Supporting Mediterranean countries in developing the expertise needed to plan, manage and protect coastal and marine areas
At PAP/RAC, we work side-by-side with institutions and practitioners across the Mediterranean to strengthen practical knowledge and exchange experience on coastal and marine planning, management and governance.
Through targeted training activities, technical workshops and regional learning initiatives, we support professionals in applying integrated coastal and marine management approaches in their daily work.
Launched in 2004, MedOpen is PAP/RAC’s answer to the growing need for expertise in integrated coastal zone management.
Designed as an innovative virtual learning platform, it makes specialised knowledge accessible to practitioners and professionals across the Mediterranean. By bringing together regional and international expertise, MedOpen offers the opportunity to learn from Mediterranean case studies at one’s own pace and stay updated with the latest methodologies in the field.
More than a learning tool, MedOpen fosters a regional learning community, enabling meaningful exchanges between institutions and peer-to-peer learning and collaboration across borders.
PAP/RAC supports Mediterranean countries in addressing emerging coastal and marine governance challenges through targeted in-person capacity-building activities. As new policy frameworks and technical approaches develop in the region, we organise workshops and training sessions that help national institutions move from understanding these evolving concepts to applying them on the ground.
A recent focus has been on marine spatial planning (MSP), a relatively new but essential discipline for sustainable coastal and marine governance. PAP/RAC supports its uptake, particularly in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, through national workshops that bring together public authorities, technical agencies, and academia – as was the case in Türkiye (2024) and Tunisia (2025). By combining technical presentations with interactive exercises with Mediterranean case studies, these sessions give participants a practical grasp of planning tools while benefiting from direct peer exchange.
PAP/RAC also strengthens national capacities to implement the UNEP/MAP Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP). Through specialised training and hands-on workshops, we support experts and institutions in applying harmonised methodologies to measure and analyse key environmental indicators. Recent capacity-building sessions have focused on the IMAP Common Indicator 25 on land cover change, delivered across nine Mediterranean countries to facilitate its consistent application at the national level. These efforts ultimately contribute to what matters most – stronger evidence-based decision-making and more effective governance of Mediterranean coastal and marine areas.
PAP/RAC is committed to offering students opportunities to deepen their knowledge and broaden their horizons on sustainable coastal and marine management in the Mediterranean. Through initiatives like the Erasmus+ Youth4CliMed project, we support learning experiences that help build climate awareness, sustainability skills, leadership, and lasting connections among young people across the region.
This commitment to education extends into the classroom through partnerships with universities that have integrated MedOpen courses into their academic programmes, allowing students to access specialised training on topics such as ICZM, MSP, or coastal vulnerability to climate change. Our long-standing collaboration with institutions like the Syrian Virtual University, where we have delivered distance lectures for several years as part of their Master’s Programme, is a testament to this region-wide reach
These initiatives help equip students with the knowledge and perspectives needed to understand Mediterranean coastal challenges and gain the tools to contribute to shaping a more sustainable future.
