The 2019 edition of the Coast Day celebration will be held in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, on 25 September 2019.

The Priority Actions Programme/Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC) organizes the event in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus.

Coast Day, which is celebrated annually since 2007, is aimed at raising awareness of the importance and vulnerability of the coastal zones in the Mediterranean.

Participants in the Coast Day event in Cyprus include representatives of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, diplomats and representatives of international organizations in Cyprus as well as local authorities and non-governmental organizations.

The Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Strategy for Cyprus (2018-2030) will take centre stage this year.

“Let’s be strategic”, the theme selected for this year’s edition, reflects the need to apply a strategic ICZM approach to the management of coastal zones.

Celebrations across the Mediterranean

In addition to the main event hosted by Cyprus, several celebrations will take place in other Mediterranean countries.

In Montenegro, the Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management has planned beach cleaning activities in the Long beach of Ulcinj with the participation of school children, who will also visit the recently inaugurated natural park of Ulcinj Salina.

Slovenia will be hosting a Coast Week. This year, it will comprise various sea and beach cleaning activities and several thematic workshops, including a session on green infrastructure.

Coast Day celebrations are also being organized by PAP/RAC as part of the MAVA project in three Mediterranean locations: Oristano (Sardinia, Italy); Ghar el Melh (Tunisia) and Velipoja (Albania).

In Sardinia, partners are planning a five-day event based on the activities of the Maristanis project (including activities addressed to reduce water use in agriculture and tourism sectors) as well as an exhibition on weaving products linked to the project.

In Tunisia, a two-day event will feature a human chain at vulnerable sites in Ghar el Melh. The  programmeme also includes storytelling activities.

In Albania, partners will be organizing the Coast Day for the first time. The celebration will take place in the Buna River Velipoje Protected Landscape and will include various activities, including a fair offering local dishes and traditional arts and crafts.