MPA4Change and the 100MPA MedAlliance took centre stage at the UNOC3 Green Zone in Nice, calling for urgent climate action in Marine Protected Areas across the Mediterranean. This intervention was part of a joint action organised by the Interreg Euro-MED Natural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Missions.
On 10 June, the MPA4Change project was showcased at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice through the participation of Patricia Puig Martí (Oceanogami), the policy consultant acting on behalf of EUROPARC Federation.
The session focused on the urgent need for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean to adapt to climate change, as the region is warming 20% faster than the global ocean average, and the presentation of MPA4Change´s flagship initiative: the 100 MPA MedAlliance.
The 100MPA MedAlliance
The 100MPA MedAlliance is a regional effort aiming to engage at least 100 MPAs by 2030 in structured climate change adaptation planning and implementation. This initiative is structured around three main pillars that focus on:
- Ready-to-use toolkits to guide MPAs in deploying adaptation action plans. These toolkits are proven tools and methodologies, successfully tested in diverse socio-ecological contexts across the Mediterranean over the past decade.
- Dedicated long-term assistance mechanism with a roster of experts. This roster of experts serves as a key mechanism to guide MPAs in diagnostics, adaptation strategy implementation and capacity-building.
- Policy & advocacy actions to enhance the role of MPAs to effectively face the climate crisis, advocating for MPAs as nature-based solutions for this end and fostering collaboration between MPAs of the Mediterranean basin.
Euro-MED cooperation for ocean-related policy
The session, which took place at the Région Sud Pavilion, formed part of a joint side event organised by the Interreg Euro-MED Natural Heritage Mission and Sustainable Tourism Mission at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference. These Missions aim to bridge marine and coastal policy with concrete local action, focusing on Blue Economy, ecosystem restoration, and climate adaptation.
Natural Heritage Mission representatives and speakers from different projects at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 (UNOC3) – Photo courtesy of Natural Heritage Mission.
The MPA4Change project, which is developed under the Natural Heritage Mission, contributes to this effort by mobilising policy makers and organisations working for climate change adaptation and marine conservation. Focusing on a broader impact, MPA4change aims to enhance the role of MPAs to face climate change, improve management effectiveness, promote strictly protected areas and enhance representativeness of habitats and species.
During the same session, other Euro-MED projects were presented, including ARTEMIS, MIRAMAR, GREENLIST4MMPAs, Dialogue4Tourism, and more. Shared priorities included marine restoration, sustainable tourism, and innovative financing, paving the way for future collaboration.
Next steps and call to action
For closure, EUROPARC´s representative invited MPA managers, policymakers, and donors to join the 100MPA MedAlliance, support implementation, and align strategies under frameworks like the Barcelona Convention and EU Nature Restoration Law.
More information on the 100MPA MedAlliance will follow soon – stay tuned on MPA4Change news and register to our mailing list to receive further updates.
