MAP tackles Mediterranean environmental and sustainable development issues. It gets different sectors of Mediterranean society involved in preserving the region's human and natural resources that have been eroded by rapid development,&nbsp; and that have not always been planned with a view on the need for sustainability. <br /> <br /> To this end, MAP mainly focuses on the following key fields of activity, all of which are aimed at contributing to the process of achieving sustainable development in the region:<br /> <ul> <li><b>combatting land-based pollution</b>, in particular from areas that feature the heaviest concentration of pollutants from human activities</li> <li><b>preventing maritime accidents and illegal discharges from ships</b> MAP marked a&nbsp;milestone on the path towards achieving maritime safety in the Region through its new&nbsp;Prevention and Emergency Protocol</li> <li><b>managing coastal areas</b>, with the aim of protecting the Mediterranean coasts from the impact of unrestrained development and its effects on marine environment.The MAP is currently preparing a new Protocol in this regard.</li> <li><b>Preserving Mediterranean marine and coastal biodiversity</b>: this is one of the main areas of interest, and action, of the MAP and has gained wide recognition and support by&nbsp;all parties concerned.</li> <li><b>Integrating the environment and development</b>: MAP focuses on reversing the current&nbsp;situation in several Mediterranean countries where environmental concern still has little&nbsp;an impact on development policies.&nbsp;The Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development&nbsp;has been prepared within thsi framework.</li> <li><b>Promoting information and communication technologies</b>: as an efficient tool to&nbsp;addressing pollution and sustainable development challenges in the Mediterranean&nbsp;region.</li> <li><b>Safeguarding cultural heritage</b>: whilst the region's archaeological treasures have been&nbsp;extensively studied and their disintegration in our industrial era is a cause for concern,&nbsp;nature and its evolution have been less of a focus of attention until recently.</li> </ul> In 1995, MAP's remit was widened to include sustainable development and to make it more action-oriented encouraging a greater involvement of civil society. 2011-08-09T17:54:27Z tag:www.emwis.net,2011-08-09:/initiatives/map/fol961448 http://www.emwis.net/misc_/SEMIDE/Site.gif Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector