About Reaction

The Mediterranean Region is recognised among those affected by desertification, requiring action plans at different levels that meet the particular conditions of the region established in the UNCCD Annex IV. Reforestation is widely used as effective restoration action to mitigate or reverse land degradation. However, although there is a sizeable body of experiences and technological capability, the information is under-utilised and inadequately shared due to poor and restricted dissemination, at both national and regional levels. These factors generate economic disadvantage and make difficult the effective mitigation of environmental and socio-economic problems associated to desertification.

The efficiency of restoration initiatives can be improved through the evaluation and transfer of technologies to fight desertification that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially acceptable. To approach the evaluation of restoration efforts in the northern Mediterranean from ecological, economic and socio-cultural perspectives, there is a need of incorporating recent advances on indicators and restoration methodologies, and of defining the fundamental information needed.

REACTION aims at:

1. establishing a database on land restoration to fight desertification by inventorying well-documented restoration projects in the northern Mediterranean,
2. exploiting the research results produced in projects on restoration, specially those of the EC programmes, for selecting the most appropriate methodology to evaluate the results of restoration projects,
3. providing restoration guidelines in the light of a critical analysis of old and innovative techniques, and
4. facilitating access to high quality information to forest managers, policy-makers, and other stakeholders for the promotion of sustainable mitigation actions.

These goals will be achieved through three thematic workshops promoting the exchange of information between stakeholders and experts, by inventorying, compiling, and evaluating well-documented restoration projects in the northern Mediterranean, and through a full dissemination strategy.

REACTION project involves forest managers, scientists, NGOs, and policy-makers engaged in promoting sustainable mitigation actions.