Background The SMAP III Project on “Promoting Awareness and Enabling a Policy Framework for Environment and Development Integration in the Mediterranean with Focus on Integrated Coastal Management” is financed by the European Commission and implemented by the METAP/World Bank in partnership with the Priority Action Program of the Mediterranean Action Plan (PAP/RAC), the Blue Plan of MAP and coordinated by the Regional Coordinating Unit of the MAP (UNEP/MAP/MEDU). Co-financing for METAP activities was also provided by the World Bank and the METAP/Finnish trust fund executed and managed by the World Bank. Overall objective: The overall objective of the project component on coastal zones is to promote awareness of the value and state of the coasts, and to provide support to the project countries in strengthening and modifying the existing national-level enabling environment, including policy and legislation. The specific objectives of the project are to: - improve the advocacy and awareness in policy making at national level in SMAP beneficiary countries to engage them into the path towards the environmentally sustainable development;
- ensure that technical assistance offered by SMAP III and the results of the National Plans of Action will be considered by policy-makers to initiate momentum for a long-term sustainability policy reform;
- strengthen the institutional and legal framework, as well as stakeholders' participatory capabilities, for a successful implementation of new policy initiatives;
- ensure that strategies and policies developed by SMAP III ICZM projects would be considered by policy-makers for a sustainable use of their coastal assets and resources by facilitating the continuous policy dialogue, efficient project implementation by participating countries, and identification of priority investment needs for the protection, restoration and rehabilitation of valuable coastal zones; and
- encourage and support harmonised co-operative efforts at regional level for a common policy framework for ICZM.
The project activities and responsibility of partners are as follows: - Activity I: Preparation of a detailed Project Implementation Manual and Work Plan (PAP, METAP, Blue Plan)
- Activity II: Preparation of Policy Briefs (PAP, METAP, Blue Plan)
- Activity III: Integration of environment in key economic sectors (PAP, METAP)
- Activity IV: Dissemination of the RED (Blue Plan)
- Activity V: Development of the ICZM Awareness raising strategy (PAP, METAP)
- Activity VI: Implementation of Awareness raising strategy (Blue Plan, PAP, METAP)
- Activity VII: Regional ICZM policy workshop (PAP, METAP)
- Activity VIII: National ICZM Forum (PAP, METAP)
- Activity IX: Stimulating a regional policy dialogue (Blue Plan)
- Activity X: Promoting policy implementation (PAP, METAP)
- Activity XI: Capacity building on COED and SEA (PAP, METAP)
- Activity XII: Linking policy to investment needs (PAP, METAP)
The METAP/World Bank specific deliverables: - Policy Brief/Presentation on Coastal Solid Waste Management and Carbon Funding
- Policy Note/Presentation Climate Change and Water Adaptation
- Policy Note/Policy Dialogue on Optimization of Wastewater Coastal Investments
- Manual on Cost/Benefit, Workshop, Business Plan for replication and 2 case studies: Litani Basin and Oum Erbia Basin
- Report/Policy Brief/Policy Dialogue: Legal and Institutional Assessment and Lebanon CCZED
- Report/Policy Brief/Policy Dialogue: Syria CCZED
- Policy Note/ Policy Dialogue: Lebanon’s Cheikh Zennad Protected Area: A Shared Responsibility
- Marseilles Forum on Integrating Environment and Development
- Review of SEA (forthcoming)
Integration of Economic and Environment Environmental benefit-cost analyses were performed in a number of METAP deliverables to rank the relative net social benefits that would accrue to a region/area should effective investments are implemented. The results are meant to help policymakers make informed and efficient choices to maintain the integrity of the environment and promote conservation based on a common denominator: monetizing the environmental damage and remedial interventions. These results, which should be considered as preliminary order of magnitudes, could nevertheless help optimize the trade-offs between economic development and growth, well being, and the preservation of the commons, especially in a coastal zone context. Moreover, these results provide policymakers with a decision-support instrument for integrating environment into economic development decisions and comparing damage costs as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These instruments were used in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon to come up with results that were meant to effect policy change (see below). Strategic Fit of the Deliverables in the Barcelona Convention ICZM Process Except for the regional workshop on Benefit/Cost analysis and the use of the environmental valuation techniques that was attended by 30 participants from 8 countries, and the regional policy note on Climate Change and Water Adaptation that bring to light the serious problems that could affect the countries of the Mediterranean rim, the METAP deliverables mainly focused on three countries: Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. The ICZM process in these three countries is at various stages of implementation. - In Egypt, although a National Committee for Integrated Coastal Zone Management was established by a Ministerial decree in 1994 and includes sixteen high-level representatives of all concerned Ministries, it does not have however a clear mandate and real authority over the coastal zone. In sink with the Horizon 2020, METAP has decided to work with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development of Egypt and two water utilities CAPWO and NOPWSD to help optimize network and wastewater investments along the Mediterranean coast. METAP assessed the accrued social benefits based on network coverage and the level of treatment needed for the reduction of BOD discharged into the sea. Moreover, the solid waste management with carbon funding case in Alexandria is considered a best practice especially since solid waste is becoming one of the major environmental pressures in the region.
- In Syria, the ICZM process was guided by PAP/RAC and METAP’s input through the cost of environmental degradation in coastal zones has produced investment scenarios for six environmental categories and sub-categories that were valued to efficiently reduce environmental degradation. The Ministry of Environment (MoE) is keen to use the results to engage policy makers to increase budgetary appropriations for the environment.
- In Lebanon, the UNEP/Plan Bleu CAMP that produced a draft ICZM report in 2004. Yet, the MoE 2002 Framework Law on the Environment has provisions to accommodate International Laws and Conventions (e.g., ICZM Protocol) pertaining to the coastal zone. However, a substantive work has been performed under SMAP III TA in northern Lebanon and METAP has built up on this work by assessing the legal and institutional framework of the coastal zone in general and came up with investment scenarios for six environmental categories and their sub-categories that were valued to efficiently reduce environmental degradation. Moreover, most investments could as well be labeled as climate change adaptive and mitigative investments.
SMAP III Regional Seminar: “Achievements and Perspectives for the Future” Villa Valmer, Marseilles, France, June 29 & 30, 2009 - The event is intended as a final workshop of the SMAP program, and mainly aiming at the dissemination of the key results of SMAP and ICZM to high policy level officials in the countries of the region. It complements the previous workshop held in February 2009 in Alexandria, Egypt, which mainly targeted the operational level and the teams involved in the implementation of the projects.
- In addition to the SMAP III project specific presentations, the intention is to present and discuss the exit strategy of SMAP III and the importance of linking the SMAP results and experience with new upcoming initiatives of the EC and other donors, such as the EC new Mediterranean program and the proposed financial support mechanism, Horizon 2020, the new World Bank /GEF Sustainable MED and the Marseilles Knowledge Center.
- The venue of the meeting, Villa Valmer, will soon host the secretariat of the new Sustainable MED program, and intended to become the venue of its Program's Knowledge Center.
- The event will present the means of collaboration between the World Bank/METAP and the communication and learning component of SMAP beyond SMAP III.
- An international organizations panel will be held during the workshop involving the EC, the World Bank, EIB, and the French GEF (FFEM)
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