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24
countries
17,000
km of coastline
75,000
hectares restored
47 million
trees planted
The largest restoration of forests along the Mediterranean
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has called for the restoration of 8 million hectares of forest in the Mediterranean, encompassing more than 5 billion trees, by 2030.
Plant where it matters most
Restore forests ecosystems
Offset CO2 emissions
Prevent forest fires
PROTECTING NATURE IS THE BEST WAY TO INVEST IN OUR FUTURE
The Mediterranean forest is one of the five most important forests in the world and the first non-tropical forest. The CO2 stored by Mediterranean forests represents more than 2000 years of current emissions of the entire European Union.
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.
FORESTS TO RESTORE
Priority sites for forest restoration are selected in collaboration with the environmental department of each region and according to the World Resource Institute map and the ESRI geographic information system.
Forest Restoration Areas
Mediterranean forests need your voice
Spread the Word: Share the Mediterranean Green Belt with your friends, family, and social networks.
Encourage others to join, amplifying our collective voice about the urgent need to restore irreplaceable forest landscapes, protect endangered species, and ensure these vital habitats for generations to come.
Adding your voice is simple, but the impact is profound.
The Mediterranean Green Belt is a major global project to restore and protect forests in one of the regions of the world that needs it the most. It participates, with the support of the public, in the restoration of Mediterranean forests led by the United Nations FAO.
Arboreal supports the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them. With healthy ecosystems we can fight climate change, protect biodiversity and enhance people’s livelihoods.
Arboreal participates in LIFE FOREST CO2 of the European Union, for the promotion of forestry systems and sustainable forest management to fight climate change through the removal of CO2 emissions in the land use and forestry sector.