A new initiative promoted by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to develop an extensive update of all species, sites and conservation issues in the Mediterranean region was recently launched.

All stakeholders in the Mediterranean were invited to participate in the updating of the Ecosystem Profile for the region. The Ecosystem Profile is an extensive document describing the conservation status of the region, covering socio-economic issues, threats to biodiversity and all the existing data on flora and fauna. 

The CEPF investment in the Mediterranean basin hotspot began in 2010-2011 with the creation of the first Ecosystem Profile, developed through extensive stakeholder consultations, that described the conservation status of the region, covering socio-economic issues, threats to biodiversity and all the existing data on flora and fauna.

Many changes have occurred in the six years following the release of the Mediterranean region Ecosystem Profile. The update of the Ecosystem Profile is needed in order to create a platform for funders interested in funding civil society groups working in the Mediterranean basin in the coming years, and to align with existing investments by governmental agencies and other donors in the region.

The update of the ecosystem profile will be used to create the new investment strategy for CEPF's second phase of investment in 2017. The updated Ecosystem Profile is both a document and a process. In short, the result will be a snapshot of the hotspot in 2016 that will describe the current state of, and threats to biodiversity and the capacity of civil society to engage as a partner in conservation efforts.

This revision process is led by BirdLife International in collaboration with consortium of partners. IUCN will participate along with the Tour du Valat, the Conservatoire du Littoral, and both the regional and national BirdLife Partners.

The update was made possible through the support of the MAVA Foundation, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and CEPF. The CEPF is a joint initiative of l'Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Conservation International (CI), the European Union, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. Additional support in the Mediterranean Basin is provided by the MAVA Foundation.

For more information: Marcos Valderrábano

Photo credits: Mediterranean hotspots map - © CEPF