8th Mediterranean Forest Week in Barcelona

CREAF is involved together with EFIMed and the Secretariat of the FAO Committee of Mediterranean Forestry Questions in co organizing the 8th Mediterranean Forest Week, a biennal event that will be held from 4 to 8 November 2024 in the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, in Barcelona. The event focuses on the restoration of forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean region and serves as a platform for cooperation among researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders, fostering dialogue on the challenges faced by Mediterranean forests. The event's tagline is 'Working together for sustainable and resilient Mediterranean forests. Towards a collaborative roadmap'. CREAF researcher Corina Basnou co-leads session on 'Green cities' with FAO; whereas CREAF researcher Josep M Espelta will take active part of the 'Forest adaptation' session.

Registration will be available soon, and the final program is already available. And reduced fee will be at the disposal of students.

Despite the continuous increase in forest cover over the past decades, mainly due to land use changes, the region faces challenges, including 80 million hectares of degraded land and 400,000 hectares burnt every year by wildfires. Climate change threatens 16% of animal and plant species in Mediterranean forests, while the severity and length of droughts shrinks the distribution ranges of the most important tree species in the Mediterranean. The 8th MFW will delve into solutions and initiatives for the restoration and sustainable management of these ecosystems.

Through plenary sessions, debate and discussion, the 8th Mediterranean Forest Week topics include:

1. Successful landscape approaches in forest restoration for resilience and biodiversity conservation;
2. Efficient forest management for adaptation to climate change;

3. Broader stakeholder engagement in integrated management of Mediterranean forests, with a focus on youth.

   The Mediterranean Forest Week is one of the highlights of the Mediterranean forest calendar, offering the opportunity for networking, brainstorming and solution sharing on the most crucial issues for Mediterranean forests. MFW brings the Mediterranean forest community together for a deep dive into what is happening today and for the future in Mediterranean forests.