Silva Mediterranea updates at the European Forestry Commission

At the 43rd Session of the European Forestry Commission held on 22–25 October 2025 in Istanbul, Türkiye, FAO’s Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions – Silva Mediterranea was asked to provide an update on its main activities since the previouscommission, which was held in 2023.  

The update officially included on the commission’s agenda provided a summary of the latest and eighth edition of the Mediterranean Forest Week (MFW), which took place in Barcelona, Spain, in November 2024.  

The week was organized around 6 plenary sessions and 14 side events and attended in person by almost 300 people. It also provided an opportunity to hold the 25th Session of Silva Mediterranea, at which it was agreed that the next host country for the ninth MFW – to take place in 2027 – would be Italy. Also, during the Silva Mediterranea session, a road map for the conservation and restoration of Mediterranean forests was presented and welcomed by partners and actors. This road map will be implemented as a long-term regional multistakeholder effort. It proposes to establish the Mediterranean Forest Initiative (MFI): an ambitious endeavour to promote innovative approaches for the large-scale conservation and restoration of Mediterranean forest landscapes. 

One of the MFW plenary sessions focused on fire prevention and post-fire restoration as part of the "Restoring Mediterranean Forests" world flagship. Following this exchange, one event was organized jointly with the Near East Network on Wildlands Forest Fire (NENFIRE) in February 2025, with the aim of sharing knowledge on fire management and post-fire restoration, and a technical workshop on integrated fire management was held in May 2025. 

In 2024, a special edition of the journal Unasylva was published focusing on the Mediterranean. With the title Restoring the Mediterranean region: status and challenges, the volume includes 13 articles in three different sections on (i) past and current dynamics; (ii) key topics for restoration; and (iii) the future of restoration. The issue is available in English, French and Spanish. More recently, in October 2025, The status of Mediterranean forests 2025 report was launched. This was prepared by almost 80 authors from 44 differentinstitutions and 18 countries. It contains updated information on forest trends, forest degradation, wildfires, the restoration potential, urban and peri-urban forests, monitoring and assessment, and the shared regional agenda (more information in the dedicated article).  

The event also provided an opportunity to present the activities carried out by the Mediterranean Youth Task Force (MYTF). The taskforce members contributed to and participated in several relevant events such as FAO’s Committee on Forestry, the MFW, Silva Mediterranea sessions, and the European Forest Week (more information in the dedicated article). MYTF published its 2024 report based on its theory of change.  

Member countries such as Spain and Türkiye positively recognized the work done by Silva Mediterranea in the region in terms of country collaborations and exchanges initiated or deepened, workshops organized, and knowledge products developed, and acknowledged the importance of the MYTF.  

The Commission recommended that FAO should facilitate access to finance and promote coordinated resource mobilization; continue producing informative and relevant technical publications about Mediterranean forest restoration to keep promoting best practicesand informing policymakers and practitioners; and continue facilitating the MYTF for the revision and implementation of the road map for the conservation and restoration of Mediterranean forests. 

Carolina Gallo Granizo (FAO)