Mubadarat supports 30 Civil Society Organizations toward stronger projects aligned with the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions

As part of Mubadarat, a regional civil society support platform led by IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN Med), two national workshops dedicated to Nature-based Solutions (NbS) were held simultaneously in Tunisia and Morocco from 12 to 15 February 2025.

Organized in cooperation with the NbS programme of the French Committee of IUCN, the workshops brought together 30 civil society organizations (CSOs), including 14 in Morocco and 16 in Tunisia.

Strengthening Nature-based Solutions to improve living conditions in the Mediterranean

 

In the face of growing environmental, climate, and socio-economic challenges in the Mediterranean, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a concrete and integrated response. By building on ecosystems, they address several key issues simultaneously: biodiversity protection, climate change adaptation, and the sustainable improvement of local communities’ living conditions.

This holistic, locally grounded approach underpins the training programme implemented within the framework of the cooperation between the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN Med) and the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). Through capacity building and the sharing of methodological tools, civil society organizations are supported in designing more robust Nature-based Solutions projects, tailored to their contexts and capable of delivering long-term benefits for Mediterranean territories.

Structured technical support built around the IUCN Global Standard for NbS

The workshop aimed to support CSOs in designing and strengthening their Nature-based Solutions projects in alignment with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Standard for NbS.

Over three intensive days, participants alternated between:

  • Methodological learning sessions on the Standard

  • Group work based on the support tool developed by the French Committee of IUCN

  • Self-assessment exercises of their projects

  • Collective syntheses and plenary feedback sessions

Discussions enabled participants to analyze their projects in light of the Standard’s criteria, identify strengths and gaps, and propose concrete adjustments to enhance overall coherence, ecological impact, and socio-economic benefits.

Consolidated projects and clearer perspectives

At the end of the two workshops:

  • 30 projects were assessed against the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions

  • Specific areas for improvement were identified

  • Technical capacity-building needs were clarified

  • CSOs now have a strengthened foundation to submit comprehensive and well-structured proposals under the TransCap 4 grant programme

The final day was dedicated to consolidating the work carried out, sharing group feedback and lessons learned, and presenting the next steps in the support process.

 

These workshops also enable CSOs to better prepare for regional calls for proposals, particularly those led by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation under the TransCap and PPI OSCAN programmes. Several organizations now have solid foundations to submit Nature-based Solutions projects in upcoming calls.

IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation extends its thanks to the French Committee of IUCN, the national coordinators and assistants, and all participants for their commitment and the quality of the exchanges.

These workshops were made possible thanks to the support of Mubadarat’s financial partners: the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), the Fonds français pour l’environnement mondial (FFEM), the MAVA Foundation, the Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Audemars-Watkins Foundation, and the DG de Cooperación del Gobierno de las Islas Baleares – Govern de les Illes Balears.