiency of Fire Management (EU funded project, 2009) Capacity building “Summer school” on forest fires (April 2009, Turkey) jointly with PHOENIX and COST Information and advocacy EFIMED has coordinated a collective scientific assessment on wildfires (editor: Y. Birot); to improve the science policy interface

EFIMED paper on “Living with wildfires” Expressing the « voice of science » in such a hot debate Gathering individual and collective expertise: EFI-PHOENIX, EU funded projects (FIREPARADOX), COST Action, etc s/efi_discussion_paper_15.pdf

Strategic research topics NetworkingAdvocacyInformationResearch Capacity building Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forests

Water: the main limiting factor in the Mediterranean; water scarcity increase in relation to climate and land use changes; 60% the world’s “water- poor”less than 1000 m 3 /inhabitant/yearMediterranean countries are home to 60% the world’s “water- poor” population with less than 1000 m 3 /inhabitant/year 63 millionin need of waterBy 2025, 63 million of Mediterranean population would be in need of water (with less than 500 m 3 /inhabitant/year). Integrated watershed managementIntegrated watershed management needs to be given priority in order to preserve and improve the scarce, usable water potential Water and forest interactions and trade-offs have specific features in the Mediterranean reduce erosion and improve water quality Forests can reduce erosion and improve water quality; Forests consume water Forests consume water: evapo-transpiration up to 90%; Water and forests in the Mediterranean

Background for a new initiative International Conference: « Water and Forests, a convenient truth? », (Barcelona, October 2008) and summer school on Water and forests 2008; The need for: - a better understanding of the interactions of between forests and water and for embedding this knowledge in policies; - closing the gap between science and public perception; EFIMED previous experience in “collective scientific assessment” (forest fires);” “Water for forest and people in the Mediterranean: a challenging balance; what science can tell us a book on “Water for forest and people in the Mediterranean: a challenging balance; what science can tell us

NetworkingAdvocacyInformationResearch Capacity building Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forests Advocacy

Towards a Mediterranean forest research agenda ( ) Content 1.Introduction Challenges for the sustainability of Mediterranean forests: the joint vision 2.Challenges for the sustainability of Mediterranean forests: the joint vision Strategic research priorities 3.Strategic research priorities 4.Capacity building and knowledge sharing 5.Implementing the MFRA

Why a MFRA? Filling the gap of non-existing Scientific Research Policies/Agendas in the south by building a “bridge” North-South, East-West and south-south-east! Missing National Agendas in Mediterranean countries within the European Forest-Based Sector Platform Enhancing the specificities, challenges and needs of Mediterranean forests

Towards a MFRA? EFIMED Countries (agencies) FAO Forest owners NGOs EC Research community EFIMED members MFRA Drafting and consultation ongoing First draft Consultation Final draft

Strategic research topics NetworkingAdvocacyInformationResearch Capacity building Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resources Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forests

Cooperation EFIMED-EFICENT ? Cooperation in “core funded” “concerted-actions-like” projects to provide Pan-European comparitive studies: Example: Profitability of Mediterranean Forests EFIMED provides funds for meetings/grants and partners provide their expertise and human resources/time. Task 1: Review of institutional forest policy frameworks Task 2: Costs of provision of market and non-market services Task 3: Values of market and non-market goods and services Task 4: Regional green accounting Task 5: Policy recommendations Veneto (Italy), Sousa Valley (Portugal) Catalonia (Spain), Tunisia, Israel,.…

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