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MENA Region Climate Change

The Hanns Seidel-Stiftung has carried out a three year project (2016 - 2018) in cooperation with the 'Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature' (RSCN) with the title "Climate Change and Protected Areas", which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This project held importance against the background of an increased impact of climate change on natural resources, biodiversity and human development. From environmental, political and economic perspectives, the development and implementation of adaptation and management strategies for maintaining habitats and communities which are highly endangered due to climate change is vital for the future development of any country.

Protected areas can serve as natural instruments for storing carbon from the atmosphere and for helping people and ecosystems to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Even though protected areas are not a complete solution, and they do not replace efforts to reduce the necessary emissions at source, they are an essential - though often neglected - part of strategies developed by national and local governments.