The second edition of Sea Week 2024, dedicated to Libya, was held from 3 to 9 September 2024 in Djerba, Tunisia.
Organized by the Libyan Ministry of Environment, WWF North Africa (WWF-NA), in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) in the framework of the GEF-funded Child Project 3.1., this event revolved around the theme, "Protecting Our Seas, Our Future"
As part of efforts to strengthen Libya’s environmental monitoring capacities, SPA/RAC delivered two theoretical sessions during Sea Week. The first session emphasized the ecosystem approach to marine resource management, while the second introduced participants to the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP), which supports sustainable marine data collection.
A practical training session followed, focusing on IMAP’s key indicators for monitoring benthic habitats. This hands-on session equipped participants with enhanced skills for field data collection, contributing to more effective national environmental efforts in Libya.
On 9 September, the event’s final day, a key session titled "Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Their Importance, Methods of Establishment, and Participatory Management in the Mediterranean" was led by SPA/RAC. This session highlighted the vital role MPAs play in safeguarding the Mediterranean's unique biodiversity. Participants were introduced to successful processes of management plans elaboration and implementation from Tunisia’s Kuriat and Kerkennah Islands, and Lebanon’s Tyre Coast Natural Reserve (TCNR).