Short and Medium-term Priority Environmental Action Programme (SMAP)

In partnership with ERM and Pescares we contributed to the achievement of the Short and Medium term Priority Environmental Action Programme III (SMAP III), an environmental protection framework programme for the Mediterranean in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The overall objectives of the technical assistance provided was:

1.  Promoting the formulation, adoption and effective implementation of environmental and sustainable development strategies and policies in the Partner Countries of the EU, in association with similar efforts from multilateral and bilateral sources;
2. Assisting these countries in the protection and the sound development of their coastal zones, ensuring a fair balance between environmental, economic and social aims.

As well as providing technical support to the overall programme, we provided specific country assistance to ICZM and sustainable development projects in Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey to:

•  Address issues that are specific to a country’s or a region’s economic or social features, and which overlap with environmental issues.
• Develop ICZM Plans for selected geographical areas in order to supply them with a planning tool for future development.
• Provide training in policy tools for sustainable development and enhance the integration of sustainable development activities into strategic planning.

We co-wrote a publication on ICZM for the Mediterranean region that can be accessed at http://bit.ly/1AmgwM7.