- The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average.
- Impacts will exert additional pressure on already strained ecosystems and on vulnerable economies and societies.
- Coastal zones face heightened disaster risks, including flooding and erosion, and the salinization of river deltas and aquifers that sustain food security and livelihoods.
- The Mediterranean is home to more than 510 million people.
- By 2050, water demand is projected to double or even triple.
- 2°C global warming will reduce precipitation by ~10 to 15%.
- An increase of 2°C to 4°C would reduce precipitation by up to 30% in Southern Europe.
- Water temperature is expected to rise by between 1.8°C and 3.5°C by 2100 with hotspots in Spain and in in the Eastern Mediterranean.
For the latest on climate and environmental change in the Mediterranean:
- First Mediterranean Assessment Report (MAR 1) by MedECC, an independent network of scientists working to establish the facts of climate and environmental change in the Mediterranean. UNEP/MAP and UfM support MedECC, which is hosted by UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre Plan Bleu.
- State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean (SoED)
The UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention system provides a framework for region-specific climate action
- Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD 2016-2025)
MSSD provides a strategic framework for all stakeholders and partners to translate the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs into progress towards a low-carbon and resilient Mediterranean region. The fourth objective of MSSD is "Climate Change as a priority issue for the Mediterranean".
- Regional Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Marine and Coastal Areas (RCCAF)
Adopted in 2016, this instrument developed by UNEP/MAP charts a regional approach to bolstering the resilience of the natural and socio-economic systems in the Mediterranean region.
- Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Adopted in 2008, the ICZM Protocol provides a legally binding instrument for coastal zone protection, including through the prevention and reduction of the effects of climate change.
- Projects implemented by UNEP/MAP
UNEP/MAP Projects, which drive the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols forward, include the GEF-funded MedProgramme and several adaptation activities implemented by the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centres.
March 2021
