This edition of the State of Mediterranean Forests aims to demonstrate the importance of Mediterranean forests to implementing solutions to tackle global issues such as climate change and population increase. The report is divided into five parts. After an introduction, the second part highlights the importance of Mediterranean forests and trees, examined with regard to various factors (area, biomass, roles in the landscape, etc.), with special attention paid to trees outside forests, which are particularly important in the Mediterranean context. Despite the important natural capital provided by Mediterranean forests, they are under jeopardy from climate change and population increase and other subsidiary drivers of forest degradation. The third part of the report outlines a number of forest-based solutions to tackle these threats. The goods and services provided by Mediterranean forests, for example, are a valuable asset on which to base sustainable development efforts. Forest and landscape restoration, adaptation of forests and adaptation using forests, climate change mitigation, and conserving biodiversity are complementary approaches that can be successfully implemented in the Mediterranean region to address the drivers of forest degradation to the benefit of populations and the environment. In its fourth part, the report outlines how to create the conditions necessary to scale up and replicate these forest-based solutions across the Mediterranean region. These include changing the way we see the role of forests in the economy, putting in place relevant policies, more widespread participatory approaches and improved governance, a recognition of the economic value of the goods and services provided by forests and, ultimately, creating appropriate financial incentives and tools.
