Upcoming Events
There are no upcoming events
10th Mediterranean Honorific Award
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Other Issues
Mediterrània CIE and MIO-ECSDE are calling for candidates to be considered for the 10th MEDITERRANEAN HONORIFIC AWARD, addressed to innovative projects relating to conservation of natural areas, promoting biological diversity.

This award is open to all those organisations in the Mediterranean region working for the protection of the environment, culture, as well as on sustainable development issues. This year any ongoing action focused on promoting biodiversity conservation, actions for protection of sites and species can apply.

This award will only apply for the diffusion/visibility of the project and its results, understanding that other costs for the project are already financed by other sources.

Further details on how to make a submission can be found here and at http://www.mediterrania-cie.org  

Deadline for submissions: April 30th 2010.


 


Launching of the ¡State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean¢ report
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Events
On Tuesday, 2 March 2010, MIO-ECSDE participated in a joint event co-hosted by UNEP/MAP and the Hellenic Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change, where the MAP launched a comprehensive report on the State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean (to read the full report click here).
The report aims to contribute to the elaboration of a common reporting template for the Mediterranean. It is structured around the work conducted by the Mediterranean Action Plan components, led by Plan Bleu and it presents a view of the main Mediterranean issues on environment and sustainable development. In addition, the report addresses in a comprehensive manner the status of Mediterranean biodiversity and natural resources, the pressures from economic activity, excessive consumption and production and the emerging climate change impacts with its related contamination and biodiversity depletion effects.

Clean up the Med 2010
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Activities
MIO-ECSDE is pleased to invite you to join the Clean Up the Med 2010 Campaign  to once again reinforce a common commitment to safeguard the Mediterranean environment.  
The 2009 campaign was a great success with a hit a record of over 400 participating bodies that mobilised more than 100,000 people.
The 2010 campaign will again be a collaboration between Legambiente and Mediterranean schools and Associations in organising and coordinating the effort against the pressing threat of marine and coastal pollution. Clean Up the Med is twinned with Clean Up the World and is organised under the auspices of the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan.

For further information click En or Fr.


Conference on the 'Water Framework Directive in the Mediterranean', Barcelona, Spain, April 22-23, 2010
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Events

A Conference on the “Water Framework Directive in the Mediterranean” is organized in Barcelona, Spain on April 22-23, 2010 by the EEB, Ecologistas en Acción, Xarxa per una Nova Cultura de l'aigua, and FNCA, in cooperation with ECODES, BirdLife/Seo and WWF/Adena with the financial support of the European Commission.

The conference aims to facilitate the dialogue between EU Mediterranean Member States and civil society in order to identify and discuss in a constructive manner how the Water Framework Directive can help address some of the most pressing water management issues facing the Mediterranean region. The results of the conference should serve to identify common strategies and possible approaches to tackle the main issues that will arise in the development, debate and implementation of the new Basin Management Plans in order to reach WFD goals by 2015, and that are particularly relevant to countries in the Mediterranean region.

Please find here the agenda of the Conference.

 


New EU report on understanding the causes of biodiversity loss and the policy assessment framework
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Other Issues

Recently a report on understanding the causes of biodiversity loss and the policy assessment framework was published by the European Commission DG Environment. According to the report biodiversity continues to decrease at unprecedented rates as human development and expansion result in the fragmentation and loss of habitat for flora and fauna.

The main pressures and drivers of biodiversity loss identified by this study include direct causes such as: land use change and conversion of habitat to other land uses, pollution, unsustainable natural resources use, climate change and invasive alien species and indirect causes such as: failures in governance, appropriate decision making and institutional functioning, economic and market failures, lack of adequate knowledge and understanding of the processes in ecosystems which conserve biodiversity and provide ecosystem services.

Interestingly enough, the report addresses the issue of biodiversity loss beyond the EU through case studies on coastal, marine and forest ecosystems at different places of the world.

To read the full text report click here.


MIO-ECSDE¢s contribution to the public consultation on the future EU Strategy
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Other Issues

In the period of 24.11.2009 to 15.01.2010, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the Future “EU Strategy”. The main aim of the consultation was to collect views on some suggested broad policy considerations for the future EU2020 strategy that should enable the EU to make a full recovery from the crisis, while speeding up the move towards a smart and green economy.

MIO-ECSDE welcomed the participatory approach followed by the European Commission in the development of the EU 2020 Strategy and submitted its main views, concerns, and considerations that should be taken into account while drafting the EU 2020” Strategy.

Please click here to read MIO-ECSDE¢s contribution to the public consultation on the future EU Strategy.


NanoVirtualium: interactive communication web-based application on Nanotechnologies
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Activities
Nanovirtualium is an initiative of the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) and has been developed within the framework of the NanoCap project (2006-2009) funded by the European Commission¢s FP6 Science and Society Programme.
NanoVirtualium is web based application  designed as a futuristic virtual reality dome, which invites you to enter into the developing world of Nanotechnologies. It provides both basic and advanced information on this new emerging technology and it sets out related implications on our health and safety (workers), society at large and the environment.

The Chairman's reaction to COP 15
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Activities
The Chairman of the MIO-ECSDE, Prof. Michael Scoullos, attended the COP 15 in Copenhagen as a member of the European Union (EU) delegation, representing the European Parliament on the Management Board and Executive Bureau of the European Environment Agency (EEA), which has its headquarters in Copenhagen. Back –to-back with the COP15 meeting, a special session for the Members of Parliament of all parties was organized at the EEA premises to discuss the issues of the Conference. In addition, another session was organized focusing on the impact of climate change on the oceans and the importance of re-evaluating the GNP to counter the 'next day'.

MEDASSET: Latest Report on Marine Turtle Conservation in Zakynthos (Laganas Bay), Greece 2009
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Other Issues
MEDASSET announces the release of its latest reports regarding sea turtle nesting beaches of Zakynthos (Greece), Kazanli and Patara (Turkey). Please find details below:
  • "Update Report on Marine Turtle Conservation in Zakynthos (Laganas Bay), Greece, 2009" available online here
  • "Update Report on Green Turtle Conservation Monitoring in Kazanli, Turkey 2009" available online here
  • "13th Update Report and Review of Nature Conservation Measures in Patara SPA, Turkey, 2009" available online here

Find more information on MEDASSET's activities at  http://www.medasset.org


Training material on "Environmental Education & Education for Sustainable Development in Protected Areas"
Email Article To a Friend View Printable Version
Publications
A new training material on EE/ESD in Protected Areas targeted to staff of EE/ESD division of the Ministry of Education, of Environmental Education Centres and Management Bodies of Protected Areas of Greece, has been developed in Greek by MIO-ECSDE, within the framework of the EPEAEK II programme 2007-2008 and with the support of the Greek Ministry of Education.

View on line this training material here