Financial Times published an article on Tuesday April 22, 2008 on the boost of $250m from GEF and the World Bank that the Mediterranean countries will receive to combat the region's increasing pollution. The main shortcoming identified by MAP, as stated in the article, was a lack of coastal zone planning for development. Coupled witth inadequate national legislation or enforcement of legislation coastal areas are thus under major threat.
Recently adopted and signed Protocol on ICZM for the Mediterranean is seen as the most innovative, proactive and forward-looking legal tool for better coastal governance. PAP/RAC role in these efforts is crucial as the Centre was the one to lead the process of negotiation of the Protocol text in co-ordination with the MAP Co-ordinating Unit. Furthermore, PAP/RAC will be directly involved in the implementation of the ICZM component of the above mentioned GEF project in several Mediterranean countries. Two of these projects include the preparation of ICM plans to demonstrate ICM approaches, tools and techniques in selected areas; for another four countries, National ICZM Strategies and National Action Plans will be prepared; and in one country, the implication of ratification of ICZM Protocol for relevant national legislation will be undertaken.
These initiatives and the boost from the main international donors clearly underline the priorities in the region, i.e. they put coastal zone management on the top of their endevours. Article
