21 September 2011: Silva Mediterranea, a statutory body of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that works on forest issues in the Mediterranean region, has released the September 2011 issue of its newsletter, which reports on recent forest-related activities within the Mediterranean region, including a regional conference on payments of ecosystem services (PES) and a project on REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks).

The conference, “The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB): Recognizing and capturing the value of Forest Ecosystem Services in the MENA region (Middle East – North Africa),” was held in Tunis, Tunisia, from 28-29 June 2011. It aimed to introduce the TEEB initiative and raise awareness of forest ecosystem goods and services in the MENA region. Participants exchanged experiences from existing initiatives in forest ecosystem economic valuation and financing mechanisms. Conference participants agreed on several recommendations to guide decision-making, including the need to promote the evaluation of forest goods and services and integrate their value into political choices, and to define policy measures for the sustainable provision of forest goods and services. They also called for mechanisms that maintain benefits on site, and further participation and dialogue among stakeholders.

The Newsletter further highlights a new project exploring the REDD+ opportunities in the Mediterranean and aiming to maximize the production of goods and services of Mediterranean forest ecosystems in the context of climate change. Pilot studies will take place in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Turkey. [Publication: Silva Mediterranea Newsletter Nº8]