Priority areas
The priority areas of Med-INA include the following:
Cultural values of wetlands:
In the framework of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, 1971) and of its MedWet Initiative, Med-INA has been working in incorporating cultural values in the management of wetlands, through a project which analysed 21 Mediterranean sites. The results led to a CD-ROM presented at Ramsar COP9 in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2005.
At present, Med-INA is working on a three-year project (2007-2010) on ‘Cultural aspects of Mediterranean wetlands’ funded by the MAVA Foundation. During this period, the work carried out in the 21 selected wetland sites was made available through the publication of a book entitled Action for Culture in Mediterranean Wetlands. Follow up work and critical analysis will also be available through the publication of another book –one of the project’s main outcomes– entitled Culture and wetlands in the Mediterranean: an evolving story. This project will be completed in December 2010 and Med-INA has already started with the preparation of another project on Mediterranean wetlands, entitled ‘Culture and wetlands in the Mediterranean: Using cultural values for wetland restoration’.
Work is also continuing in implementing Ramsar Resolutions VIII.21 and IX.19, which concern the cultural values of wetlands. In the Prespa area, Med-INA has been assisting the Society for the Protection of Prespa to establish a documentation and research centre, dedicated to the relationship of human beings and nature.
Sacred natural sites:
The Delos Initiative has been established in 2003 in order to investigate the possibilities of synergy in the conservation of the spiritual / cultural and natural heritage of protected natural areas in technologically developed countries. It has been developed in the framework of the Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas (CSVPA), within the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN/WCPA).
Med-INA has introduced the concept of this initiative, ensures its co-ordination (in collaboration with Josep-Maria Mallarach, Silene Association, Spain) and hosts its web site. The work currently focuses on an analysis of sacred natural sites in Australia, Europe, Asia and North America. Three workshops were held, in Montserrat Monastery (Catalonia, Spain) in 2006, in Ouranoupolis (Mt. Athos, Greece) in 2007 and in Inari (Lapland, Finland) in 2010. Med-INA is currently preparing the ground for the organisation of the 4th Delos Workshop in a Moslem country.
Since 1994, continuous efforts have been made to convince the Holy Community of Mt. Athos of the need for an integrated management study of the entire peninsula concerning the cultural, spiritual and natural heritage of the area. This became an official request of the World Heritage Committee in 2006. Finally, in late 2009, the Holy Community –representing all 20 Mt. Athos Monasteries– took the decision to proceed with this study. In early 2010, it established a team of scientists to prepare a preliminary report –and the terms of reference of this study– and asked Thymio Papayannis to co-ordinate all related activities. Med-INA is assisting this important planning effort.
Landscape management:
Landscapes, resulting from the dynamic interaction of natural processes and human activities, are a privileged interface between nature and culture. They are being modified radically in many places, as sustainable traditional activities that have formed them are being replaced often by exhaustive contemporary ones. Since its establishment, Med-INA has shown a great interest in landscape issues, particularly in Greece, as they provide the appropriate framework for an integrated management of the cultural and natural heritage and has worked to sensitise decision-makers and the public.
In February 2010, the Parliament of Greece ratified by large majority the European Landscape Convention. The new Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change has recognised Med-INA’s active role in this process.
At present, Med-INA is completing a three-year major project (2008-2010) on ‘Conservation and management of Greek landscapes’ funded by the MAVA Foundation. Med-INA has already started with the preparation of another project on Greek landscapes, entitled ‘Implementing the European Landscape Convention in Greece’, while strengthening the collaboration with other Mediterranean countries.
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