The RESCOM webinar series on “Hosting Sustainable Economic Activities in Natural Environments” launched on October 1st with a webinar on “Sustainable Economic and Territorial Approach”. Speakers Olivier Courbon, Gilles Lolio and Abdessalem Fezzani together with facilitator Fabrice Bernard, introduced the concept of the territorial approach in the context of sustainable economic activities. Up to 100 people attended the webinar.
The purpose of hosting economic activities in natural and protected areas is to meet both human and environment needs. Applying a territorial approach ensures that local stakeholders are identified and taken into account in projects focused on the protection of natural environments. Furthermore, it helps assess and encourage stakeholders’ capacity to adopt more sustainable practices.
Based on the challenges faced by the RESCOM project pilot sites, the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium (MBC) created this webinar series to provide participants with the knowledge and resources needed to adapt economic activities to sustainability principles. Accompanying the webinars, participants are given access to the COGICO methodological guide on Managing sustainable economic activities in natural areas.
The main targets of the four-part webinar series are managers and stakeholders from protected areas and their surrounding territories, but it is also accessible to anyone interested in this topic.
© Ain Wadi Kaam | Lybian Pilote Site
This first webinar introduced the concept of the territorial approach and explored how it can contribute to a sustainable economy. Oliver Courbon elaborated on the concept and highlighted the benefits of broad inclusion of stakeholders for effective and fair management of natural areas. To illustrate how the territorial approach can be applied in the Mediterranean, Abdessalem Fezzani and Gilles Lolio gave their insights presenting the case studies of Kneiss and Kuriat in Tunisia as well as the vineyard in Maraval and Domaine du Canavérier in France.
Building on this initial overview of the territorial approach and sustainable economy, the following three webinars will focus on the challenges and solutions related to sustainability in the fishing, agriculture, and tourism sectors. The webinars will take place every Thursday over the following three weeks:
- October 8, (02:30 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. CET) – Sustainable fishing: Challenges and lessons from the field (register here)
- October 15, (02:30 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. CET) – Sustainable agriculture: Challenges and lessons from the field (register here)
- October 22, (02:30 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. CET) – Sustainable tourism: Challenges and lessons from the field (register here)
The webinars are interpreted live to both French and English. The recordings are available on the YouTube channel of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium in French and English. For more information, visit our dedicated webpage for the webinar series.
Webinar episode 1 in English:
Wébinaire épisode 1 en Français :
For the RESCOM pilot sites, the webinars will be followed by a face-to-face training in Agadir, Morocco, in early November. Representatives from Albania, Montenegro, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, will have the opportunity to discuss real world challenges, exchange experiences and learn from experts about concrete solutions adapted to their natural site. The training will also include a field visit to Souss-Massa National Park.
This community of practice is a core part of the RESCOM and MBC work, setting the stage for collaboration and knowledge exchange across the Mediterranean.
© Souss Massa National Park