Morocco and Tunisia are two countries among those who have planned ambitious commitments in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) on protection, restoration and maintenance of ecosystems in order to fight climate change.

After several analyses conducted by the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) on these commitments, this French Institute stressed that nature-based solutions (NBS) occupy an important place in their INDC, placing the two states in the front row for NBS in the Mediterranean.

In this context, the IUCN - Center for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) and IDDRI presented an initiative to reflect on the implementation of nature-based solutions in Intended Nationally Determined Contributions through case studies of Morocco and Tunisia.

The preliminary findings of this exercise were presented by IUCN-Med and IDDRI today in a side event at the COP22 on climate change in which the director of the Desertification Control and Nature Protection in Morocco, Mohamed Endichi, participated. The director stressed that "nature-based solutions are essential" and "if properly established, can direct available funding."

The aim of this side event was to show the challenges of implementing nature-based solutions in both countries, and to propose guidelines for action in collaboration with Moroccan and Tunisian institutions to meet the challenges of climate change, biodiversity conservation and development in the Mediterranean.

A document containing the analyses and conclusions of these reflections from two national workshops and the side-event held at the COP22 will be available on the IUCN-Med and IDDRI websites.

For more information: Lourdes Lazaro

Photo: Nature-based solutions presentation at COP22 Ⓒ IUCN-Med