EFICENT launching event 3rd of April 2009 Friburg, Germany EFI Mediterranean Regional Office...

EFICENT launching event3rd of April 2009Friburg, Germany

EFI Mediterranean Regional Office –EFIMEDIn brief

Marc PalahiHead 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 25.000 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 MAKINGSCIENTIFICALLY BASED INFORMATION FOR SOUND MANAGEMENT POLICY MAKING

11 April 20234

Networking AdvocacyInformationResearchCapacity 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


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

Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services

Modelling Mediterranean forests, their products and servicesModelling Mediterranean forests, their products and services

Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Multi-objective forest planning tools to address the multifunctionality of Mediterranean forestsMediterranean forests

20.8.20046

Wildfires: a major axis of EFIMED activities

ResearchEFIMED 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 advocacyEFIMED has coordinated a collective scientific assessment on wildfires (editor: Y. Birot); to improve the science policy interface

20.8.20047

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

http://www.efi.int/attachments/publications/efi_discussion_paper_15.pdf



Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water Water and forests interactions and trade-offs: forest management and water resourcesresources

Assessing the risk of forest fires and their socio-economic impact




• Water: the main limiting factor in the Mediterranean; water scarcity increase in relation to climate and land use changes;

• Mediterranean countries are home to 60% the world’s “water-60% the world’s “water-poor”poor” population with less than 1000 mless than 1000 m33/inhabitant/year/inhabitant/year

• By 2025, 63 million63 million of Mediterranean population would be in in need of waterneed of water (with less than 500 m3/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

Forests can reduce erosion reduce erosion and improveand improve water quality water quality;

Forests consume waterForests consume water: evapo-transpiration up to 90%;

Water and forests in the Mediterranean

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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);”

a book on ““Water for forest and people Water for forest and people in the Mediterranean: a challenging in the Mediterranean: a challenging balance; what science can tell usbalance; what science can tell us

Networking AdvocacyAdvocacyInformationResearchCapacity building



Valuing and internalising non-market forest goods and servicesValuing and internalising non-market forest goods and services



Advocacy

Towards a Mediterranean forest research agenda (2009- 2020)

Content

1. Introduction

2. Challenges for the sustainability of Challenges for the sustainability of Mediterranean forests: the Mediterranean forests: the

joint visionjoint vision

3. Strategic research prioritiesStrategic 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 ownersNGOs

EC

Research communityEFIMED members

MFRA

Drafting and consultation ongoingDrafting and consultation ongoing

First draftFirst draft

ConsultationConsultation

Final draftFinal draft

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) Veneto (Italy), Sousa Valley (Portugal)

Catalonia (Spain), Tunisia, Israel, .…Catalonia (Spain), Tunisia, Israel, .…

Thank you for your attention

EFICENT launching event 3rd of April 2009 Friburg, Germany EFI Mediterranean Regional Office...

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