Potential Nature Protected Sites in Morocco
ContextSet up in 2002, the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) is the EIB's financial arm in the Mediterranean region. Within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), its aim is to promote the economic and financial development of the Mediterranean partner countries. UfM, a multilateral partnership that encompasses 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, has initiated operations to create a Euro-Mediterranean network of national parks, similar to the Natura 2000 network. Recognising the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, UfM invited stakeholders from multiple sectors to discuss nature conservation in the 26 states bordering the Mediterranean Sea, thereby conceiving the concept to develop a Euro-Mediterranean network of nature sites reflecting the unique ecosystems of the Mediterranean. Despite the still very nascent state of the project, it is already clear that a better understanding of the physical assets of the Mediterranean states (specifically the southern Mediterranean states), will be required if progress is to be made in a similar fashion to Natura 2000. Classifying and quantifying a baseline of natural assets will be important for future decisionmaking with regard to absolute and relative commitments to set aside areas for conservation. The southern Mediterranean states in many cases will not have sufficient information to inform the process. EO ContributionThe purpose of the EOEuropa project is to develop a methodology to identify potential protection zones, similar to Natura 2000 sites, within southern Mediterranean states. A land cover classification will be performed for 2011 (and possibly for 2001) on the Oued Sebou area in Morocco and a methodology developed to identify regions that could become protected zones. |
Technical Officer: Pierre-Philippe Mathieu |
Starting Date: 2012-01-01 |
Suppliers: Keyobs as supplier - prime University Mohammed V Agdal-Rabat as supplier - sub |
Users: European Investment Bank as user - buyer |
Services: general land use and land cover mapping and change monitoring (Basic Mapping and Cartography) land habitat and protected sites mapping (Basic Mapping and Cartography) |