Mediterranean Coast Day (25 September) is a regional annual observance introduced under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol of the Barcelona Convention. PAP/RAC is the promoter of this important observance for the Mediterranean. The slogan (introduced in 2020) of Mediterranean Coast Day is “The Mediterranean needs you. If you put a seashell to your ear, you will hear it calling”.
The date of 25 September was selected to commemorate the first ratification of the ICZM Protocol by Slovenia. From its initial focus on ICZM, Mediterranean Coat Day has evolved to embrace a broader range of themes pertaining to the health of coastal and marine ecosystems in the context of sustainable development in the region. Coastal resilience is the theme chosen for this year’s edition. This will be a topical theme after a summer fraught with extreme heat waves and scarce precipitations. Therefore the 2022 edition of Mediterranean Coast Day will be an opportunity to highlight the impacts of climate change - a few weeks before the much-anticipated COP 27 UNFCCC gets underway in Egypt- and to raise awareness of the importance of striving for a resilient Mediterranean coast.
During the last two years, no flagship events were organized because of the pandemic, but digital campaigns organized by the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Secretariat and powered by INFO/RAC, the Regional Activity Centre for Information and Communication, provided an inclusive platform for the dissemination of key messages on the plight of Mediterranean ecosystems and the need to take action to protect them.
Thanks to the easing of COVID restrictions, we can again gather and celebrate the beauty of our coast together.
This year Morocco will host the flagship event on 28 September 2022 in Tangiers, with the participation of H.E. Dr Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.
In addition to the flagship event, it has become a tradition that Mediterranean Coast Day be celebrated everywhere around the Mediterranean. Therefore, we invite you to promote this important observance in your country. which would be likely to organize an event on the occasion of this celebration. Information on how everyone can join the celebration is provided in this article.
Join us and become an advocate for the Mediterranean coasts.
