EMECS9: Managing for Results in our Coastal Seas

MedPartnership: A New GEF Project in the Mediterranean
Ivica Trumbic
MedPartnership, UNEP/MAP, Athens, Greece

The Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystem (MedPartnership) is the largest
project ever in the Mediterranean, with funding of over 100 million US$ including investments and cofinancing, and is the first project to bring together some of the main partners working in the Mediterranean
for joint implementation of actions. It is one of the largest projects in the Global Environment Facility(GEF) Large Marine Ecosystem portfolio. MedPartnership consists of two projects: Regional Project (ledby United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan – UNEP/MAP), and Investment
Fund (led by the World Bank). The Regional Project has 4 components (management of naturalresources; reduction of land based pollution; biodiversity conservation and protection; and project
management including communication and replication). The Investment Fund has so far identified 11
investment projects. The Project will be carried out in the following countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia andHerzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Montenegro, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. The
Palestinian Authority also participates. Its duration is 5 years and will be completed by mid 2014.
The major environmental concerns and 101 hotspots in the Mediterranean were identified in theTransboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA). The actions for their remediation were identified and agreed in
two Strategic Action Programs (SAPs) aimed at reducing land-based sources of marine pollution (SAPMED) and protecting biodiversity and living resources and their habitats (SAP-BIO). In order to support
the countries in the implementation of the two SAPs, as well as to support the implementation of the new
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol to the Barcelona Convention, the MedPartnershipwill address the need for financial resources and investments (led by the World Bank) and the assistancein policy, legislation and institutional reforms, as well as the demonstration and transfer of technicalknowledge and best practices (led by UNEP/MAP) to achieve the goal of improving the environmental
conditions of the Mediterranean Sea. Executing partners of the project include UNESCO/IHP, FAO,UNIDO, UNEP/MAP’s regional activity centers (CP/RAC, SPA/RAC, PAP/RAC and INFO/RAC) and theprogramme MEDPOL. Non-governmental organizations include GWP-Med, MIO-ECSDE and WWF.
The Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean will result in some of the following:A long term partnership for joint planning and financing in the Mediterranean;

The improvement of environmental conditions in 15% of Hotspots and sensitive areas;More sustainable use of coastal resources through use of IW and ICZM;The reduction of pollution from land based sources;

More sustainable use of fisheries resources through the adoption of an ecosystem based approach tofisheries, and improved protection of critical biodiversity;

The replication and scaling up of investment projects and demonstrations, etc.

Results of the 2 years of MedPartnership's implementation will be presented as well as an outline of thefinal product of the project and its contribution to the improvement of the Mediterranenan LME.
Contact Information: Ivica Trumbic, Project Manager, MedPartnership, UNEP/MAP, 48, Vassileos Konstantinou Ave., 116 35
Athens, Greece; Phone:+30-210-7273-102, Fax:+30-210-7253-196, Email: ivica.trumbic@unepmap.gr

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