Mainstreaming climate change adaptation with existing coastal management for the mediterranean coastal region

This chapter highlights the imperative for regional collaboration to facilitate effective climate change adaptation in the Mediterranean coastal zone. The chapter summarizes work completed in 2010 under the auspices of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), the first of the Regional Seas Programmes instigated by the United Nations Environment Programme, to inform planning efforts to support climate change adaptation within the region. These planning efforts acted as a backbone for subsequent initiatives within the region to mainstream climate change within the process of sustainable coastal development. Within the Mediterranean, the nature of the shared access to a common sea necessitates a trans-boundary approach to adaptation by the nations that share the coastal zone. This regional focus is particularly relevant in the face of increasing globalization which necessitates a systems approach to environmental management as a whole. The status of, and experience in, climate change adaptation within the Mediterranean was explored to identify lessons learned and formulate a set of recommendations for future initiatives. Particular attention was focused on the ongoing role of the Priority Actions Programme/Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC) of the United Nations Environmental Programme’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP). The information reported on in this chapter provides useful support to other regional organizations on approaches/barriers for climate change adaptation at this complex, trans-boundary scale.