Source: UNEP
Subject: Environment
Context: At COP24 of the Barcelona Convention in Cairo, EU countries and Mediterranean partners adopted strengthened commitments to protect the Mediterranean Sea.
About Barcelona Convention:
- What it is?
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- The Barcelona Convention is a legally binding UNEP-led regional environmental agreement for protecting the Mediterranean Sea against pollution and promoting sustainable coastal and marine management.
- Adopted in: 16 February 1976 (Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution)
- Entered into force: 1978
- Amended & renamed: 1995 as the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Region of the Mediterranean
- Aim:
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- Prevent, reduce, combat and eliminate pollution from land-based, marine and atmospheric sources.
- Promote sustainable development through coordinated regional action.
- Support Mediterranean states in implementing protocols dealing with dumping, emergencies, land-based sources, protected areas, offshore pollution, hazardous waste, and coastal zone management.
About Mediterranean Sea:
What it is?
- A semi-enclosed, intercontinental sea between Europe, Asia, and Africa, covering ~2.5 million km² and accounting for ~0.7% of global ocean area; a biodiversity hotspot and cradle of ancient civilizations.
Neighbouring Nations:
- The Mediterranean is bordered by:
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- Europe: Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece
- Asia: Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel
- Africa: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco
- Connected to major water bodies via:
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- Atlantic Ocean through Strait of Gibraltar
- Black Sea through Dardanelles–Marmara–Bosporus system
- Red Sea through Suez Canal
Geological Features:
- Formed by tectonic convergence of the African and Eurasian plates.
- Divided by the Sicily submarine ridge into western and eastern basins.
- Contains major basins: Alborán, Algerian, Tyrrhenian (west); Ionian, Levantine (east).
- Deepest point: Calypso Deep (5,267 m) in the Ionian Sea.
- Hosts major islands including Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, Lesbos, and Mallorca.
