The 1st DesirMED Festival was completed with big success in Larnaka, Cyprus, on 25-26 September. The festival, with the title "The Mediterranean we desire", created a unique community space to engage citizens, policymakers and locals on climate adaptation and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the Mediterranean region. The event was co-organized by DesirMED partners (Cyprus Energy Agency-CEA, Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute-CMMI, International Union for Conservation of Nature-IUCN, Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre-PAP/RAC, Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change-CMCC and Dynamic Vision) and GreenLink project, in collaboration with the Department of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus.

The festival was organised jointly with the Mediterranean Coast Day celebration. Launched in 2007 by UNEP/MAP’s PAP/RAC, Mediterranean Coast Day has since been celebrated every year on 25 September, with the central celebration hosted by a different Mediterranean country and dedicated to a specific theme.

This year, DesirMED and UNEP/MAP joined forces in Cyprus to highlight the role of Nature-based Solutions in climate adaptation and coastal resilience, showcasing concrete examples from across the Mediterranean region. 

Two policy panels with distinguished speakers from international, Mediterranean and Cyprus institutions, the intervention of the new Coast Day Ambassador and a poster session showcasing solutions for climate resilience across the Mediterranean highlighted the importance of working with nature at various levels and the efforts and challenges of public authorities, researchers and civil societies to path the way for an effective climate change adaptation.

The day started with a warm welcome by Maria Hadjimichael from CMMI. 

Opening remarks by Elena Stylianopoulou, Deputy Director at the Department of Environment in the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Republic of Cyprus. She stressed the impacts of Climate Change in Cyprus and in particular coastal areas and the need to strengthen their resilience. She highlighted the shared long-term vision for healthy ecosystems and the need to incorporate NbS in planning while strengthening cooperation.

Elisa Furlan, CMCC and Coordinator of the DesirMED project posed the question “What is the Mediterranean We Desire?”, putting the spotlight on recent dramatic Climate Change impacts across Europe. She explained the DesirMED project vision working with policymakers while aiming to support communities to take the ownership and the leadership of NbS applications. “People lie at the centre of transformation”.

Daria Povh Škugor, UNEP/MAP and PAP/RAC Director, explained the history of the Mediterranean Coast Day and spread the message that the Mediterranean is its nature and communities. “Coast Day unites people and reinforces commitment”. The ecosystem approach addressed by the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol, ratified by 13 countries, is crucial and ready to incorporate NbS projects. She also highlighted that NbS are not a “one size fits all” solution, but that each case needs to be tailored to local needs and challenges.

The event continued with a panel discussion on “The importance of NbS and resilient coastal planning”, moderated by Ivan Sekovski from PAP/RAC. The speakers, Prof. Elyes Hamza (SPA/RAC Director), Daria Povh Škugor (PAP/RAC Director), Susanne Pedersen (IUCN Centre for Science and Knowledge Director) and Prof. Michael Scoullos (Hellenic Committee of Mand And Biosphere UNESCO Chair) shared their perspectives on the planning approaches and existing frameworks.

Key messages from this panel included:

• Nature has a crucial role in protecting our communities
• ICZM is a key instrument for countries and regions to design resilient coastal spaces
• All ecosystems from land to shore are connected
• If carefully planned, NbS can help create more fire-resilient landscapes  and address rising wildfire risk in Mediterranean countries 
• We need to shift from protecting nature to planning with nature
• Working in silos is bound to fall short – integration across sectors is essential. Water and Energy sectors must be part of the equation. 
• We need to move from individual NbS upstream to planning
• Solutions need to consider whole catchment areas, understanding that ecosystems are not static, but evolving systems. 

The event marked the designation of Charis Nika as Mediterranean Coast Ambassador 2026. In her first intervention in this role, she gave an inspiring presentation of Larnaka's landscapes, explaining how its neighbourhoods and ecosystems are threatened by over urbanisation and climate change. She presented existing initiatives such as the Coastal Urban Futures project, which combines urban design and marine science to help prepare Larnaka for the impacts of climate change. Her passion and determination to defend Cyprus's coastline were evident throughout her talk, which she closed with a question to the audience: "What kind of coastal areas do we want to live in?"

The panel discussion on “Pathways towards climate adaptation and NbS adoption”, moderated by Louisa Shakou from CEA, brought speakers involved in NbS initiatives showcasing good practices across Europe. Céline Damery from the Conservatoire du littoral (France) shared the French experience in nature-based approaches to coastal adaptation, drawing on the LIFE Adapto projects. She explained how natural buffer zones, such as salt marshes and dunes, can absorb wave energy and reduce the impact of coastal erosion. She stressed that these projects rely on a multidisciplinary approach, combining geomorphology and ecology, and on local consultation, which is essential to overcome regulatory, political and cultural barriers and ensure social acceptability. 

Effie Zikouli of Aradippou Municipality showcased some urban greening activities implemented, under the goal to +25% functional green cover in vulnerable areas by 2035. Moving from strategy to delivery, they incorporated adaptation in their energy and climate plans, planning also to include NbS criteria in every municipal tender by Year 5 of the project.

Klitos Papastylianou of Terra Cypria discussed the importance of institutional frameworks for climate adaptation and the need for more countries to sign the ICZM Protocol. He also stressed the importance of integrated management. 

A poster workshop allowed DesirMED participating regions and other experts to present case studies of working with nature, the foundations of the IUCN NbS standard and how other European regions in the REST-COAST project have learned through the NbS process.

Finally, DesirMED Climate Ambassador, Andrea Belmartino of University of Sassari in Italy received the award for winning first place in the DesirMED photo competition displayed during the Circle the MED Forum.

Following the policy event, a Giant Interactive Map, the largest ever produced for the Mediterranean, was opened to the public in Saint Lazarus Square, marking the launch of the creative tool.

The 2nd Festival Day was dedicated to people, music and creativity!

Simultaneous interactive activities took place across Europe Square in Larnaka, including the DesirMED Giant Interactive Map, workshops, stands, participatory activities, live music performances and networking opportunities.

The 17-metre-long map transformed Europe Square into a phygital Mediterranean basin. Children and adults could walk from Portugal to Cyprus, cross islands and coastlines, discover species and ecosystems, and explore some of the climate challenges already reshaping the region through visual and online features accessible via QR codes.

The DesirMED Giant Interactive Map, covering more than 160 square metres, was one of the central attractions of the festival. It is the largest interactive map of the Mediterranean produced to date. Over the course of the afternoon, around 300 people stepped onto the map, from participating institutions, engaging with families, tourists and residents passing through the city centre.

"Larnaka is delighted to welcome you and to be part of this important exchange of ideas. We hope your time here inspires new actors to preserve our environment and build a better future. As Europeans, we share a common responsibility to make our communities and our planet a better place to live.", said Iasonas Iasonidis, Vice Mayor of Larnaka.

A set of games on the map invited to recognise Mediterranean species and landscapes, understand the pressures they face and think about possible responses. In an augmented-reality quest, Mediterranean species like the monk seal, Posidonia meadows and a flamingo in action could be found through various ecosystems. The map encouraged people to explore the connections between climate, biodiversity and human wellbeing.

In parallel, DesirMED, CMMI and multiple Cypriot NGOs joined the Festival with interactive stands open to the public sharing their activities. Artistic performances by local artists with a play on “The Grandmother of Larnaka” amused children and adults, and modern dancers livened the Festival celebrations. The 2-day event closed with a concert by the band Windcraft, a 20-piece multicultural ensemble of wind players and rhythm section, with a fresh instrumental take on funk, pop and rock hits.

Over two days, “The Mediterranean we desire” moved from policy discussions to public participation, from scientific knowledge to creativity and from ideas to shared experiences. The Festival was proof that building a climate-resilient Mediterranean is not only about finding the right solutions, it is about bringing people together to imagine, shape and take joint ownership.

Stay tuned for our next Festival in Valencia!