The webinar “Addressing Restoration of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems in the Mediterranean: Building Together for a Common Goal” will take place on 27 January 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 CET. It is organised by IUCN, in collaboration with MedPAN and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), within the REST-COAST project. 

Marine and coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean are facing serious threats from climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. These problems are becoming worse because the region is warming faster than the global average. Natural wetlands have decreased and reduced to more than half of their original area, and 34% of Posidonia Meadows have been lost in the last 50 years.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, along with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), has created important international and European frameworks for action. Notably, the NRR introduces legally binding obligations for EU Member States, representing a major change toward the effective implementation of restoration measures.

Regional organisations such as UFM, IUCN Med, MedPAN, and MedWet are essential for cooperation in the region, as they support discussions among countries, agencies, and experts. By forming partnerships based on blue economy principles, they create excellent opportunities for collaboration, allowing for the exchange of ideas and the planning of joint actions.

The webinar offers a valuable opportunity for policymakers and stakeholders, highlighting recent events such as the UN Climate COP in Belem, Brazil, the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, the UfM Regional Forum, and the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention in Cairo. It also addresses the upcoming submission cycle for the CBD's 7th National Reports due by February 2026 and the forthcoming UN Water Conference in Dakar.

The first part of the webinar will focus on the Mediterranean’s growing climate vulnerability and the urgent need for restoration, highlighting coastal and marine ecosystems as vital Nature-based Solutions. Experts will speak on key habitats like coastal wetlands (MedWet), seagrasses (Mediterranean Posidonia Network), coralligenous assemblages (University of Barcelona), and Marine Protected Areas (MedPAN). 

The session will then explore how international, EU, and national policy frameworks can better align to support restoration, with contributions from the Directorate-General for Environment, DG MARE, and IUCN Europe. Finally, the discussion will turn to regional cooperation and next steps, with speakers from MedPAN, IUCN Med, SPA/RAC, and Plan Bleu sharing insights on joint action and flagship projects across the Mediterranean.

Participation is open to all interested stakeholders. The webinar will be held in English and is free of charge.

More information and a registration link can be found here.