About the Network

© Clinton Smith

Working Together to Save the Mediterranean Biome

Mediterranean habitats are found in only 5 places in the world - Australia, California and Baja California, Chile, South Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin - some of the most desirable places on the planet.

Even though these habitats cover 2% of the Earth's land surface, they harbor 20% of its plant species.

The proportion of natural land lost in the mediterranean biome is greater than even for tropical rainforests.

We are losing the mediterranean biome. We are losing the mediterranean way of life.

The Global Mediterranean Action Network is a critical response to the crisis facing the mediterranean biome. It is a community of conservation practitioners across the globe committed to sharing their time and knowledge to accelerate the pace, scale and effectiveness of mediterranean conservation, within regions and across the globe. Network members from all five mediterranean regions are accively engaged in:

• Exchanging scientific knowledge and sharing innovative solutions that work in saving mediterranean landscapes for people and nature.
• Transferring skills and capacity from one region to another to increase the protection, slow the conversion, and elevate the value people place on health mediterranean landscapes
• Elevating awareness among key policy makers and influential people, about the mediterranean crisis and the need to reverse it

The unique vegetation, soils, topography, climate, and geography of the mediterranean biome have yielded a vast diversity of life, including tens of thousands of plant and animal species that are found nowhere else on earth.

The mediterranean biome contains some of the most fertile, beautiful land on the planet. It is a major producer of agricultural crops such as citrus fruits, olives, grapes, wheat, and rice and the primary commercial wine source for the world.

Over the centuries, the mediterranean biome has given rise to many of Earth's greatest civilizations – including the ancient Persians, Romans, Egyptians and Greeks. Today, the biome continues to host the world's most important centers of commerce and culture: cities like Rome, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Tunis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Perth, Santiago, and Cape Town. Its richness in biodiversity and culture is a global treasure.

Why Is It Threatened?

With its abundant sunshine, rich soils, and superb quality of life, mediterranean regions have become the most desirable places worldwide to settle, develop and live–causing a degree and pace of destruction not seen in any other biome on earth.

The world’s mediterranean habitats have suffered land conversion at twice the rate of the global average, primarily from agricultural and urban expansion, mining, and unsustainable tourism. This has led to the decimation of highly biodiverse coastal, freshwater and terrestrial systems of profound importance to humanity. Less than 5 percent of remaining natural lands are protected.

Become Part of the Solution.

Now we must share our knowledge, skills, and efforts to save the mediterranean biome worldwide. The future of the plants, animals, and people of these treasured places is in our collective hands.

Exchange knowledge, form connections, build alliances. Support fellow practitioners while accelerating your own conservation efforts. Become a part of the Global Mediterranean Action Network.

Download the Global Mediterranean Action Network Fact Sheet PDF

Currently the Global Mediterranean Action Network is administered through a team at The Nature Conservancy of California.