Project Description:
RAED is part of the consortium for the WES-BCA project, a regional initiative funded by the EU aimed at improving environmental protection, biodiversity restoration, and water resource management while enhancing climate resilience in the Mediterranean region. The project builds on previous efforts to strengthen governance and policy frameworks related to environmental sustainability. The proposed program aims to contribute 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, 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.

General Objective:
To strengthen the policies and enforcement mechanisms for environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and water management in the Mediterranean region.

Specific Objectives:

1. Promoting an integrated approach to biodiversity protection/restoration, pollution reduction, and prevention.
2. Improving the efficiency of water resource management in the Southern Mediterranean region.
3. Enhancing public awareness and engagement, particularly among youth and women, in climate action and environmental protection.

Activities:

• 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) program, which also contributes to the normalization process (Abraham Accords) 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 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. There is a clear need to work on citizens’ perception on these issues and to empower them as agents of change.
• The action will contribute to the implementation of the EU Gender Action Plan 2021-2025 GAP III, and specifically to its thematic area of engagement “Addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation, digitalization, climate change and environment”.

Budget:

€ 7 Million

Implementation Sites:
Mediterranean region (Southern Neighbourhood countries).

Partners:
European Union, Union for the Mediterranean, UNEP, and regional stakeholders.

Duration:
2024-2027

Donors:
European Union (EU)

Results:

• Strengthened policy frameworks for environmental conservation.
• Increased public awareness of environmental and climate challenges.
• Enhanced regional cooperation on biodiversity and water management.
• Greater coordination among national authorities, civil society, and international organizations.