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This e-book is dedicated to the presentation of key articles and main outcomes of the International Conference SB04MED, "Sustainable construction: action for sustainability in the Mediterranean region". As well as being a regional precursor to the Global SB05 Conference in Tokyo, the conference provided an arena for the dissemination of the LIFE "SB-MED" Project: "Enhancing transferability of innovative techniques, tools methods and mechanisms to implement sustainable building in the Mediterranean basin

To achieve desired territorial sustainability, it is necessary to fully understand all three spheres of sustainable development from different perspectives. The territories, ecosystems, and environments involved in Mediterranean landscapes environments are not an exception. In this regard, specific fields within this main subject should be studied in more detail such as management and conservation strategies, methods for environmental planning, environmental rights and legislation, provided ecosystems services, natural-based solutions, among many other areas Management and Conservation of Mediterranean Environments is a powerful scientific contribution to the issue of territorial sustainability and dynamics, challenges, and opportunities ongoing in Mediterranean landscapes. Chapters cover research in the fields of territorial governance and management, ecosystems, economic growth, sustainability, environmental pollution, and more. This book is a valuable reference tool for academicians, researchers, technicians, decision makers, policymakers, students, and any readers interested in sustainable development and the management of Mediterranean environments

International audience ; The present document aims to provide a framework for further discussions and investigation on how sustainable development of small rural communities in SEMC can contribute to food security, which can guide future policy design to better target the needs of those communities for supporting and promoting development process. The specific objectives of this paper are to present the situation of small rural communities in the SEMC taking into consideration their geographical and social context, their farming systems, livelihoods strategies, political and institutional context, environmental, social and economic challenges, and what are the aspects that need additional research to provide a more target specific set of policies to address development and respond to the need of guaranteeing food security.

International audience ; The present document aims to provide a framework for further discussions and investigation on how sustainable development of small rural communities in SEMC can contribute to food security, which can guide future policy design to better target the needs of those communities for supporting and promoting development process. The specific objectives of this paper are to present the situation of small rural communities in the SEMC taking into consideration their geographical and social context, their farming systems, livelihoods strategies, political and institutional context, environmental, social and economic challenges, and what are the aspects that need additional research to provide a more target specific set of policies to address development and respond to the need of guaranteeing food security.

International audience ; The present document aims to provide a framework for further discussions and investigation on how sustainable development of small rural communities in SEMC can contribute to food security, which can guide future policy design to better target the needs of those communities for supporting and promoting development process. The specific objectives of this paper are to present the situation of small rural communities in the SEMC taking into consideration their geographical and social context, their farming systems, livelihoods strategies, political and institutional context, environmental, social and economic challenges, and what are the aspects that need additional research to provide a more target specific set of policies to address development and respond to the need of guaranteeing food security.

International audience ; The present document aims to provide a framework for further discussions and investigation on how sustainable development of small rural communities in SEMC can contribute to food security, which can guide future policy design to better target the needs of those communities for supporting and promoting development process. The specific objectives of this paper are to present the situation of small rural communities in the SEMC taking into consideration their geographical and social context, their farming systems, livelihoods strategies, political and institutional context, environmental, social and economic challenges, and what are the aspects that need additional research to provide a more target specific set of policies to address development and respond to the need of guaranteeing food security.

The rhetoric of sustainable development has become a prominent feature of political discourses in recent times, both in the Mediterranean Basin and elsewhere. However, there is much skepticism over actual implementation of sustainable development. Several decision-making tools have been developed to provide a yardstick of the practice of sustainable development. Sustainability indicators are increasingly recognized as an important tool in this regard. The use of indicators to measure the environmental, economic and social facets of sustainable development has fostered an intense debate on what actually constitutes sustainability, and concerning the scales of analysis that we should adopt. Moreover, the use of such indicators highlights the methodological difficulties of measuring quality of life. Quantitative approaches have traditionally been valued for their rigor and amenability to statistical analysis, but several aspects of sustainability are not easily rendered in numerical terms, and hence the development of sustainability indicators often brings together a variety of scientific techniques from both the physical and social sciences. This book brings together a collection of essays recounting experiences with sustainability indicators in a variety of conceptual and geographical contexts. Sustainability indicators can be applied in various ways for different themes, and as is evident from the readings in this book, practices vary widely. Whilst the views of the individual authors may not necessarily find agreement with all readers, this collection is intended to foster critical thinking of the ways in which sustainability indicators have been developed and applied. Such an exercise enables a judicious evaluation of the success of strategies and techniques to date, and the formulation of guidance for desired future developments. ; peer-reviewed

Sustainable Fisheries in the Mediterranean Note: This publication may be partially or completely reproduced for educational and non-profit purposes without express consent of the Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production (CP/RAC), always citing the source of the information. CP/RAC would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication where this material was used as a source. It is prohibited to use this information for commercial purposes or for sale without written consent from CP/RAC. The denominations used in this publication and the presentation of material in the same do not imply the expression of any opinion by CAR/PL relating to legal status of a country, territory or area, or its authorities or respecting its borders and limits. If there is any study point which can be improved or if there is any inaccuracy, please let us know. The CP/RAC, based in Barcelona-Spain, was established in 1996. Its mission is to promote mechanisms leading to sustainable consumption and production patterns and sound chemicals management in Mediterranean countries. The CP/RAC activities are financed by the Spanish Government once they have been submitted and approved by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and by the Bilateral Monitoring Commission made up of representatives from the Spanish and Catalan Governments. ; N/A

Both long and short term marine conservation strategies are best implemented as part of effectively integrated maritime management. These strategies and management benefit from research and monitoring of mobile and vulnerable marine species, like cetaceans. A research area of 120,000 km2 around the Maltese Islands has been and still is the subject of year-round marine research since 1997 (Vella 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, Vella & Vella 2011, Vella & Vella 2012). All cetacean species in the area have been studied and are monitored annually using aerial strip-transect survey techniques (side-by-side with marine surveys) allowing for various aspects of cetacean species spatial-temporal associations to be analysed. ; N/A

This book provides an up-to-date assessment of sustainable agri-food systems and rural development in the Mediterranean countries. It examines and reviews the impact of EU and national policies on environmental and trade issues in agricultural and rural organizations in the southern and eastern Mediterranean region. The book also reflects key socio-economic and political issues such as resource management, income distribution, employment and migration trends, and sustainability aspects. It demonstrates technical and methodological tools used for the analysis and explains their application. Th

Forest Systems is an Open Access Journal. All articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC by-nc/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ; [EN] Aim of study: There is a lack of empirical research that deals with sustainable forest management in Mediterranean regions, among the most vulnerable ecosystems. The main purpose of this work is to define the strategic criteria and objectives for sustainable forest management and aggregate the preferences of stakeholders in a Mediterranean region, using AHP and Goal Programming. Area of study: Valencian Community (Spain). Material and Methods: Firstly, we identified forest stakeholders and structured a decision hierarchy. Then a workshop was carried out to test and validate the proposed criteria and objectives, as well as a survey to determine social preferences. Secondly, another survey was conducted amongst experts to prioritize action plans. Main results: Stakeholders preferences gave the greatest importance to the environmental criteria (hydrological regulation and erosion, climate change mitigation and biodiversity) with an average weight of 40%. Social criteria (employment, recreational activities and landscape) had a weight of 38% and 22% the economic criteria case (wood, hunting and fishing, livestock, renewable energies, rural tourism and mining). The results showed that new products and services such as tourism, renewable energies, landscape, hydrological regulation and erosion control, biodiversity or climate change mitigation are very relevant objectives. We also prioritized action plans comparing them with the distribution of the administration budget. Research highlights: The environmental and social criteria are much more important than the economic ones in the regional planning of the Mediterranean forest, regardless of the method used to aggregate the social preferences and if the forest is public or private. ; The authors ...

The climate of the central Mediterranean archipelago of Malta is characterised by hot dry summers and cold humid winters. For centuries, the architecture of these geoheritage islands, erected in the local limestone, has addressed the physical characteristics arising from the topography. This industrial mineral, the source of dimension stones for the building construction industry since time immemorial, is being depleted at a rapid rate. The Islands have a significant stock of buildings which, due to growing public awareness, development planning policies and central government initiatives for heritage protection, are being restored, conserved and re-used. This paper explores contemporary sustainable residential architecture completed in recent years in existing urban contexts from environmental, technical and financial perspectives. Adopting a holistic approach to architectural design, bioclimatic and passive considerations would enhance the environmental quality of the existing built environment. Integrating them in the redevelopment through modifications and extensions to existing buildings in order to meet contemporary habitable standards rather than demolishing and developing new residential developments proved to be a viable option from all three perspectives. The resulting sustainable design solution optimizes on energy and land resources through minimising the impact/s on the natural environs which future generations will be enjoying. In addition to having healthier interiors, a prerequisite for the human wellbeing of users, such an approach is financially more remunerative. Based on case studies, this study concludes that energy site sensitive environmental design decisions integrated in existing residential properties is a secure socio-economic investment in the built heritage. The re-designed modifications and extensions are not only sustainable in terms of thermal and natural lighting but also in terms of building materials and construction techniques. ; peer-reviewed

Summarised in 'The next steps : an independent review of sustainable development in the English regions : executive summary'. ; The Sustainable Development Commission's independent review of the progress of sustainable development in the English regions. Responsibility for development and policy falls to regional development agencies, regional assemblies, government offices and the Greater London Authority. ; Publisher PDF