At MedForum2025, different voices for a shared vision
“Making the Behavioral Shift Happen” is the title of the Mediterranean Stakeholder Forum on Environment and Climate Action, held from 21 to 23 October 2025 in Cairo, which brought together more than 100 non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations, parliamentarians, journalists, women and youth, researchers, and private sector associations from across the Mediterranean.
The main focus of the Forum was to transform awareness into deep understanding and everyday action, which, by bringing together different voices and areas of expertise, strengthened the understanding and capacities of the Mediterranean communities of practice, helping to overcome fragmented governance approaches and accelerating behavioral change in support of climate preparedness in the region.
The Mediterranean is a climate hotspot, where rising temperatures, sea level rise, water scarcity, desertification, and extreme weather events are already putting communities and ecosystems under severe stress.
Although countries and regional bodies are accelerating the transition toward low-carbon, climate-resilient economies, progress remains uneven and pressure continues to mount.
In this sense, the Forum was an opportunity for participants to develop recommendations and key messages to shape a shared Mediterranean vision and narrative on climate action and behavioral change.
Among the contributions was that of Tatjana Hema, Coordinator of UNEP/MAP – Barcelona Convention, who in her opening speech celebrated 50 years of regional cooperation under UNEP/MAP, highlighting the results of the GEF-funded MedProgramme, which works to turn science into tangible action through initiatives such as MedECC, Climagine, and Replication Atlases. These approaches integrate planning from source to sea, enabling local communities to lead change. “Protecting this shared sea is not only an environmental imperative, it is a moral and economic necessity,” she said.
The Forum was held just a few days after the European Commission launched the “Mediterranean Pact”, which will strengthen cooperation and economic ties between the shores of the Mediterranean and beyond. It will also contribute to the creation of a common Mediterranean area that is connected, prosperous, resilient, and secure.
The event was co-organized by UNEP/MAP, MIO-ECSDE, and the EU-funded WES-BCA project, within the framework of the GEF MedProgramme, with the support of the Government of Egypt.
Water and Environment Support – Biodiversity and Climate Action (WES-BCA) is an EU-funded initiative that supports partner countries in the Southern Mediterranean in improving environmental governance, biodiversity protection, and climate action, with a strong emphasis on public awareness, education, and behavioral change.
The MedProgramme, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), promotes pollution reduction, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience throughout the Mediterranean, fostering science-policy dialogue and regional cooperation to safeguard people and ecosystems.