On Saturday, May 9th, during the 8th International Argan Congress held in Essaouira under the theme:
“From Argan Forest to Arganiculture: The Argan Tree as a Pillar of Water Resilience for Ecosystems, Territories, and Communities,”
Roser participated in the round table dedicated to the governance of Biosphere Reserves.
During her intervention, Roser emphasized the importance of institutional governance at the network level and highlighted the need to strengthen collaboration between different actors and Mediterranean countries that share a common Mediterranean identity and vision. She stressed that collective action is essential not only to address climate change, but also broader global changes affecting ecosystems and societies across the Mediterranean region.
She presented the creation of the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserve Network (MedMaB) in 2021 as a key initiative to reinforce scientific diplomacy and strengthen cooperation among Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves. She also highlighted the proposal to establish thematic networks to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, concerns, and experiences among Biosphere Reserves from the four Mediterranean shores. According to her, this network represents an excellent platform for improving Mediterranean governance and sharing good practices, while recognizing the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve as one of the most dynamic reserves in the region.
Another important point of her intervention focused on the need to involve universities and research centers in these knowledge exchanges, creating stronger links between academic and technical expertise and Biosphere Reserves. She explained that in 2018 they coordinated an Erasmus project dedicated specifically to Biosphere Reserves, aiming to promote academic exchange and territorial knowledge sharing. The project involved several universities, including Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Saint Joseph University in Lebanon, and the American University of Beirut. The initiative also aimed to establish an inter-university Master’s program dedicated to Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves.
Roser further underlined the importance of integrating Master’s theses, doctoral research, and applied academic work into Biosphere Reserves in order to prepare students to become future experts working within these “living laboratories” on socio-environmental governance issues. In this context, and in collaboration with UNESCO, the Spanish Ministry, and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, they created the International Campus of Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves.
She also stressed the importance of jointly designing competitive international projects funded by the European Commission to support sustainable development in Biosphere Reserves. According to her, aligning research and implementation priorities between the European Commission and UNESCO is essential. As an example, she presented the RES-MAB project funded by PRIMA, dedicated specifically to Biosphere Reserves and involving ANDZOA as a key partner alongside several Mediterranean partners and territories such as CTFC, Alto Bernesga Biosphere Reserve, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), OIKOS, Po Delta Regional Park, Mont Ventoux Biosphere Reserve, Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve, and the Škocjan Caves Biosphere Reserve. The project aims to promote resilient landscapes in the face of climate change through the WEFE Nexus approach.
Finally, Roser insisted on the importance of networking and collaboration to ensure that research results become truly useful for local communities and vulnerable populations, transforming scientific knowledge into concrete and sustainable actions on the ground.