Climagine

Context and Origins

In the 2000s, Plan Bleu developed the Imagine approach in collaboration with the Bayswater Institute (United Kingdom) to promote sustainable management practices in Mediterranean coastal zones. As part of the project “Integration of Climate Variability and Change into National Strategies for the Implementation of the ICZM Protocol in the Mediterranean,” the Imagine approach was adapted into “Climagine” in 2012. This adaptation specifically addresses the challenges of climate variability and change in coastal areas.

Early Applications within the MedPartnership

Under the GEF MedPartnership, implemented by UNEP/MAP, Climagine was first piloted at two sites:

• Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia: Utilizing the DIVA model (developed by the Potsdam Institute, Germany), coordinated by PAP/RAC, Croatia.
• Kerkennah Archipelago, Tunisia: Using the RiVAMP model developed by UNEP-GRID, Geneva.

Deployment within the MedProgramme

Building on these experiences, Plan Bleu has mobilized Climagine under Child Project 2.1 of the MedProgramme (2020–2026), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by UNEP/MAP, to support the development of integrated coastal strategies and plans in several Mediterranean countries:

• Morocco: Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, where Climagine contributed to the development of a Coastal Plan coordinated by PAP/RAC.
• Montenegro: Bay of Kotor, with a similar process for the coastal plan.
• Lebanon: Planned application for the new National ICZM Strategy and the Integrated Management Plan for the Damour area

Methodology and Workshops

The Climagine approach is based on a series of structured participatory workshops, typically organized in four stages:

• Identifying sustainability dimensions, key challenges, and priority sectors.
• Defining sustainability indicators.
• Developing a “band of equilibrium” (safe operating space) for each indicator.
• Formulating strategic recommendations for coastal plans.

Each pilot site (Morocco and Montenegro) held four workshops, with reports and outcomes published by Plan Bleu.

For Lebanon, three participatory workshops are planned for the national ICZM strategy and three local workshops for the Damour Integrated Management Plan, with corresponding reports and sustainability indicators to support monitoring.

Integration of Gender Issues and Nature-Based Solutions

Thanks to the MedProgramme SCCF (Special Climate Change Fund) Project, Climagine has incorporated new focus areas:

• Gender-sensitive climate risk assessments: Two assessments were conducted in 2022 (Morocco and Montenegro), updated in 2025, with maps published on Plan Bleu’s Observatory using the Gender Development Index and Gender Inequality Index.
• Regional trainings on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA): Workshops held in Kotor (October 2024) and Tangier (November 2024), featuring participatory modules based on the IUCN Global Standard for NbS.

Additionally, specific studies evaluated Morocco’s and Montenegro’s capacities to mobilize finance for coastal adaptation, leading to regional webinars and roundtables, with findings summarized in dedicated reports.