DesirMED partners actively contributed to the 9th edition of the Circle the MED Forum held between 19-21 May in Piraeus, Greece.
Circle the Med – The Mediterranean Forum is a flagship annual event and community platform dedicated to accelerating the green transition, climate neutrality, and environmental resilience across the Mediterranean region.
The 9th edition of the Forum brought together over 200 policymakers, innovators, researchers, public authorities, civil society and private sector actors from across the Mediterranean to advance a New Pact for a Sustainable Mediterranean Future, rooted in innovation, circular economy, resilience and cooperative governance. In this Edition the Forum also hosted the MED Innovation Summit and 5th Community of Practice gathering, co-organized by the Interreg Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission.
During the Forum’s opening day, Professor Georgios Sylaios from the Democritus University of Thrace participated in the panel “Living Heritage and Sustainable Tourism: Resilient Societies and the Human Pillar of Mediterranean Sustainability”. The discussion focused on regenerative tourism models, cultural preservation, community-led development, and social cohesion as key pillars of sustainable growth in the Mediterranean.
In his intervention, Professor Sylaios highlighted the strong links between climate adaptation and tourism, presenting nature-based solutions that can help reduce climate-related pressures in touristic areas. He showcased examples implemented through DesirMED, including coastal dune restoration to prevent coastal erosion and constructed wetlands as sustainable alternatives for urban wastewater treatment. He also underlined the importance of science-based governance as a fundamental indicator of how societies value and protect ecosystems. As he stressed during the discussion: “Adaptation is the new reality… We need to move to softer adaptation practices.” You can watch the whole session here.
On the second day of the Forum, Elisa Furlan from CMCC, Lead partner of DesirMED, participated in the Interreg Euro-MED Innovation Summit, in the panel “Beyond Mitigation and Adaptation for a Climate-Smart Resilient Mediterranean”. The session explored how evidence-based decision-making, foresight tools, and cross-sectoral approaches can support resilient governance and coordinated climate action across Mediterranean territories.
Elisa Furlan stressed that climate risks in the Mediterranean are systemic, while governance remains fragmented, making stronger multi-level and multi-actor cooperation essential. She highlighted how DesirMED addresses this challenge through the “Quadruple Helix” model, bringing together public authorities, private sector, research, and civil society in the co-development of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Elisa also noted that many climate adaptation tools are too academic, poorly adapted to local realities, and create administrative overload, underlining the need for continuous knowledge exchange and collaboration across Mediterranean regions to support effective transformation.
Alongside the main conference activities, DesirMED organised a photo exhibition on climate adaptation, showcasing visual stories of resilience from across the Mediterranean. Through the lens of citizens, the exhibition highlighted how collective and individual actions are shaping climate-resilient landscapes and communities.
The winner of the DesirMED photo competition, Andrea Belmartino, a young Italian researcher, was also announced for the photograph “Natural Revenge.” Andrea will join DesirMED partners at the upcoming 1st DesirMED Adaptation Festival, taking place on 25–26 September 2026 in Larnaca, Cyprus (more details will follow).
