Background of the 3rd Edition of the Mediterranean Forest Week

The Mediterranean Forest Week has been conceived as a common regional platform for cooperation on Mediterranean forests, aiming at improving the dialogue between the Mediterranean forest research community, policy-makers and the relevant stakeholders as well as at communicating to the international community and the society at large the relevance and challenges affecting Mediterranean forests.

Forest and natural areas are an integral part of Mediterranean territories. They are a source of energy, food, income and many other goods and services. Global changes (changes in societies, lifestyles and climate change), evident in the Mediterranean region, affect badly these ecosystems (degradation and biodiversity loss, increase of fire hazards, desertification).

To meet these challenges:
• The political and administrative authorities at national, regional and local level, as well as the stakeholders and civil society must adapt their strategies and methods of governance to the objectives of sustainable development of these territories;
• Technicians are expected to develop and adapt good practices that should be broadcasted and shared.
After the success of the first two Mediterranean Forest Weeks, in 2010 in Antalya (Turkey) and in 2011 in Avignon (France), the Algerian authorities welcome this third edition in Tlemcen on the following issue: "Mediterranean forests for sustainable development of territories: what strategies of mitigation and adaptation to global change?"

This event is supported by the Algerian Government, FAO, the French Ministry of Agriculture, the Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions–Silva Mediterranea and its Turkish Presidency, the German International Cooperation (GIZ), Plan Bleu, the Mediterranean Model Forest Network (MMFN), the Mediterranean office of the European Forest Institute (EFIMED), the International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM) and the forest Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC).