Shared Seas, Shared Vision: Libya and Tunisia Exchange Lessons on Marine Protection
At the International Centre for Environmental Technologies (CITET), Libya’s Ministry of Environment met with counterparts from Tunisia and the Agence de Protection et d’Aménagement du Littoral (APAL) to exchange experiences on marine and coastal protection. The meeting, held with the support of UNEP/MAP and its partners, reflected the growing regional cooperation fostered under the MedProgramme.
The discussions highlighted Tunisia’s long-standing efforts to conserve biodiversity through national frameworks and the establishment of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas. APAL presented how participatory planning and local engagement have helped ensure the sustainability of twelve protected coastal and marine sites.
For Libya, these exchanges come at a time of growing momentum for marine conservation. Through the MedProgramme, the country is strengthening its Marine and Coastal Protected Areas network, advancing biodiversity monitoring, and building technical capacity for sustainable coastal management.
Beyond technical dialogue, the meeting served as a reminder that the challenges facing Mediterranean ecosystems are shared — and so are the solutions. By exchanging knowledge and aligning approaches, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the Mediterranean’s natural heritage for future generations.
The Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme): Enhancing Environmental Security is a six-year (2020 – 2026) Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded, multi-focal and cross-sectoral initiative implemented in Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia, and Türkiye. Led by the UNEP/Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), with UNEP and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as GEF Implementing Agencies, the MedProgramme brings together UNESCO/IHP, EIB, IUCN-Med, GWP-Med, WWF-Med, GRID-Geneva, Plan Bleu, PAP/RAC, MedWaves (SCP/RAC), SPA/RAC and INFO/RAC to strengthen climate resilience, water security and coastal livelihoods while promoting gender equality and sound environmental management.
