Forest research and resilience in the spotlight at the EFI Mediterranean Network Forum 2026

The 2026 Mediterranean Network Forum, organized by the European Forest Institute (EFI), in collaboration with AECID through the programme "MASAR: Democratic Governance in the Arab World", the Forest Research and Experimentation Centre (CIEF), the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), and in collaboration with FIAP, has come to a close after fostering dialogue for five days among specialists from across the region on the conservation of Mediterranean forests.

Through knowledge exchange and international cooperation, this event has sought to address shared global challenges such as climate change, sustainable forest management, biodiversity loss and landscape resilience.

The opening has been attended by Eva Ortega, Secretary General for Research at the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, as well as representatives from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the Generalitat Valenciana, the Generalitat de Cataluña, and the host institutions. During the session, the important bridge that events like this create between research, academia, environmental policy and sustainable territorial development has been highlighted.

The forum has reviewed the progress of the Mediterranean Forest Research Agenda 2030, strengthened collaboration within the forest community, fostered dialogue between science, policy and practice, and engaged youth in shaping the future of Mediterranean forests. In addition, the Mediterranean Forest Genetic Resources Network (MEDFORGEN) has been launched during the event, a collaborative effort to safeguard the genetic diversity of forest ecosystems and forest genetic resources (FGR) in the Mediterranean region, led by EFI Mediterranean (EFIMED).

"In periods of rapid climate change, there are always winners and losers. The Mediterranean is a climate hotspot that is warming nearly 20% faster than the global average, with real consequences for people's lives and the region's economies. Mediterranean forests can change this equation. By conserving and restoring them, strengthening their adaptive capacity, and rethinking our economic models through climate-adapted materials and innovative approaches, we can turn risk into opportunity. Achieving this at scale requires mobilizing science as a bridge for cooperation and diplomacy in the region. Scientific knowledge, technology and innovation are our tools. The priority now is to make them accessible, applicable and impactful. Where gaps exist, we must address them together, and this is the purpose of the Forum," said Professor Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat, Head of EFIMED and one of the Forum's organizers.

For her part, Luisa María García García, Deputy Director for Cooperation with the Arab World and Asia at AECID, emphasized that "The Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity 2024-2027 structures Spain's development cooperation around a triple transition-social, ecological and economic-as an integrating framework. The central themes of this Forum (forests, biodiversity, agri-food value chains, watershed management, climate resilience) lie at the heart of this triple transition."