Proposal for a regional project on innovative co-management and development of ecosystem services via the use of TWW in the Mediterranean UPFs

XII Workshop of the Silva Mediterranea WG on UPF - 26 November 2020

Proposal for a regional project on innovative co-management
and development of ecosystem services via the use of TWW
                    in the Mediterranean UPFs
          Anaïs Loudières (AIFM) & Sondes Fkiri (INRGREF)

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Project genesis:
✧ Projects in Sidi Amor urban forest in Tunisia.
   Sewage treatment plant with phytoremediation: use of treated
   wastewater for fire fighting, agroforestry, ...
   Presented by Sondes Fkiri during the XI Workshop and the 1st
   TreeCities4MED webinar.

✧ International Association for Mediterranean Forests
  (AIFM) founded in 1996, dedicated to knowledge, sustainable          Idea of a regional
  management and protection of Mediterranean forest                         project
  ecosystems. It set as its goal to facilitate the exchange of
  knowledge and experiences on forests and other wooded lands
  of the Mediterranean basin.

✧ Connection with the Silva Mediterranea Working Group on UPFs.
  Involvement in the setting up of the project and in the search for
  partners.

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Project genesis:
✧ Projects in Sidi Amor urban forest in Tunisia.
   Sewage treatment plant with phytoremediation: use of treated
   wastewater for fire fighting, agroforestry, ...
   Presented by Sondes Fkiri during the XI Workshop and the 1st
   TreeCities4MED webinar.

✧ International Association for Mediterranean Forests
  (AIFM) founded in 1996, dedicated to knowledge, sustainable          Idea of a regional
  management and protection of Mediterranean forest                         project
  ecosystems. It set as its goal to facilitate the exchange of
  knowledge and experiences on forests and other wooded lands
  of the Mediterranean basin.

✧ Connection with the Silva Mediterranea Working Group on UPFs.
  Involvement in the setting up of the project and in the search for
  partners.

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Carrying out a project together
  ➥ Intensification of urbanisation: 55% of the population in urban areas,
    68% by 2050 (UN, 2019)
  ➥ Forests’ health-related services: buffer noise, reduce the urban heat
    island effect, shield against respiratory disease, provide green space for
    exercise, recreation and recovery from stress (FAO and UNEP, 2020)
  ➥ Water resources scarcity: increase in water requirements for vegetation
    & decrease in average rainfall (MedECC, 2019; WWDR 2020)
    Therefore need to develop so-called “non-conventional resources”
    based on the reuse of treated wastewater.

Objective: to promote and sustainably manage Mediterranean urban
and peri-urban forests through an innovative multi-site and multi-actor
approach based on Nature.
      Duration: 3 years minimum.

      Estimated budget: €2.5M

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Excepted results:
 A model of sustainable multi-partner co-management of the UPFs is developed
  based on the experiences of each partner.
 Local working groups are set up (with the support of the project partners) to
  implement the adopted co-management model.
 Through the use of TWW, the UPFs, pilot sites of the project, are restored
  (firefighting, reforestation...) and valorised (agroforestry, ecotourism, education, well-
  being, ...) in a sustainable and innovative way. Local initiatives are encouraged.

Funding possibilities:
➲ Cooperation with the upcoming INTERREG VI (2021-2027)
➲ Climate change with the Adaptation Fund > Call for proposal in January and April 2021
➲ Others? To be discussed…

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Partners involved:
 International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM) with a French pilot site
  (Calanques or Côte Bleue – Marseille, France)
 National Institute for Research in Rural Engineering, Water and Forestry (INRGREF) with GDA
  Sidi Amor (Ariana – Tunisia)
 The Granada Agroecological Network with a Spanish pilot site
 …Your organisation?

Typology of desired partners:
Municipalities, forest managers, authorities (Ministry of Agriculture or Environment),
associations or research institutes from a Mediterranean country.
⥤ partner who will be able to implement the project activities on a pilot site with the
agreement of the authorities (partnership).

              If you are interested in this project, do not hesitate to contact:
                                ⇨ Anaïs Loudières: anais.loudieres@aifm.org
                                ⇨ Sondes Fkiri: sondesfkiri@gmail.com
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Next steps:
➾ Find new partners & pilot sites
➾ Set up the technical & financial aspects
➾ Prepare the schedule
➾ Support from WG and Silva Med Sec. needed

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