MPAs in the Mediterranean Sea as a driver for local development

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are essential for safeguarding the Mediterranean’s unique and fragile ecosystems.

Although MPAs currently cover 9.4% of the Mediterranean Sea. This is close to the former Aichi target of 10%. However, it remains far below the “30x30” goal established under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.

This study, developed by ACTeon for the Med Sea Alliance, estimates the socio-economic benefits generated by coastal MPAs at the national scale in Spain, Italy, Tunisia, and Morocco. These countries were selected to reflect geographic diversity across the Mediterranean and different levels of MPA development.

The analysis relies on the MEDTRENDS framework, which maps maritime sectors across the Mediterranean. To capture the full range of benefits generated by MPAs, the study also includes additional categories such as biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as society and local communities. These dimensions reflect non-market values including cultural benefits, environmental quality, and climate resilience. While many of these impacts cannot be monetized, they remain essential for understanding the full value of MPAs and their public acceptance.

The results show that well managed MPAs generate significant socio-economic benefits. Under full implementation scenarios, benefits increase by 25% to 36% across the countries assessed. In contrast, removing protection leads to reductions of 44% to 50%, while environmental degradation can reduce benefits by up to 75%.

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