Response to Climate Change in Coastal and Marine Protected Areas: Threats and Opportunities

Climate change, with its effects, is deeply threatening marine and coastal systems, endangering the correct functioning of their processes and in consequence negatively affecting citizens and communities residing the coastal territories. Their protection can be carried out and consolidated through Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), identified since a long time as an efficient instrument, if appropriately managed, to safeguard the health of ecosystems. The correct implementation of protection measures requires dedicated planning and must answer to a plurality of needs, achieve purposes in a short and long time perspective and involve actively the local communities and the stakeholders. This publication aims to identify constraints and strategies for a sound management of MPAs, with particular focus to coastal areas, in order to develop appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures in contrast to climate change effects.