AAP 2023 - Fostering Biodiversity, Environment and Climate Action in the Mediterranean (BECA Med) The Mediterranean basin is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with an outstanding flora diversity of 15,000 to 25,000 species, 60% of which are unique to the region. However, coastal development, tourism, overexploitation, pollution, climate change, and other drivers are leading to unprecedented rates of species extinction and long term ecosystem imbalances. These, in turn, have direct consequences on food security, livelihoods and human health.The Mediterranean region has also been identified as a climate change hotspot, warming 20% faster than the global average, causing a wide range of negative impacts on the environment, the availability of food and water, human health and security. Climate impacts affect key economic sectors, in particular agricultural production and fisheries, hindering economic growth and aggravating social and political tensions, possibly also leading to increased migration.In view of these challenges, there is a critical need to support Southern Neighbourhood countries in their efforts to protect their natural assets and increase their resilience to climate change. This is even more urgent in the context of increasing vulnerability in the region, due to the repercussions of Russia¿s war of aggression on Ukraine.The action includes two separate but complementary components. Together, these two components will contribute to fighting against climate change and minimizing its impact on people and the environment and to address urgent needs in terms of biodiversity protection and restoration.The first component will focus on improved integration of biodiversity¿s protection/restoration into partner countries¿ sector policies, and the reduction of pollution risks and impacts in the Mediterranean Sea. This includes the fight against plastic proliferation and other types of solid and liquid waste pollution. This component will be a follow-up to existing successful regional EU-funded ¿Water and Environment Support¿ (WES) programme, which could also contribute to cross-border and cross-regional cooperation, including in relation  to the Abraham Accords¿ process and thus could pave the way for enhanced trilateral cooperation in the field of cross-border integrated water management.The second component will focus on rolling out massive awareness campaigns towards all socioeconomic layers of the population. Indeed, several studies (including a recent European Institute for the Mediterranean ¿ IEMED - study) have shown that environmental and climate action are not at all perceived as high priorities by the general population in the Southern Neighbourhood. The population generally feels that they do not have a prominent role to play on these areas, perceived as being under the responsibility of governments and businesses.&nbsp;There is a clear need to work on citizens¿ perception on these issues and to empower them as agents of change. The proposed programme aims to contribute&nbsp;to the objectives of the European Green Deal, the commitments made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) including the Paris Agreement and following COPs, as well as the conclusions of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15 ¿ December 2022), the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Climate Action - October 2021,&nbsp;EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy (2021), the New Agenda for the Mediterranean as well as the UN SDGs 13, 6, 10, 14, 5, 15 & 16.The action will contribute to the implementation of the EU Gender Action Plan 2021-2025 GAP III, in particular to its thematic area of engagement ¿Addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation, digitalisation, climate change and environment¿.