New book: Financing Mediterranean Protected Areas

Protected Areas (PAs) in the Mediterranean significantly contribute to sustaining the economy of the region. Covering around 300,000 Km2, PAs provide freshwater flows, important resources for hydropower, for recreation and tourism, for fisheries, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services. Regional assessments have concluded, however, that a major effort needs to be made to solve their state of chronic under funding and unpredictable funding fluctuations. In this book, the degree of implementation of the Murcia and Durban conferences recommendations in the Mediterranean are reviewed, assessing the general financing needs and gaps, the main funding sources, and identifying the most important financing actions. The range of financing sources includes national and regional governments, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, and some market-based and private contributions. The publication, entitled “Sustainable Financing Sources for Protected Areas in the Mediterranean Region”, is an IUCN joint initiative with the Biodiversity Foundation and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.