This year the Mediterranean Coast Day was celebrated on September 25 at Gammarth, Tunisia, with focus on climate variability and change. Unusually for this time of the year, it was raining. Was it a sign of climate change? Whatever the answer, it was indeed “a good climate for change"!
In the morning, more than 150 people, coming from Tunisia and abroad, gathered in the conference hall of the ”Ramada Plaza” Hotel. The audience was varied, with representatives from foreign ministries, international organisations, national and local authorities, NGOs, research institutes. Several important personalities stood on the stage in order to pass some key messages to the audience, ranging from the importance to share with your friends the need to protect the coastal zone, to the necessity of strengthening co-operation on the issue of climate variability and change. In his address, H.E. Mr. Mounir Majdoub, the Tunisian Secretary of State for Sustainable Development, recapitulated the main risks Tunisia is facing due to climate change: droughts, floods, sea level rise, soil degradation, etc. He pleaded for new policies to cope with those challenges, for policies in line with technological progress and adapted to ecosystems, and insisted on the need to strengthen international co-operation and secure necessary funds to invest in this critical area. Later in the morning, Mr. Anil Markandya, Scientific Director of the Basque Institute for Climate, received from Mr. Majdoub and Ms. Željka Škarièiæ, PAP/RAC Director, the certificate of Ambassador of the Coast 2014. This prise honours every year a person that inspires, through his or her work and engagement, the people from the Mediterranean and beyond, to better understand, protect and respect the coasts and their environment.
In the afternoon, the main event was an association forum on integrated coastal zone management. More than 20 associations, NGOs and international organisations (e.g. SPA/RAC, PAP/RAC – MedPartnership) presented their work. The forum was a great success, with about 250 visitors who had the opportunity to discover a wide range of actors that are involved in the protection of the Tunisian coasts, their people, culture, economy and environment. The Coast Day 2014 was closed with a cocktail party during which award was given to the winner of the children’s coastal photo competition.
During the celebration we projected the short animated movie “A good climate for change”, prepared for this year’s Coast Day, which is the best day to raise awareness about the ecological issues shared by all the Mediterranean countries. Climate changes are already happening, it is time to adapt. We should also put a stop to all what is affecting the climate and our environment in a harmful way.
Discover the short animated movie at:
• English version: https://vimeo.com/107569895
• French version: https://vimeo.com/107577437
• English version with Croatian subtitles: https://vimeo.com/107058771
• French version with Arabic subtitles: https://vimeo.com/106824837
Find out more: http://www.coastday.org
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