Restoration experts from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Mediterranean Model Forest Network (MMFN) visited the Ifrane (Morocco) and Montagne Fiorentine (Italy) Model Forests last year, to learn from multidisciplinary, participatory forest and landscape restoration initiatives on the ground while discussing best practices and experiences with partners from the region.  

As part of the FAO’s Mediterranean regional component of the German International Climate Initiative (IKI)-funded project “The Paris Agreement in Action: Scaling Up Forest and Landscape Restoration to Implement Nationally Determined Contributions“, the International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM) and key local partners held a series of exchange visits between Morocco and Italy.

In May of 2022, experts from the Mediterranean Model Forest Network travelled to Morocco to visit the Talassemtane and Ifrane National Parks. Later in the year, in October two delegations from Morocco and Lebanon were hosted by the MMFN in Tuscany (Italy), to further exchange best practices related to landscape level forest restoration and sustainable forest management.

See the report (in English only) and pictures of the field trip to Talassemtane and Ifrane National Parks in Morocco and the report (in English only) and pictures of the field trip to Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest in Italy for more details on the sites and initiatives visited. The best practices and experiences resulting from these exchanges have also been covered by the FAO Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism.

Talassemtane National Park, Morocco. (c) Mediterranean Model Forest Network

Participants in Vallombrosa, Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest, Italy. (c) Mediterranean Model Forest Network