Iberostar’s coastal health strategy kicked off four years ago with our “Wave of Change” movement in the Caribbean. Since then, my colleagues on the science team have pushed the boundaries of knowledge in the field of coral reef restoration and established a multinational program with one on-land coral lab and four underwater coral nurseries. This work has also extended to mangroves and dunes, two highly important coastal ecosystems around our destinations we are helping restore. 

But you may be wondering, what is Iberostar doing to improve coastal health in the Mediterranean? 

The Mediterranean is a climate change hotspot according to different projections endorsed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and we are currently seeing how the temperature is rising too fast for different species and ecosystems to adapt, the sea level rise is affecting coastal infrastructures, and we are suffering water scarcity in several Mediterranean destinations.

For those who love the Mediterranean like me, last summer was a worrying period as we noticed a major increase in water temperature and mass mortality events due to marine heat waves. The Posidonia oceanica seagrass is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea; its meadows are, by far, the most relevant Mediterranean ecosystem playing an important biological and ecological role as well as providing invaluable ecosystem services such as coastal protection, climate change mitigation, and nursery grounds for several commercial species. In 2020, Iberostar funded a Posigenome project, led by the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA), to identify genetic variability in different Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Western Mediterranean, mainly in the Balearic Islands and Andalucia. At the end of 2022, we renewed the collaboration agreement with IMEDEA and are going to increase the study to other locations in the Mediterranean such as Tunisia, Crete, and Montenegro. This baseline information will help scientists determine which  Posidonia meadows are more resilient to higher temperatures and will contribute to identifying the genes responsible. 

 

Other significant consequences of climate change in the Mediterranean are sea level rise and the increase of extreme climate events such as floods, droughts, and destructive storms that are eroding the coast and damaging infrastructures. For example, Playa de Muro in Mallorca is one of the areas that can be most affected by climate change, and according to different IPCC models, the beach may disappear by 2100. Iberostar and IMEDEA, together with the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System (SOCIB), created the first “hotel coastal observatory for climate change” at Iberostar Alcudia Park and, in the next two years, scientists at IMEDEA will gather information on the evolution of the coastline using the most innovative technologies for coastal monitoring and modeling. The expected outcome of this work will be a high-resolution model which will help  determine when and where the beach erosion problem will require a definitive and long-term solution. Tunisia is another example of coastal erosion due to sea level rise and changes in climate parameters and, in contrast with the Balearics where we are working to prevent future problems, more than 40% of the Tunisian coast is being seriously affected now. In this context, we are collaborating with public authorities and analyzing the utilization of hybrid green-gray infrastructures to protect the properties currently affected by coastal erosion.

Despite water scarcity being included in our circular economy strategy, from a coastal health perspective, we are committed to increasing the green spaces in our properties while reducing water consumption in our gardens. It will be achieved  by utilizing  autochthonous species adapted to the climate of the different destinations where we have hotels. We are also considering using  our hotels to grow endangered local vegetation in coastal areas or dune systems, which could be a good example of regenerative tourism. It won't be easy, as Mediterranean species are normally slow-growing plants and are not always available in the market, but we are collaborating with universities, botanical gardens, and renowned landscape planners  to make it happen.

 

Our general objective is to contribute to improving all ecosystems around Iberostar properties by 2030, and the first step to knowing if these ecosystems are improving or not is to define the baselines or current status. We are collaborating with research centers and universities in different destinations to define the current status of these ecosystems, identify impacts, suggest different strategies and actions to mitigate these impacts, and restore a good environmental status. Finally, as we understand the importance of collective action and support for other researchers, we teamed up with the University of the Balearic Islands in Mallorca to create “Catedra del Mar”, which drives scientific research for marine and coastal conservation. Since 2019, more than 50 students have been awarded scholarships to work on areas like dune vegetation, the development of biodiversity monitoring programs, studies on invasive species, conservation of endangered species, and beyond.

Iberostar is fully aware that the success of our company relies on the good health and attractiveness of the destinations  where we have hotels. So, the conservation and restoration of dunes, marshlands, and seagrass meadows are directly aligned with our objectives. We want to inspire change in the tourism sector by leading through action, and we look forward to our journey towards 2030 and beyond.

 

Federico Cardona Pons - Coastal Health Strategy Manager, Iberostar Group.