EFI Mediterranean Network News: advancing landscape resilience from case studies to carob value chains
The May 2026 edition of the EFI Mediterranean Network News brings together a diverse set of stories reflecting the growing momentum behind collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange across Mediterranean landscapes. From science to storytelling, this issue highlights how coordinated action is strengthening resilience in forest and land management systems.
A key feature is the new EFIMED publication Actions for the resilience of Mediterranean landscapes: 10 case studies, developed with the Barcelona Provincial Council (DIBA). Drawing on examples from Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, it showcases practical approaches to addressing pressing challenges such as wildfires, drought, floods, and land degradation. EFIMED’s outreach also extends to wider audiences, including a contribution to a Catalan podcast discussing the future of Mediterranean forests.
Carob takes centre stage once again, explored through multiple lenses. From an interactive StoryMap and reflections from the Valencia Forum to a thought‑provoking blog tracing its transformation into a climate‑resilient resource, these contributions highlight the ecological, cultural, and economic relevance of this emblematic species. This is further echoed in our new Network Threads section, which explores carob’s social and cultural importance across the Mediterranean through stories from Tunisia, Lebanon, and Malta.
Regional cooperation remains a core theme, with the renewed Union for the Mediterranean Pact reinforcing coordinated action across shared priorities. At the same time, education and capacity building continue to expand, with applications open for the MEDfOR Master’s programme and new findings from ForestPaths on the impacts of forest management on biodiversity.
Other stories highlight innovation and knowledge exchange, including the launch of EU‑DRIVE on disaster resilience, discussions on forest digitalisation, and initiatives introducing forests to younger generations.
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Contact Gerard Fernández, EFI Mediterranean Network News Editor.
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