The Mediterranean Forum on Environment and Climate Action in Cairo: A Call for “Behavioral Transformation” to Confront Climate Change

The Sawsana Platform and the Witness Center participated in the Mediterranean Forum on Environment and Climate Action held in Cairo, highlighting the pivotal role of environmental and scientific journalism in connecting local issues with global ones. They emphasized the importance of awareness, education, and the crucial contribution of media in addressing the impacts of climate change.

Held in Cairo from October 21 to 23, 2025, the forum brought together over one hundred representatives from civil society organizations, parliaments, media institutions, women’s and youth organizations, research centers, and the private sector from across the Mediterranean region, under the theme “Achieving the Desired Behavioral Transformation.”

The event was supported by the European Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP – Mediterranean Action Plan), the Union for the Mediterranean, the League of Arab States, and the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, in cooperation with the EU-funded Water and Environment Support – Biodiversity and Climate Action (WES-BCA) project and the GEF-funded Mediterranean Programme (MedProgramme).

Toward Deeper Awareness and Sustainable Daily Behavior

The forum aimed to transform environmental awareness into deeper understanding and sustainable daily practices by gathering diverse stakeholders to discuss ways to integrate environmental and climate objectives into public policies, business strategies, and community life.

Discussions stressed the importance of breaking down barriers between sectors, promoting integrated governance, and developing a shared Mediterranean narrative on climate change — one that fosters the transition from knowledge to action and contributes to the desired behavioral transformation.

The main sessions featured scientific presentations on climate trends in the region, including an intervention by Professor Joël Guiot, Coordinator of the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) network, who presented recent data and projections illustrating the accelerating risks facing Mediterranean ecosystems and communities