Make a real difference for nature and the climate

To join the UN call Arboreal has launched the Mediterranean Green Belt, the largest restoration of forests along the Mediterranean and a major green infrastructure in southern Europe.  The Mediterranean is a region where forests are severely affected by climate change.

We depend on forests for the air we breathe and the water that reaches our cities. Forests are home to 80% of the terrestrial biodiversity and vital to keeping our livelihoods. The loss of forests not only has devastating impact on nature and climate but also on human health and our societies’ resources.

Restoring forest landscapes means giving life back to the ecosystem and protecting the balance between trees, soil, vegetation, biodiversity and regional climate . In fact, restored forests absorb more CO2 and are more resilient to the impact of climate change.

Restoring Mediterranean forests is urgent

The Mediterranean is one of the regions of the world most affected by climate change. Temperatures in the Mediterranean have risen by 1.3°C, more than the global average and 20% faster.  About 75% of forest fires in Europe take place in the Mediterranean. The equivalent of 560,000 soccer fields of Mediterranean forests burn each year. Fires are more violent and destroy millions of trees and animal lives, and do not stop when they reach communities. The Mediterranean requires immediate action.

Mediterranean forests are an important biodiversity hotspot as well. One in five animal species in the Mediterranean is threatened with extinction due to forest loss. Without its forests, the Mediterranean landscapes will disappear forever.