New Conservation Action Plan for the Great Bustard in Morocco

Although the great bustard (Otis tarda) is protected under the Moroccan legislation, its population has known a serious decrease (of at least 55%) over the last 15 years. Hence a conservation strategy and an action plan to protect the great bustard in Morocco during the 10 years to come has been prepared by the High Commission on Water, Forests and the Fight against Desertification (HCEFLCD) and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, in collaboration with IUCN Commission experts and Members in Morocco (i.e. GREPOM, together with other international organizations, following the "One Programme" approach of IUCN).

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Analysis of the legal frameworks on Marine Protected Areas in Albania, Croatia and Montenegro

Save the date!: 1st Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week, 24-29 oct 2016

IUCN-Med at the WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS

Core support to the activities of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation is provided by the
Junta de Andalucia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment and AECID in Spain, and the MAVA Foundation.

New lionfish sightings in Turkey and Cyprus Marine Protected Areas

The lionfish, an exotic invasive species that can cause potentially serious economic and ecological harm, as it has been previously reported in other regions of the world, has been observed in the Mediterranean.

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Extensive biodiversity status update initiated in the Mediterranean

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.

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Spotlight on Important Plant Areas in Morocco

More than 20 plants and natural habitats experts from Morocco have met on May 31st, 2016 at the Forest Research Centre of Rabat to review and update Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Morocco. This meeting was organised by the IUCN-Med.

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Ecotourism activities implementation in Tunisian Protected Areas

Three protected areas in Tunisia: the Chikly Island, the Ickheul National Park and the Boukornine National Park, were the last pilot actions developed within the Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism project (MEET).

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CSOs and scientists collaborate in the management of Key Biodiversity Areas in North Africa

The project "Promoting the value of Key Biodiversity Areas in North Africa by strengthening the role of NGOs in their management and conservation" funded by the CEPF, concluded with the publication of three studies conducted in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

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MedCOP: the Mediterranean climate hub

Countries of the Mediterranean area are well aware of the deep fragility of the climatic balance that allows the preservation of good living and human development conditions. Fighting climate change is indeed a top priority in the region.

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Advanced course on Protected Areas and socioecological landscape planning

The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) of Zaragoza, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature - Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med), offered an advanced course on Protected Areas and socioecological landscape planning in Zaragoza (Spain) on 13-18 June 2016.

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IUCN welcomes 10 new members and 1 new National Committee in the Mediterranean

The IUCN Council has just validated the decision taken by its Bureau to approve the admission of 47 new Members and the recognition of 2 new National Committees. Among them 10 from the Mediterranean region and 1 New National Committee in Palestine. IUCN-Med warmly welcomes his new members from Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine and Spain.

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Luc Hoffmann’s contribution to Mediterranean biodiversity conservation

Dr. Luc Hoffmann (Basel, Switzerland, 1923) passed away on July 21st, 2016 in the Camargue at the age of 93. He was one of the greatest conservationists of his era and has greatly contributed to conservation efforts in the Mediterranean.

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Events

- Third Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) High-Level Conference on Women Empowerment - Barcelona, (Spain), 10-11 October 2016
The Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat organizes this conference that will gather main stakeholders fostering women’s empowerment around the Mediterranean to share ideas, experiences, initiatives and recommendations.

- Stakeholders workshop for the Barbary macaque conservation strategy in Algeria - Bejaia (Algeria), 18-20 October 2016.

- 1st Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week - Ulcinj (Montenegro), 24-29 October 2016
The 1st Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week represents an opportunity to develop framework for dialogue among stakeholders, to share successful examples of plant conservation initiatives with local communities, and to enhance capacity building.

- Symposium "Hunting management and its implications for conservation in North Africa"- Tunis, Tunisia, 1-3 November 2016.
Joint Workshop with the North Africa Program

- 2nd Meeting of environmental journalists from news agencies in the Mediterranean - Marrakesh (Morocco), 11-13 November 2016.
The meeting will be devoted to improve climate change reporting in the Mediterranean: Science – Media interface

- The twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) and the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12) - Bab Ighli, Marrakech, Morocco ,7-18 November

- Workshop: Mitigating the impact of electric infrastructures on Mediterranean threatened raptors - Tarifa, Spain, 21-25 November 2016

Events

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