Mahmoud Elyes Hamza, new director of SPA/RAC
Mahmoud Elyes Hamza obtained his doctorate from the Institut national agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA P-G) in 1987. He began his teaching career in 1988 at the Institut national agronomique de Tunisie (INAT). Between 2007 and 2009, he was Director of the Institut supérieur des études préparatoires en biologie et géologie (ISEP-BG) in La Soukra, before becoming […]
Insights from the IMAP workshop in Libya
The event provided an opportunity to discuss the outcomes of the EU-funded projet EcAp MED III and to plan future steps for the effective execution of IMAP. The workshop witnessed the active participation of the Libyan Minister of Environment, national stakeholders, and NGOs. National experts used a photo exhibition, posters, and oral presentations to foster discussions, which […]
Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Mediterranean Ecosystems: A Call for Enhanced and Dynamic Assessment of GES
SPA/RAC, CNR IAS and HCMR organized a hybrid workshop on June 19, 2023, in Tunis, as part of the ABIOMMED project, to advance the integration of climate change impacts into regional strategies in both EU and non-EU countries. The threat posed by climate change to our ecosystems and way of life no longer needs to […]
The SPAMI Twinning Programme: Fostering Peer-to-Peer Collaboration for Mediterranean Marine Conservation
The UNEP/MAP – SPA/RAC and the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy (MASE) are launching the SPAMI Twinning Programme “Ensure effective management of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMIs)” on June 8, 2023, in Rome, Italy, inception coinciding with the World Oceans Day. This initiative aims to contribute to the objectives of […]
Consultation workshop held for the update of Tyre Coast Nature Reserve management plan
On Wednesday, 10th of May 2023, SPA/RAC, the Ministry of Environment of Lebanon and the Appointed Protected Area Committee of Tyre Coast Nature Reserve (TCNR) organized the second consultation workshop on the draft updated Management Plan of TCNR. The consultation workshop took place in the heart of the Nature Reserve at Rest House in Tyre […]
The Sixteenth SPA/BD Focal Points Meeting: Advancing Biodiversity Conservation in the Mediterranean
The Sixteenth Meeting of SPA/BD Focal Points, taking place in Malta from 22 to 24 May 2023, is witnessing the active participation of representatives from the Mediterranean countries and relevant regional and international organizations and partners dedicated to preserving marine biodiversity. This crucial gathering, hosted by the Maltese Government, is focusing on assessing achievements made […]
Three keywords for ocean effective protection by 2030
IMPAC 5 brought together conservation leaders and stakeholders from around the world in Vancouver to share experiences and spread most successful initiatives. Through the events it organised and participated in, SPA/RAC highlighted some of the key approaches and actions needed to ensure effective conservation and management of 30% of the ocean by 2030 and beyond. […]
Driving action to reverse biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean
SPA/RAC is organizing the 9th Meeting of SAPBIO National Correspondents in Barcelona, on 24 February 2023, to discuss future opportunities to implement the priority actions identified in the Post-2020 SAPBIO. While there have been efforts and commitments made to appropriately manage natural resources, current and predicted threats call for urgent action to ensure a sustainable […]
SPA/RAC at IMPAC 5
UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC is participating in the fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress which will seek to develop a collaborative approach to help ensure effective conservation and management of 30% of the ocean by 2030. Bien que des efforts et des engagements aient été faits pour gérer de manière appropriée les ressources naturelles, les menaces existantes et […]
Observing to protect waterbirds
AAO/BirdLife in Tunisia, UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC and Tour du Valat are organising a regional training course for the International Waterbird Census from 21 to 31 January 2023 in Tunisia. This is an opportunity to learn while contributing to the collection of crucial data for the conservation of birds and wetlands. Waterbirds are the birds that are ecologically […]
“The cleanliness and aesthetics of common living spaces are everyone’s business”
The Tunisian Ministry of the Environment is launching the Clean-up Year 2023 operation to encourage everyone to participate in keeping public spaces clean. The initiative follows the success of a first operation of the same type, the Clean-up Month, deployed from 14 August to 4 September 2022 and supported by several organizations, including SPA/RAC. The […]
Building capacities for the Mediterranean MPA socio-economic sustainability
A training course was organized by UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC in Gokova (Türkiye), on 13-18 Nov. 2022, for participants from southern Mediterranean countries to help them build an integrated and sustainable management model for their MPAs. This training course is part of a regional capacity building programme that is being carried out by SPA/RAC in the framework of the EU-funded […]
The Mediterranean Symposia, a scientific event dedicated to the Mediterranean marine and coastal biodiversity and its conservation
Subject: The Mediterranean Symposia on Marine Vegetation, Coralligenous, Dark Habitats and Non-Indigenous Species, to be held from 19 to 23 September 2022 in Genoa, Italy. This event is organized by SPA/RAC, the Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre of UNEP/MAP – Barcelona Convention, in partnership with the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), the University of Genoa and its Department of Earth, the […]
Scientific camp for children, an immersive experience to educate on conservation
A scientific and technological immersion camp for 9–13-year-olds was organised from 31 July to 7 August in Kerkennah, to raise awareness on marine biodiversity conservation. The Kerkennah archipelago in Tunisia is renowned for its ancestral fishing practices, but also for its unique natural features, such as the existence of Posidonia meadows, sheltering several species of […]
Mediterranean noble pen shell: scientists from across the region meet in Tunis to adopt a restoration program for this endangered marine species
Media Advisory – 16/06/2022 Subject: Workshop for the adoption of a restoration program for the Mediterranean noble pen shell, under the auspices of Her Excellency Mrs. Leila Chikhaoui Mahdaoui, Minister of the Environment of Tunisia. The event is organized by the Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC), the biodiversity center of UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan […]
Towards the adoption of a Law on Protected Areas in Libya
On Monday 16 May 2022, a national consultation workshop on the draft law of protected areas in Libya was organized by UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC and the ministry of Environment of Libya. The event was held under the auspices of His Excellency Dr Ibrahim Al-Arabi Mounir, Minister of Environment of Libya, who opened the workshop and declared that […]
Lancement du classement de l’Aire Marine et Côtière de l’île de Rachgoun en Algérie -EN
La Commission des Aires Protégées de la wilaya d’Ain Témouchent approuve la demande de classement de l’île et donne le feu vert pour poursuivre et finaliser le processus. Le ministère de l’Environnement d’Algérie et l’UNEP/MAP-SPA/RAC collaborent pour la conservation du territoire terrestre et marin autour de Rachgoun (Ain Témouchent), à travers le classement de cette […]
The MedFund: New Call for Mediterranean MPA
The MedFund launches a call for interest dedicated to support Mediterranean MPAs’ managers and co-managers by funding day to day management costs of these protected areas. In the framework of a new joint The MedFund/ MedPAN GEF project entitled “Build back a blue and stronger Mediterranean”, this restricted call for interest is only addressed to […]