Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is one of the main climate change hotspots in the world. Accelerated climate change effects have caused direct and already visible environmental challenges that, based on projections, are expected to worsen in the upcoming decades. These threats for the Mediterranean environment, as well as its drivers, have been well identified and understood over the last years (MAR1-MedECC). However, much remains to be done to assess the socioeconomic impacts of climate change on Mediterranean societies. The interlinkages of climate change with multiple and multidimensional relevant threats, the complex functioning of Mediterranean social-ecological systems, as well as the climate-biodiversity-society nexus, make this task particularly difficult. It notably requires a cross-cutting approach of climate-related phenomena, social, economic, and political processes. However difficult assessing the socioeconomic impacts of climate change in the Mediterranean may be, it is nonetheless crucial to connect the social and scientific agendas and inform the policymaking for the design of proactive mitigation and adaptation strategies in the region.

Against this background, the Policy Study “Socioeconomic Impacts of the Climate Change in the Mediterranean” commissioned PRIMA Foundation and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) aims at addressing the challenges in assessing the detrimental effects of climate change on Mediterranean societies by adopting multidisciplinary lenses. On the occasion of the celebration of the Mediterranean Day, this conference will present the study to the public and discuss its main findings with the different authors, in presence of policymakers and experts.