For the first time, biodiversity considerations are in the focus of forest management , as part of a week focusing mainly in Forest Landscape Restoration.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature - Centre of Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) is also participating to this event and is contributing through the organization of one side-event, one capacity building session, some mainstream conferences and by sponsoring 7 participants from non EU Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey and Tunisia) to attend this event.

With the two side-events, IUCN-Med is promoting the Index of Biodiversity Potential (IBP) in Mediterranean forests in collaboration with l'Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) and Centre National de la Propriété Forestière (CNPF) in France, and identifying opportunities for restoration, by focusing on methods and cases that can enhance biodiversity outcomes as well as improve human well-being in degraded landscapes. 

In collaboration with the IUCN Global Forest and Climate Change Programme and the secretariat of Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), the training session is focused on the application of Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM),developed by IUCN.

The objectives of the Mediterranean forest week are to strengthen exchanges and collaborative work between the stakeholders, help achieve SDG 15, contribute to Aichi target 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), support Bonn Challenge targets, facilitate mitigation and adaptation of Mediterranean landscapes to climate change and help reach the land degradation neutrality goals set by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) by promoting forest restoration.

For further information: Marcos Valderrábano