The restoration of Mediterranean ecosystems has become an urgent priority in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss and increasing pressure on natural resources. In this context, the Interreg Euro-MED Natural Heritage Mission (NHM) has shared a set of policy recommendations aimed at helping turn environmental commitments into real action on the ground.
The report, developed with the involvement of multiple projects and stakeholders across the region — including Germ of Life — focuses on the recovery of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, particularly forests and wetlands, which are key to the Mediterranean’s resilience.
The diagnosis is clear: ecosystems are under significant pressure. Accelerated warming, water scarcity, urbanisation and land-use change are rapidly degrading these environments. Wetlands have lost more than half of their surface area, while forests are increasingly vulnerable to wildfires, droughts and degradation.
In this context, the Natural Heritage Mission (NHM) plays a key role as a bridge between policy, technical knowledge and local realities, connecting projects and territories to generate practical, evidence-based solutions.
The document sets out ten key recommendations to guide action:
- Develop integrated governance frameworks connecting ecosystems from source to sea.
- Integrate restoration into science-based spatial planning.
- Recognise the strategic role of forests and wetlands in land-use, agricultural and urban policies.
- Empower local communities through co-management models that create jobs and new opportunities.
- Ensure inclusive and equitable participation throughout all restoration processes.
- Promote innovative financing mechanisms involving both public and private sectors.
- Encourage the use of accessible technologies to improve decision-making and monitoring.
- Strengthen research, training and long-term knowledge exchange.
- Foster transboundary cooperation by using restoration as a tool to reduce conflicts.
- Improve transparency and accountability in environmental decision-making.
Beyond these proposals, the report highlights a key message: the challenge is not a lack of policies, but the difficulty of implementing them in a coordinated way. With EU National Restoration Plans on the horizon for 2026, these recommendations aim to serve as a practical guide to accelerate action and achieve effective ecosystem restoration across the Mediterranean region.
View the full document via this link.
