FAO Silva Mediterranea Silva Mediterranea progress report 2010-2011

and main support that would be provided by FAO for Adapting forest policy conditions to climate change in the MENA region

Presentation prepared by Moujahed ACHOURI& Christophe Besacier FAO Silva Mediterranea Secretariat

Operational Planning Workshop on Adapting forest policy conditions to climate change in the MENA region – Istanbul – 28 /09/2010 to 01/10/2010

I. What is Silva Mediterranea ?II. Silva Mediterranea Members ? III. Silva Mediterranea Working Groups ?IV. Main Forestry Questions in the context of Climate ChangeV. Progress report on main conclusions of the last Enlarged

Executive Committee held in Antalya (13 to 16 April 2010)VI. Main support that would be provided by FAO for

Adapting forest policy conditions to climate change in the MENA region (in the context of the new CPMF) ?

I) What is Silva Mediterranea ?1. How is organized the Mediterranean dialogue

on forest issues within FAO ?

Committee on Forestry (COFO)

Several Regional Forestry Commissions

Europe Near East Africa Asia-Pacific Latin America and Caribbean North America

Committee on MediterraneanForestry Questions – Silva Mediterranea

Technical Statutory

Bodies

I) What is Silva Mediterranea ?2. Objectives of Silva Mediterranea ?

1. Why ? Dialogue at the regional level is an essential complement the efforts of individual countries to develop appropriate forest policies, institutions and practices ;

2. Role of FAO ?As part of its mandate, FAO supports several statutory bodies. Silva Mediterranea is the statutory body on ‘’Mediterranean Forestry Questions’’ and the Secretariat of Silva Mediterranea is ensured by FAO;

3. What kind of activities for this Statutory Bodies? This committee aims to identify problems and provide policy advice and guidelines to FAO, member countries and other partners involved in sustainable forest management. Silva Mediterranea also aims at developing an efficient regional cooperation, information on Mediterranean forest resources and policies…

I) What is Silva Mediterranea ?3. Governance of Silva Mediterranea1. Formal Session of the committee Silva Mediterranea

Every four year since the last session in Sofia (Bulgaria – 2008) – Presidency Bulgaria

2. The Enlarged Executive Committee of Silva Mediterranea

With a meeting every year – Members : Portugal, Morocco, Bulgaria, France and Turkey and the coordinators of the different Working Groups of Silva Mediterranea

3. Extraordinary meetings of Silva Mediterranea are organized during COFO (Rome)

4. Secretariat of Silva Mediterranea The Secretariat is ensured by FAO – Forestry Department – Forest Conservation Team (FOMC) with Nora BERRAHMOUNI (Forestry Officer for Arid Zones) and Christophe BESACIER (Forestry Officer)

27 countries are members of the Silva Mediterranea Committee.Only twelve countries during the last session in Sofia (Bulgaria – 2008)One important objective for 2009 – 2012 : Mobilize more North/South/East Mediterranean countries in this regional cooperation on forest issues in the context of Climate Change

II) Silva Mediterranea Members

III) Silva Mediterranea Working Groups

In 2008, Member States have decided to boost Silva Mediterranea during their last formal session (Sofia - Bulgaria) in April 2008. They recommended preparation (and then validated in 2009) of Action Plans 2009-2012 for the following six working groups :

1.‘’Forest Fires’’ with a program focused on prevention of fire risks by improving good silvicultural practices and forestry research for an optimal resilience of Mediterranean woodland ecosystem to Climate Change (Rafael GOMEZ del ALAMO – SPAIN) ;

2.‘’Cork Oak’’ with activities focused on sustainable management and restoration of Cork Oak landscapes, diversification of the cork sector and promotion of goods and environmental services provided by Cork Oak landscapes (M.C. VARELA – PORTUGAL) ;

3.‘’Management of Forests and Sustainable Development’’ with actions based on a territorial approach in order to promote sustainable management of woodland ecosystem in the Mediterranean (P. ICARD – FRANCE / PLAN BLEU with AIFM/D. GASC) ;

III) Silva Mediterranea Working Groups

4. ‘’Forest Genetic Resources ‘’ with activities to promote conservation of most endangered species in the Mediterranean and to preserve genetic diversity for adaptation of Mediterranean forest ecosystems in a context of Climate Change (Fulvio DUCCI – ITALY) ;

5. ‘’Mediterranean Forests and Climate Change’’ with a program of activities focused on developing an enabling policy environment for adaptation of Mediterranean forest ecosystems to Climate Change(A. HOUMY – HCEFLCD – MOROCCO) ;

6. ‘’Sustainable Financing Mechanism’’ with a action plan to mobilize financial resources to strengthen regional cooperation on forestry issues and promote ‘’Payment for Environmental Services’’ (PES) and Market Based Instruments (MBI)(M. TODOROV – BULGARIA).

See Work Plans on Website : http://www.fao.org/forestry/silvamed/4911/en/

Source: State of the environment and development in the Mediterranean - 2009, Plan Bleu

IV)Main Forestry Questions in the context of Climate Change

Source: State of the environment and development in the Mediterranean – 2009, Plan Bleu based on data of Forest Resources Assessment of FAO (FRA 1990 – 2000 - 2005)

4.2. Forest cover

Source: State of the environment and development in the Mediterranean – 2009, Plan Bleu

4.1. Climate Change Impacts

4.3. Changes, drivers of change and trends on ForestsNorth1. Expansion of natural vegetation following abandon of agriculture and

pasture practices;2. Increase of forest fires, impacts of insects, diseases and other pests ;3. Expansion of urbanization.

South1. Growing pressure on resources (pasture, fuel wood...) by increasingly dense

and poor rural population ;2. Expansion of urbanization3. Increase of forest fires, impacts of insects, diseases and other pests ;4. Expanding (ecosystem) degradation leading to desertification.

Challenges of global economic difficulties and climate change adding threats of forests and rangelands

4.4. Gaps in national data collection and in regional analysis 1. Forest inventories still conventional approaches focusing on few

parameters: total volume, timber, tree species composition and density, forest types, and their area, etc...

2. Resources in OWL, TOF & rangelands not accounted for in most inventories in the region and NWFP & services rarely covered by field inventories ;

3. Customary or formal management, ownership, resources tenure, users and uses (use right, trade, domestic) of resources, gender, etc…. often not covered in NFI ;

4. Policy impacts and interactions with other land uses not taken into account in field data collection.

4.5. What is needed in the Mediterranean ?

1. Analysis of existing information in harmonized language highlighting gaps & dissemination ;

2. Moving towards more comprehensive monitoring system of forests, OWL, TOF & rangelands ;

3. Linkage between biophysical and socio economic dimensions of resources – drivers of degradation & deforestation ;

4. Collective action around the Mediterranean – raise priority level of forests & rangelands in the context of adaptation to Climate Change;

5. State of Mediterranean Forests to monitor the projected (IPCC scenarios) environmental and social changes in the coming decades.

V) Main conclusions of the last Enlarged Executive Committee held in Antalya Preparation and signature of a new Collaborative Partnership on Mediterranean Forests with

several key partners (GTZ, Plan Bleu, FFEM, EFIMED, AIFM, MAAP, WWF MedPO and IUCN...) ; Organization with other Mediterranean partners (EFIMED, AIFM, Plan Bleu, INRA Avignon...)

of the second Mediterranean Forest Week in Avignon (Palais des Papes) at the beginning of April 2011 (First preparatory meeting the 15th of June 2010 – Second during COFO 2010)

Preparation of a ‘’working paper & concept’’ on the State of Mediterranean Forests with data collected by FAO from member states of Silva Mediterranea for the Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (FRA 2010) and presentation of this ‘’working paper’’ during a conference in Alexandria (June 2010) and a side event during COFO (October 2010) ;

Preparation and launch of a full report on ‘’State of Mediterranean Forests’’ in 2011/2012; Adoption of the Work Plan 2010 – 2012 of the WG 6 on Sustainable Financing Mechanisms

with, in particular, a strategy on advocacy issues in the context of the UfM ; Organization of several events in Rome during COFO in October 2010 :

A meeting for information/discussions with all Silva Mediterranea members ; A side event on Mediterranean Forests issues with EFIMED (with posters); A photo exhibition on the art of Cork in Sardinia (with wine tasting event).

5.1. A new Collaborative Partnership on Mediterranean ForestsWhy : Mobilized resources (human, financial, genetic and research resources…) in the Mediterranean for adaptation of forest ecosystems to Climate ChangeHow : Reinforce synergies between different partners involved in the regional cooperation for the Mediterranean forests (Silva Mediterranea, EFIMED, Plan Bleu, countries and national institutions, WWF MEDPO, AIFM….) ; Mobilize financial resources in order to involve more Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries in regional projects, networks, research programs ; Develop an efficient advocacy on Mediterranean forests with collective tools like a ‘’State of Mediterranean Forests’’, a ‘’regional model

forests/landscapes network’’, ‘’position papers’’ to promote forest issues in the context of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in 2010/2011 ; Implement with efficiency a ‘’regional forest program’’ through the six working groups of Silva Mediterranea , National Forest Programs and the Mediterranean Forest Research Agenda 2010-2020 with EFIMED ;

Suports for Adapting forest policy conditions to climate change in the Mediterranean

5.2. The second Mediterranean Forest Week in Avignon (5 – 8 April 2011)

5.3. Preparation and launch of ‘’State of Mediterranean Forests’’ in 2011/2012

Biogeographical regions of Europe. Source: EEA

It is of high importance for Mediterranean countries to develop an efficient network to deal with this issue, in particular, for FGR by:

1. Compiling information on climate change impacts on Mediterranean forest genetic resources and forest ecosystems ;

2. Making information available on these gene resources for preparing adaptation strategies and other programmes;

3. Selecting criteria, methods and protocols for monitoring and conserving forest genetic resources (particularly in rare and endangered species), and for their use to reduce vulnerability.

5.3. Preparation and launch of ‘’State of Mediterranean Forests’’ in 2011/2012

Union for the Mediterranean

Member states of Silva Mediterranea5.4. Advocacy in the context of the Union for the Mediterranean

VI) Main support that would be provided by FAO for adapting forest policy conditions to climate change inthe Mediterranean (MENA Region)?

6.1. At the global/international level :

1) Support communication and raising awareness activities on adaptation of Mediterranean Forest to Climate Change (FOMC/Secretariat of Silva Mediterranea);

2) Develop guidelines (Practical Guide) in 2010/2011 for Integrating Climate Change in National Forest Programmes (NFP Facility/Climate Change team in FOMC ) ;

3) Use all relevant events (e.g. COFO in October 2010, Mediterranean Forest Week in April 2011, UNFCCC 2011, UNFF 2011...) to create attention to Mediterranean forest issues in the context of the International Year of Forest (2011);

6.2. At the regional and national level : – Adapt and test the Practical Guide (Guidelines) on ‘’Integrating Climate Change in National Forest Programmes’’ in the six countries involved in the regional GTZ Project on Climate Change (NFP Facility – FOMC – WG5) ;– Provide expertise for regional/national workshop and regional/national training on forest issues in the context of adaptation to climate change and mitigation measures on REDD+ (UN REDD – FOMC/CC/FGR) ;– Provide supports for forest resources assessment (FRA) and monitoring (National Forest Monitoring and Assessment Team) in the context of the preparation of the first State of Mediterranean Forest (2011/2012);– Provide support on FGR issues in the context of the preparation of the SOW FGR and with the implementation of the Cost Action on FGR (WG4/FOMC) ;–Provide supports on Forests and Water in the context of Climate Change.