Athens/ Datca-Mugla (Turkey), 23 October 2009 - The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC), jointly with the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Municipality of Datca-Mugla, Mugla University and Underwater Research Society, Turkey, are organising the third annual celebration of the "Coast Day" in the Mediterranean.

The central event will take place in Datca-Mugla (Culture Centre of the Municipality), Turkey, on 24 October 2009 . Coast Day also coincides with the United Nations Day, celebrated worldwide. On the occasion of this year's "Coast Day", Mr. Jérôme Bignon, member of the French Parliament and politician active in the field of coastal management, will be appointed a Mediterranean Ambassador for the Coast.

“Coastal areas have incalculable value in our region. They have been at the source of unprecedented development and are behind the significant increase in the standard of living in many parts of the Mediterranean, including in Turkey”, said Maria Luisa Silva Mejias, UNEP/MAP Deputy Coordinator and Officer in charge at the Coast Day celebration in Datca-Mugla.

“Coastal areas will also play an important role in protecting us against the worst effect of climate change. Healthy and clean marine ecosystems will be in a better position to resist increased temperatures and the associated migration of alien new species to our waters”.

The adoption of the Mediterranean ICZM Protocol (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) is one of the most important steps enabling countries to better manage their coastal zones and to deal with the emerging coastal environmental challenges. The new Protocol, which is a unique legal instrument in the entire international community, is considered to be the right path towards ensuring sustainable coastal development, as it provides an effective way of ensuring that human actions are undertaken with a concern for balancing economic, social and environmental goals and priorities in a long-term perspective.

“Coastal degradation can go very rapidly without us noticing and by the moment we realise it, it is already too late. The new Protocol contains useful and innovative tools to help States in addressing threats to the Coast such as 100 metres non-building line, undertaking carrying capacity assessment and strategic environmental impact assessments. As importantly, it suggests participatory approaches to ensure that the interests of all stake-holders, and particularly local ones, are properly considered”, said Maria Luisa Silva.

Two of MAP countries, Slovenia and France already ratified the ICZM Protocol. On the occasion of this year's "Coast Day", MAP and PAP/RAC are inviting the rest of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention to follow the examples of Slovenia and France and to ratify this important legal document as soon as possible.---

Background information:

• The Mediterranean coastal area, a 46,000-km long chain of important and fragile ecosystems such as beaches, dunes, reefs, lagoons, swamps, estuaries, deltas and rocky shores, is one of the most important assets of the Mediterranean. However, the Mediterranean coastal area has always been an attractive area for development.
  
• The urbanisation rate in 1995 was 62%, forecasted to grow to 72% in 2025; the urbanisation rate in the north will increase only from 67% to 69%, while in the south it is expected to be from 62% to 74%. But the biggest problem in continued growth in population and infrastructure is linear nature of coastal urbanisation resulting in nearly 40% of the total length of the coastal area already being occupied.
  
• For the Mediterranean region, climate experts anticipate an increase in air temperature in the range of 2.2 C° to 5.1 C° during the 21^st century. This represents a significant decrease in rainfall, ranging from -4 and -27%, an increase in drought periods, frequency and force of extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts or floods, and an increase of the sea level of up to 50cm. All these events are likely to cause severe impacts on agriculture and fisheries, coastal infrastructure, human health and energy sector.

(1) The event will include the organisation of a technical panel for the experts and a series of awareness-raising activities for the general public. The panel, entitled "ICZM Protocol: for a better future of our coasts", aims to promote the ratification and implementation of the Mediterranean ICZM Protocol, as well as to present the achievements of Mediterranean countries in managing their coasts. It is envisaged that the event will be attended by representatives of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (the Convention for the Protection of Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean), as well as by a number of experts, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations, academy members, famous writers and TV programmers from Turkey.