International workshop: A knowledge baseline on Mediterranean forests supported by innovation

The international workshop “A knowledge baseline on Mediterranean forests supported by innovation” was held on 2 June 2023, hosted by the University of Malaga in Spain.

The workshop was co-organized by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Topic Centre on Spatial Analysis and Synthesis, and the University of Malaga (ETC-UMA) in the frame of the EnBiC2- Lab project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union (EU).

The main goal of the event was to bring together a community of European and Mediterranean key stakeholders to address the status of regional political and research agendas in support of forests.

The workshop was structured in the following four sessions:

• Session I “Visions for Mediterranean forests: the policy scenario” explored the vision and political mechanisms necessary to ensure healthy and resilient Mediterranean forest ecosystems at different scales from the EU, Mediterranean and national levels. The current political instruments and governance tools were highlighted along with the data gaps to strengthen a Mediterranean-wide political agenda for forests.
• Session II “New approaches to map forests - advantages, limitations, and complementarities” showcased the latest developments in knowledge, tools and information systems to support forest monitoring at different scales in the Mediterranean region. In addition, a forest typology map and the online data platform by ETC-UMA in collaboration with the LifeWatch ERIC Enbic2Lab project were presented.
• Session III “Technologies to support forest monitoring” showed the actions developed to build capacities on the use of new technologies, tools and open-source data for improving and validating forest monitoring at different scales within the Mediterranean region and outside.
• Session IV “The way forward for Mediterranean forest protection - a conversation between managers and scientists” delineated the need for regular forest mapping at various scales to support national forest inventories and create a Mediterranean monitoring and assessment platform useful for conservation, restoration and sustainable use in a climate-changing environment.

Several panellists brought the view from European and Mediterranean institutions to national public organizations, researchers and intergovernmental institutions, as well as practitioners, students and interested parties. The sessions highlighted the need for a more coordinated approach in forest data collection and processing methodologies to be shared across countries as well as among researchers and public bodies responsible for national reporting to EU and international obligations.

The workshop pointed out the benefits of in-situ traditional monitoring practices combined with new technologies based on satellite and remote sensing data integrated with artificial intelligence tools. This approach can satisfy the multiple needs of EU, Mediterranean, national and local stakeholders by producing different thematic geospatial maps, data and tools – contributing at the same time to the monitoring and managing of forests with an ecosystem-based approach at the Mediterranean level.

Moreover, the workshop highlighted the need for collaboration to produce maps that valuably assist in conservation efforts both inside and outside of protected areas, as well as to identify the priority areas to focus conservation efforts through renaturalization and restoration in particular.

Giovanbattista de Dato (FAO)