Emblematic Mediterranean Mountains Network
The specific transnational cooperation project is a continuation of the cooperation project entitled “NETWORK OF EMBLEMATIC MEDITERRANEAN MOUNTAINS” which was successfully implemented in the framework of the Leader local program of Pieria in 2007-2013. Then, through the Interreg MED program and the EMbleMatiC project, the corporate consortium was expanded and the involved territories were offered the opportunity to design and promote alternative tourism products (eco-journeys), based on common values and sustainable development criteria.
In addition to the above mentioned, the partnership gave rise to other common challenges such as the need to protect the environment, the regional development and the economic/social cohesion and the need to support the new generation. In fact, these sectors require the implementation of special policies, vital for the future of mountainous regions, as:
– These mountainous regions with a predominantly rural character face strong environmental problems, but also issues of marginalization/desertification. How will we manage to maintain the quality of life of the local population while promoting a sustainable development based on a new type of activities?
– These mountainous areas are located in the interior of the Mediterranean basin and face problems from climate change, the reduction of the young population and the exceeding of the carrying capacity of their nearby coasts. How will we reverse the effects of climate change by adapting development policies and benefiting at the same time from the attractiveness of nearby coastal areas?
If these challenges are successfully addressed, the Mediterranean regions can play an important role as a “laboratory” of innovative actions in different socio-economic sectors.
Patners
