A paradise lost, split in the incidence of risks between north and south. This is what emerges from the latest report of the MedECC (the network that brings together Mediterranean experts on climate and environmental changes), "Risks associated with climate and environmental changes in the Mediterranean region". In our Mare Nostrum, the average temperature, compared to the pre-industrial era, has increased by 1.5 C. This is a figure which, if not contrasted by mitigation measures, could lead some regions to record increases up to 2.2 C in 2040, and 3.8 in 2100, with catastrophic consequences for a Mediterranean population, grown exponentially in the meantime.
Droughts and extreme events such as floods will be the visible consequences of a dramatic change in the rhythm and intensity of rainfall. The increase in temperatures also affects the vast masses of salt water. From 1945 to 2000 the Mediterranean grew steadily, with an escalation from 1970 that brings the annual increase to 1.1 mm. Projections made at the end of the century vary between 52 and 190 cm. A meter would be enough to condemn large sections of the inhabited coasts to be submerged. Seas and oceans host 30% of the carbon dioxide produced by human activities. The resulting acidification process already leads today to devastating impacts on marine biology. The 1.1 drop in pH value, which occurred during the industrial age, is a phenomenon never seen in the past 65 million years.
Seas, coasts and wetlands, countryside, forests, mountains and all the fauna that dwells them are destined to face an acceleration of the ongoing ecosystem disruption. Man, the only cause of generalized deterioration, is the first to face the consequences.
One of the most perceived phenomena by the Mediterranean populations will be the drastic reduction in the availability of fresh water. Glaciers, rivers, lakes and aquifers run the risk of being severely dried out. The number of people suffering from water shortages could go from 180 to 250 million in just twenty years. A multitude of small local stories already certify the difficulties that the agricultural sector, which consumes water resources with percentages ranging between 50 and 90% of the total, is going to suffer. Water, increasingly difficult to control in rational distribution systems, is also subject to numerous forms of pollution.
Little is the distance dividing environmental from social fever. Few remember how the Syrian war, still underway, was "prepared" in 2010 by a drought that wiped out agricultural production, bringing to its knees large layers of a population dangerously close to the red line of subsistence. The systematic nature of the phenomenon is so worrying that it pushed the United Nations to dedicate the annual report on water to the link that water maintains with climate change. In 2050, the study announces, as many as 5 billion people could have to face water poverty. Thirty years are left to ward off water-driven armed conflicts.
Another crucial element is that related to human health: "It is highly certain - the report underlines - that warming, as well as increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as floods, will contribute to the future transmission potential of vector- and water-borne diseases in the region". Tropical fever cases were recorded between 2010 and 2017 in Italy, France and Croatia. Floods, the MedECC report continues, can lead to enteric infections, allergies and asthma, an increase in mental illness and potential chemical intoxication. The disappearance of wetlands, the wild construction on the coasts and rivers could favor the natural transmission cycle of infections.
The highest duty will be paid by North Africa and the Middle East, which witnessed a population growth of 115 to 444 million from 1960 to 2017. The powerful increase in the demographic data is proportional to the degree of systemic fragility recorded in a context with strong environmental and cultural similarities. The environmental fracture dividing North and South
Mediterranean has been highlighted by a study conducted by coastal risk regional analysis carried out by the MEDSEA Foundation and subsequently absorbed by the MedECC report. The map summarizing the work of the Medsea researchers Alessio Satta and engineer Manuela Puddu, focused on the risks affecting coastal regions, shows, stretched out uniformly, the sequence of spots where danger is most important and imminent. The small red spheres chosen as indicator follow one another from the Moroccan to the Turkish coasts, in the immense social context that even political science has assimilated in the acronym MENA, Middle East and North Africa. The accurate MedECC study is aimed at the institutional actors. It is necessary, MedECC stresses, that they devote more attention and resources to the environmental decline of the Mediterranean, especially in the regions that more than others have shown historical fragilities. For them a future marked by unmitigated climate change could prove to be an environmental and social disaster.
Latest news
Revitalizing the Mediterranean: ARTEMIS Project Unites Environment and Innovation
March marked the launch of "Artemis", a project of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme that seeks to combine the ecological benefits of seagrass with innovative financial strategies, such as Payment for Ecosystem…
Petit Noirs: From Senegal to Arborea to Combat Illegal Immigration with Mussel Farming
Sustainable mussel farming in Arborea becomes an international example with a project linking Dakar, Senegal, with Sardinia, aiming to combat illegal immigration and generate economic opportunities.
The Charm of Wetlands in Sardinia: Over a Thousand Visitors in the World Wetlands Day Event Calendar in Sardinia"
With over 30 events, from January 27 to March 10, 2024, the MEDSEA World Wetlands Day in Sardinia comes to a close. The initiative, which falls in the month when wetlands are…
First Meeting of the DesirMED Project in Venice: A Step Forward in Climate Adaptation in the Mediterranean
Last month, the historic city of Venice hosted the first meeting of DesirMED, a project funded by the HORIZON Europe program aimed at addressing one of the most pressing challenges of…
Sails Towards the Future: The UniCa Sailing Team and the Challenge of Eco-Sustainable Boats in Sardinia
In Sardinia, circular and low-impact solutions for water sports and sailing are being studied. The University of Cagliari, together with the UniCa Sailing Team, is working on the construction of an…
The first General Assembly kicked off in Lecce: for a more resilient MPAs network
The first General Assembly of the "Blue 4 All" project took place in Lecce from January 23 to 26, 2024. The event, hosted by the CMCC Climate - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate…
It's Time to Celebrate Wetlands: join World Wetlands Day Sardegna 2024
In Sardinia, February is the month of wetlands! We celebrate World Wetlands Day on the occasion of February 2nd, which marks the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of the RAMSAR Convention for…
TransformAR Reaches Halfway: The Progress in the San Giovanni Lagoon
TransformAR, at the pilot site of Marceddì-San Giovanni (Terralba) in Sardinia, one of the six demonstration sites of the project, is gaining momentum. The project, which develops transformative adaptation solutions to climate change…
MEDSEA reforestation phase in Sennariolo for the "Hope for Sennariolo" campaign has officially begun
As announced last summer, the MEDSEA reforestation phase in Sennariolo, Sardinia, for the "Hope for Sennariolo" campaign has officially begun. The small village of Montiferru in Sardinia, in July 2021, following a major fire…
We're gearing up for the month of ponds in Sardinia with #WWDSardegna: registrations open until January 21th!
At MEDSEA, we're gearing up as we do every year for the month dedicated to ponds and lagoons: February. World Wetlands Day, or the Global Day of Wetlands, is celebrated annually…
Proactive Fire Prevention: A Year-Round Priority in Sardinia Highlighted at the Forestas Workshop
The wildfire alarm season in Sardinia has passed, but the time for prevention is year round. At the beginning of December, the MEDSEA Foundation participated in the workshop "Combating Fires and…
TransformAr reaches halfway point: partnership meeting in Egaleo, updates on the demo site in Sardinia
Fifth Partnership Meeting in Egaleo (Greece) at the beginning of November for TransformAR. Aiming to develop and demonstrate transformative adaptation solutions to climate change, rapidly and effectively across the EU, the project has reached the halfway point of its cycle, entering a crucial phase of implementation and evaluation.
Revitalizing Montiferru: Art Meets Environment with Trasformazioni Possibili
The environmental and landscape requalification campaign in Sennariolo, Montiferru, continues to receive significant momentum from the world of Fine Arts. Architects, artists, and professors, Sabrina Morreale and Lorenzo Perri (Lemonot), along with Roberto…
The agricultural producers of Oristanese Copagri support the socio-economic recovery of Montiferru
Copagri, the Confederation representing 800 agricultural producers from the Sardinian Western Coast (Oristanese) decided to support the "Hope for Sennariolo" campaign for an environmental and socio-economic rebirth of Montiferru that…
What you need to know about Posidonia oceanica: Q&A with MEDSEA
This summer, there was a lot of talk about Posidonia oceanica in Sardinia and how it could be endangered by human activities such as illegal fishing and boating. For some…
REST-COAST and the Evaluation of Governance of Pilot Sites: A Comparison with the Maristanis Case Study
The Horizon 2020 program, named REST-COAST, is dedicated to the large-scale restoration of coastal ecosystems through the connectivity of rivers to the sea. With over 40 international partners, including MEDSEA, the project…
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4