Over 150 experts, policymakers and civil society organisations gathered in Málaga on the 28-29 of November to share knowledge and experience on coastal and marine restoration in the Mediterranean. REST-COAST was invited by IUCN to participate in this exchange and contribute with the project’s knowledge and tools on coastal restoration to the discussions. The project was represented by Carles Ibáñez, Director of the Center for Climate Resilience of the technological center Eurecat.
Carles Ibanez, Eurecat at the 2nd Mission for Natural Heritage Institutional Dialogue
During the first day, the Dialogue focused on the policy context for marine and coastal restoration, including the global target to restore 30% of the world’s degraded ecosystems by 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the EU Nature Restoration Law, adopted earlier this year, which sets a legally-binding target to restore all of the EU’s degraded ecosystems by 2030. REST-COAST’s policy brief on the EU Nature Restoration Law was distributed during the meeting to share the project’s recommendations for strengthening the application of the law in coastal and marine ecosystems.
Pilar Marin, IUCN at the 2nd Mission for Natural Heritage Institutional Dialogue
Representatives across all levels of government, from the regional level to the city levels, discussed the way forward for adopting the restoration agenda in the Mediterranean. These perspectives were complemented by practical experiences from experts implementing restoration projects, to explore what is needed for policy to be translated into effective action on the ground.
The afternoon of the first day centred on Spain’s restoration efforts, needs and challenges. This session established a direct dialogue between competent authorities, including the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, and restoration experts to openly discuss the status and future directions of marine and coastal restoration in Spain. This included an exchange on the Spanish National Restoration Plan, which aimed to feed into the current development of this document. The National Restoration Plan is a requirement under the EU Nature Restoration Law, and all EU Member States must submit their draft plans to the European Commission by September 2026.
Carles Ibáñez introduced the REST-COAST project during this session as part of a roundtable where experts involved in marine and coastal restoration initiatives and projects in Spain put forward their experiences. Carles also underlined some of the key challenges, successes and lessons learned, with a special focus on the Ebro Delta Pilot Site. Governance was highlighted as a key challenge for achieving coastal restoration from river to sea, which can be addressed through effective engagement with stakeholders and authorities.
The second day of the Dialogue centred around bringing science and policy, with a capacity-building session designed to improve the quality of science for governance.
Throughout its two days, the Institutional Dialogue event provided a fruitful platform for different stakeholders from across the Mediterranean to come together to share ideas and create connections for strengthening the restoration of the region’s rich marine and coastal ecosystems.
The recordings for both days of the event are available online:
- Day 1: https://bit.ly/3ZjkcRc
- Day 2: https://bit.ly/3ViQgDG
The event was organised as part of the annual Institutional Dialogue series under the Interreg Euro-MED Mission for National Heritage and coordinated by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.
For access to the full programme, click here.
For further information on Natural Heritage Mission, click here.