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Researchers from the University of Murcia (UMU) begin their participation in a project (Co-Evolve4BG) to learn about the evolution of coastal human activities and natural systems for sustainable tourism and blue growth in the Mediterranean, led by The National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology of Tunisia.
Given the growth of tourism in the Mediterranean basin, especially in coastal areas, "the effects of climate change will continue to affect stability, erosion of landscapes, soil and coasts, species and water resources, in addition to increase the dumping of waste and pollution at sea, "says Arnaldo Marín, one of the project managers.
In this context, Co-Evolve4BG aims to analyze and promote the "coevolution" of human and tourist activities, based on the principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), promoting same time the Blue Growth in the Mediterranean.
Threats and factors that favor sustainable tourism will be analyzed through the realization of discussion forums aimed at local actors involved in pilot actions and development of indicators that allow analyzing the level of tourism sustainability.
Marín, from the UMU Aquatic Ecology research team, said in this regard that "the area selected for study by the University of Murcia is the Mar Menor and Cartagena, which houses tourism values ​​and environmental threats common to other parts of the Mediterranean. The mortality of a large part of the marine communities of the Mar Menor means a loss of the ecosystem services that it provides to tourism and, therefore, deteriorates the possibility of a blue growth of the Murcian economy. "
The researcher Nuria García Bueno, also of the UMU, points out that "the first meeting of the project will be held in Cartagena on March 26 and 27. This will compare the situation of sustainable coastal tourism between Cartagena and Tunisia, capitals that correspond with the old Carthage Nova and Carthage of the Carthaginians ".
Long term project
The Blue Growth is a long-term strategy to support sustainable growth and that recognizes the importance of the seas and oceans as engines of the European economy. The actions envisaged in this project will improve the sustainable development of coastal tourism, fully exploiting the potential of the blue economy, promoting the creation of commercial and labor opportunities in these sectors, coastal management and adaptation to climate change.
Co-Evolve4BG is part of a larger project, "Med Coast for Blue Growth" supported by the 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean.
The project started in September last year and will be in effect until 2022. It is funded by European funds from the ENI CBC Med Program and is supported by the Union for the Mediterranean and the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR).
Finally, it should be noted that it is coordinated by Dr. Béchir Béjaoui and will be carried out in 7 pilot areas (Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Lebanon and Spain).
* Photo: Mr. Isidro González, Secretary General of Water, Environment and Blue Economy of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) giving a talk at the initial meeting in Tunisia.
Source: Universidad de Murcia
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