A research initiative about climate change and environmental degradation in the Mediterranean Region
The initiative “Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change” (MedECC) is committed to ensuring that the risks associated with environmental and climate change in the Mediterranean region are presented in a transparent and scientific way, thus providing a basis for political decision-making. The MedECC network consists of more than 600 scientists from 35 countries.
Our Centre is actively involved in this initiative with Dr. Marianela Fader as part of the Steering Committee, author of MedECC publications, and supervisor of educational activities (mainly Master theses in topics of interest to the initiative).
This initiative has been highly successful in the past, publishing an assessment report in 2020 (see below), winning the North South Prize 2020 of the European Council and being accepted in 2021 as member of the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development (MCSD), a multi-stakeholder advisory body to the parties to the Barcelona Convention, under the auspices of UNEP / MAP. MedECC also directly contributes to the Flagship Initiative for the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD), Objective 4 (Addressing climate change as a priority issue for the Mediterranean). It recommends “the establishment of a regional science-policy interface mechanism (…) with a view to preparing consolidated regional scientific assessments and guidance on climate change trends, impacts and adaptation and mitigation options”. Additionally, for the period 2022-2026, Plan Bleu, which hosts the MedECC secretariat, has been accepted as a member of the European Topic Centre on Climate Change Adaptation. MedECC will mainly contribute to this by further developing a science-policy interface and adding case studies to the Climate ADAPT platform.
MedECC will continue working in the future by compiling special Reports on a) Coastal risks , b) The climate-water-energy-food-ecosystems nexus, and c) Environmental change, conflict and human migration.