NaTour4CChange - building climate change resilience for coastal tourism destinations

NaTour4CChange is a European initiative, part of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme, aimed at enhancing the governance of sustainable tourism in regions with high environmental value by reconnecting tourism and nature to address climate change with an ecosystem-based approach. NaTour4CChange builds on successful experiences at the Mediterranean and global level to test solutions for increasing the resilience of coastal destinations in the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average (UNEP, source). Coastal destinations might be at particular risk of suffering from climate change - with its negative effects putting additional pressure on already strained ecosystems and tourism-dependent communities.

NaTour4CChange has 6 pilot sites and is set to last for 33 months (2024-2026). The initiative focuses on testing solutions for increasing the resilience of coastal destinations in the Mediterranean, and improving the regional tourism governing capacities. The objective is to set common methods to allow participating regions to assess their tourism-related climate adaptation and mitigation priorities, and take climate action via plans and strategies, supported by cooperative governance.

Institute for Tourism (IFT) serves as the lead partner of the NaTour4CChange project.

The Foundation for Environmental Education/Blue Flag International serves as an associated project partner.

Read more about NaTour4CChange, other partners, upcoming events and the implementation of the project here.

BEACH-SOS, Climate Change Adaptation Solutions for Baltic local Municipalities

Baltic Sea coastal tourism plays a crucial role in the EU Blue Economy, supporting more than 330,000 jobs (Blue Economy Report, EU 2021). However, the sector faces significant challenges due to its sensitivity to climate change, which threatens its economic benefits. To ensure sustainable regional coastal tourism, effective adaptation strategies that rely on climate change data and information are essential. However, such information is difficult to access, understand, and incorporate into decision-making processes, resulting in low awareness and limited utilization of climate change information among municipalities and stakeholders.

BEACH-SOS is an INTERREG Baltic Sea Region project operating in Denmark, Germany and Latvia. The project aims to address this issue by strengthening the capacity of local governments, Blue Flag beaches, coastal tourism businesses, business support units, NGOs, and coastal communities to become "climate-smart." The project focuses on developing the capability to integrate climate change considerations into beach management strategies and providing the best available data and information for coastal tourism adaptation.

BEACH-SOS seeks to garner support from various Baltic actors and intends to produce four co-developed outputs. These outputs include: 1) sustainable adaptation pathways for coastal/beach tourism; 2) a climate-smart community action program for beach adaptation; 3) the assessment and development of indicators and criteria for climate-smart, and resilient tourist beaches; 4) the establishment of a Baltic Sea Region information exchange network for climate resilient beach tourism.

Hereon serves as the lead partner of the BEACH-SOS project.

The Foundation for Environmental Education/Blue Flag International serves as an associated project partner.

Project partners:

Danish Outdoor Council (DK), EUCC - Die Küsten Union Deutschland e.V. (DE), Foundation for Environmental Education Latvia (LV), Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) (UK), Municipality of Gdańsk, Gdansk Sports Centre (PL), Saulkrasti Municipality (LV)

POSBEMED2 - Governance and management of Posidonia beach-dune systems across the Mediterranean

POSBEMED2 is an Interreg MED project that aims to conserve beaches with Posidonia banquettes and associated foredunes by developing sustainable management approaches across the Mediterranean, in order to make the coastal environment more resilient to the external pressures it receives.

In particular, the Mediterranean coastal areas are one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Hence, long-term management of the coast is an important and challenging task. Posidonia banquettes and disperse seagrass wrack are often removed as part of beach cleaning activities in many localities, often for aesthetic reasons (e.g., odour, visual appearance, reduced beach use) and then disposed of in landfills or biomass waste facilities. Removing the Posidonia beach wrack poses a range of challenges for the municipalities and other stakeholders, but also implies substantial economic costs and impacts on the ecosystem.

At the same time, few guidelines and regulations address the specific role of banquettes and how to manage them in this diverse and dynamic context. On this basis, the POSBEMED2 project develops planning strategies to be incorporated into the overall coastal management strategies across the Mediterranean, that recognize the value of the Posidonia beach-dune environment, but also educates involved stakeholders and decision makers. The project further addresses key knowledge gaps, providing information that will enhance management decisions on adaptation, policy, planning and advocacy.

The main outcomes of the project are:

• Integrated and transferable methodology and toolbox for Posidonia-beach management in protected areas

• Set of policy recommendations and tools for integrated management of Posidonia littoral zone in protected areas

• Joint Charter of Commitment for Mediterranean Municipalities

• Action framework plan for Posidonia coastal zone at 7 protected areas

• Transferability of knowledge and stakeholder engagement on good practices for PA’s effectiveness

The project, which has a duration of 32 months (2019-2002), is implemented in Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The project partners are: Autonomous Region of Sardinia, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Natura Jadera, Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impact and Sustainability in the Marine Environment of the National Research Council, Region of Central Macedonia, Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, Enalia Physis Environmental Research Centre, Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte D'azur

The Foundation for Environmental Education is an Associated Partner in the project. The protection of Posidonia oceanica is an essential part of the sustainable management of coastal areas in the Mediterranean. The Blue Flag programme is glad to take part in this initiative, promote and help protect this important component of the Mediterranean coastline.