Trees and Forests Facing Global Change: Mediterranean Countries at the Forefront - the Parmenides X Conference

Mediterranean forests represent a global biodiversity hotspot, with a high level of endemism linked to a specific combination of geographical, topographical and climatic factors. Today, the region is facing several challenges, compounded by global changes. Population growth in coastal and urban areas, particularly in the south and east of the Mediterranean, is also taking its toll on the region and its forests, which are being lost to urbanization, agriculture, the use of timber resources and overall overuse of forest resources. These vulnerable ecosystems are threatened by tourism, soil erosion, climatic extremes, biotic imbalances and forest fires. Local communities and their traditional practices are also under threat. Increased land abandonment within the region has caused socioeconomic impacts on a local and national scale, and has also changed agricultural practices and the use of natural resources.  

The Parmenides X Conference, entitled “Trees and Forests Facing Global Change: Mediterranean Countries at the Forefront” brought together experts from the region to discuss such challenges, covering lessons learned and best practices and forging partnerships to implement new projects and solutions.  

The conference was co-organized by the Groupe interacadémique pour le développement (GID) and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), with the support of the Académie d’Agriculture de France and the European Forest Institute (EFI), and technical support from Silva Mediterranea. The conference was held from 24 to 26 October 2023 at the CIHEAM Institute in Chania, Greece.  

The event was structured around three key thematic areas: 

• strengthening Mediterranean forest ecosystems and their evolutionary potential;
• creating synergies between business sectors and between forest goods and services; and
• addressing the climatic and societal challenges facing Mediterranean forests. 

A total of nine round tables were hosted, where speakers from partner organizations, universities and research institutes presented their work. The connections between the technical and the sociocultural aspects of Mediterranean forests were emphasized throughout the conference. Presentations covered topics such as water regulation and soil conservation, desertification, agroforestry, grazing, forest fires, ecotourism, education, and youth employment and participation.  

The Silva Mediterranea secretariat participated in three round tables, giving three talks on the role that the Silva Mediterranea committee has played in forestry cooperation for the past 100 years, forest cover trends and other related statistics within the region. In addition, an overview of youth employment and participation in the Mediterranean forest sector was presented. Ümit Turhan, Deputy Head of Department at the General Directorate of Forestry of Türkiye and the president of Silva Mediterranea, presented his country’s work on forest fires within the context of urban development.  

The conference included a field visit to the Lefka Ori granite mountains of Crete, also known as the white mountains, to visit the Samariá Gorge. This landscape rising 1 200 metres above sea level harbours cypress and pine forests, and is a popular destination with tourists all year-round for site-seeing and hiking.  

The conference successfully created a new network of academics and professionals working on the region’s forests, its resources, biodiversity and people. Silva Mediterranea’s work to formulate common forest policies throughout the basin stood out as one of its key takeaways, together with the committee’s strong focus on the pivotal role of youth. 

 Lucia Rivera (FAO)