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Priority Actions Programme / Regional Activity Centre Address: Reference person: Ivica
Trumbic Organisation description The Priority Actions Programme (PAP), implemented by the Regional Activity Centre (RAC) in Split, Croatia, is a part of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). PAP acts as one of the MAP Centres since 1978. It is a national institution with the budget and mandate to carry out a certain number of MAP activities in coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea. PAP/RAC is a non-profit, action-oriented organization aimed at carrying out practical activities, which are expected to contribute to the protection and enhancement of the Mediterranean environment, and to the strengthening of national and local capacities for integrated coastal zone management. PAP cooperates with a large number of organizations in the UN system (UNEP, FAO, UNESCO, IOC, WHO, UNDP), financial institutions (WB, EIB), and other international organizations and consultancy companies. PAP is also successful in attracting funds from other sources outside UNEP/MAP - over the past 10 years PAP/RAC has implemented some 50-odd international projects with co-funding from EU, UN agencies, international development banks and other international and national institutions. The principal activity of PAP is Integrated Coastal and Marine Areas Management (ICAM) within which a clear methodological approach has been defined, and a large number of plans, projects and studies prepared. The interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature of ICAM, as defined by PAP, was strengthened by the complementary elements of PAP expertise, composed of several priority actions implemented in the entire Mediterranean. Some of these priority actions include: Integrated Planning and Management of Mediterranean Coastal Zones, Urban Regeneration in the Mediterranean Region, National Legislation for ICAM in the Mediterranean, Fight Against Coastal Erosion in the Mediterranean, Water Resources Management in Mediterranean, Soil Protection in the Mediterranean, Development of Mediterranean Tourism Harmonized with the Environment, Application of a Practical procedures of EIA and SEA. PAP's work is characterized by an integrated approach to the solution of complex problems of the coastal zones, and is carried out by multidisciplinary teams of experts which cooperate with the local institutions and experts, and contribute to the strengthening of the institutional capacities of the countries in which PAP operates. A valuable methodological tool prepared to this end is the "Guidelines for Integrated Management of Coastal and Marine Areas" prepared for UNEP. The geographical scope of this methodological tool was later broadened to include watersheds and their adjacent coastal areas, bringing to development of an Integrated Coastal Area and River Basin Management (ICARM) approach. "White Paper on Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean" stimulated a lively debate around issues and policy options aiming at the promotion of ICAM in the Mediterranean and proposed a strategic vision for the Mediterranean. Other tools used to facilitate the preparation of ICAM programmes, plans and projects are Geographic Information System (GIS), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), strategic environmental assessment (SEA), Carrying Capacity Assessment (CCA) for tourism, economic instruments, etc. These tools are adapted to the conditions prevailing in the majority of Mediterranean countries. The PAP's integrated approach has been successfully tested in Coastal Area Management Programmes (CAMPs), a specific and advanced form of cooperation of all MAP components with national and local authorities and institutions in selected coastal areas. The principal advantage of PAP is its experience in carrying out ICAM projects. Small, but competent and highly efficient staff in Split proved capable of simultaneously creating, organizing and implementing a large number of various activities (projects, missions, meetings, seminars, workshops, training courses), as witnessed by high acclaim from Mediterranean countries. Also, in the implementation of large projects and complex tasks, PAP makes working connections with other institutions with commendable ease, even outside the MAP framework. Major PAP/RAC publications, other than those already
mentioned, include a number of guidelines for the Mediterranean area (for
EIA; for mapping and measurement of rainfall-induced erosion processes;
for erosion and desertification control management; for zoning of coastal
areas with reference to aquaculture; for the rehabilitation of historic
settlements; for CCA for tourism; for integrated management, development
and use of water resources). Other major PAP publications include Good
Practice Guide for ICAM, Good Practice Guide for Tourism CCA, Assessment
of ICAM Initiatives in the Mediterranean: Experiences from METAP and MAP,
Operational Manual on Formulation and Implementation of CAMP Projects. Facilities and infrastructures
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