While the international community has set itself the goal of protecting 30% of land and marine areas by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the question no longer only concerns the creation of new protected areas, but also their ability to be managed effectively and sustainably. It is in this context that The MedFund environmental trust fund launched its 2026 call for expressions of interest in favor of management and co-management structures of marine protected areas (MPA) in the Mediterranean.
This new edition is aimed at organizations operating in Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Morocco, Montenegro, Tunisia and Turkey, reads the published press release. The objective is to provide them with technical support as well as financial support to sustainably strengthen the management of these spaces.
The program targets marine protected areas officially created or in the process of being created, with a validated management plan or an equivalent guidance document and a dedicated management team. Non-governmental organisations must also attach a letter of approval from the competent national authorities.
Beyond the creation of new protected areas, several international organizations emphasize that the lack of sustainable funding remains one of the main obstacles to their effective management. The needs concern in particular human resources, the monitoring of protected areas, the scientific monitoring of ecosystems, the maintenance of infrastructure or awareness-raising actions. It is precisely on these operating expenses that MedFund concentrates its intervention in order to ensure the continuity of management activities.
The grants granted can thus finance human resources, monitoring and control operations, scientific monitoring, equipment maintenance, communication and governance actions, as well as initiatives related to climate change adaptation and the integration of equality between women and men in the management of LMPs.
The call takes place in two stages. The first phase, devoted to expressions of interest, is open until July 31, 2026. Pre-selected structures will then be able to benefit, at their request, from technical support from MedFund to prepare their complete application before the closing of the second phase, set for October 2, 2026.
Created in 2015, The MedFund is an environmental trust fund dedicated to the sustainable financing of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean. It supports the managers of these spaces in order to contribute to the preservation of marine biodiversity and to the strengthening of the resilience of Mediterranean ecosystems.
source : managers
