Mediterranean Forests and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations are relevant for Mediterranean pine and mixed forests, especially those related to the restoration of degraded forest ecosystems and to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Because Mediterranean forests are an important source of natural capital, they can significantly contribute to the achievement of forest-related global goals, provided that their specific features are considered. One such specificity is that the value of Mediterranean forests lies more in their non-wood forest products and services than in their wood products. Forest-based solutions to address SDGs would thus need to rely on those products and services and acknowledge their true value, especially with regard to ecosystem services that are often treated as externalities. Another specificity of Mediterranean forests is their connection to other sectors and to local communities, thus making landscape and participatory approaches, such as forest and landscape restoration, particularly relevant for the region. Enabling conditions for Mediterranean forests to contribute to the achievement of SDGs includes the alignment of regional and national policies and strategies on global goals. It also requires forest monitoring systems to be established.