East Mediterranean Network for the sustainable development of protected areas

The objective of the project EAST MED NET is the development of an ecologic network between the protected areas of community importance (NATURA 2000). The network of Eastern Mediterranean aims at the recording of the existing environmental and socio-economic situation in the protected areas, which will lead to the development of common management policies and the planning for the preservation of biodiversity. The final objective of the project is the promotion of the environmental awareness and the sensitization of the habitants of each one of the protected areas of the network. The project EAST MED NET involves 9 partners from three member states and 3 areas of particular ecologic importance, namely the National Parks of Northern Pindos, of Cilento and the “Natura” area of Lemnos. The high environmental value of the above-mentioned areas must be protected and further exploited towards a more sustainable development of the proper areas and of the regions to which they belong. The participation of the three Universities from Greece, Cyprus and Italy is of great importance, since they are the ones that will provide their know-how and experience for the recording of the existing environmental and socio-economic situation in the relevant areas that will enable then the involved local authorities to plan efficient strategies for the management of the areas and the promotion of the environmental sensitivity of the citizens. For this reason, the project foresees mainly the establishment of an ecologic network between the protected areas of community importance (NATURA 2000), in the framework of which there will be developed a number of activities. More specifically, the project foresees a study of the changes of the landscape during the last 20 years in all the protected areas of the network, through the use of GIS. It is also suggested the parameterization of the territorial types of the landscape and their relation with biodiversity at three levels: at the level of species for every ecotype (biodiversity a), at the level between ecotypes (biodiversity b) and at the level of landscape (biodiversity c). There is also foreseen the recording of the socio-economic changes of the last 25 years, which aims at the determination of the socio-economic forces that motivated those changes as well as the determination of the common forces between the areas of the network. Based on the results of the ecologic and socio-economic research, there will be developed scenarios of integrated management policies. These alternative management policies aim at sustainable development in accordance with the principles and practices of the Common European Environmental Policy. In addition to that, aiming at the largest possible consent of the local communities towards the suggested management policies, it has been considered as necessary the investigation and the promotion of the environmental awareness and attitude of the habitants of each one of the protected areas of the network. This knowledge and attitude will be exploited for the development of the final action plans in every area as well as for the provision of information and the sensitization of the citizens and visitors of these areas. By the end of the project there will be created a platform of information, a web-site, aiming at the sensitization of the inhabitants of the involved areas, which can also be used and exploited by tourism agents, local authorities etc, satisfying this way the outmost objective of the project which is the best possible preservation and promotion of the network’s areas.