Who We Are

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a non-profit research and post-graduate education institution with a strong scientific and technological orientation, created in 2005 and based in Cyprus. Our research aims to be of regional importance and global significance. It is conducted in three cross-disciplinary research centers (visit www.cyi.ac.cy to learn more).

Investigating global and regional climate change and its impacts in the MENA region comprises a major research thrust of the CyI. We develop recommendations for effective and comprehensive adaptation strategies that will contribute to a sustainable development of MENA countries and societies.

An essential element of CyI’s mission is its regional scope, aiming to forge close collaborations with institutions in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region). CyI has developed close ties to some of the neighboring countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Future Earth MENA Regional Center is instrumental in expanding our network throughout the entire MENA region.

Join the MENA Region Future Earth Community

We invite you to become part of the growing Future Earth MENA community. This is most easily done by signing up to Future Earth and the Future Earth Open Network and by joining the Open Network Future Earth MENA Community (please contact us for additional information). We would also like to request that you contact your colleagues and encourage them to join the Future Earth MENA Community.

Contact Us
Phone: +357-22208-621 or -700
Fax: +357-22208-625
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Visit us on the web: futureearth.org/mena-centre

About Future Earth

Background
Future Earth (www.futureearth.org) is a major international research platform designed to provide the knowledge needed to support transformations towards sustainability. It brings together a global network of scientific projects working across the natural and social sciences on critical global change and sustainability issues.
Future Earth will work with partners and relevant stakeholders across a wide range of sectors to co-design and co-develop the knowledge needed to support decision-making and societal change at all scales and in diverse contexts.
Future Earth will address three research themes:

• Dynamic Planet
• Global Sustainable Development
• Transformations towards Sustainability

Future Earth is led by a Governing Council and supported by two advisory bodies: a Science Committee and an Engagement Committee. The work of these bodies is supported by the Future Earth Secretariat.

The Future Earth Secretariat
The Secretariat performs the day-to-day management of Future Earth, coordinating across themes, projects, regions and committees, and liaising with key stakeholders at all levels.

The Secretariat comprises five Global Hubs, located in Canada, France, Japan, Sweden and the United States, which function as a single entity.

A number of Regional Centers and Offices, which currently cover Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA Region) and Southern Africa are integral parts of the Future Earth Secretariat.

Future Earth integrates local and national needs in transdisciplinary research projects while Regional Centers facilitate the implementation of such projects and the communication between Future Earth, local scientists and the society.

The Cyprus Institute has been functioning as the Future Earth MENA Regional Center. The Cyprus Institute also serves as the Regional Node for two of the Future Earth Global Research Projects: the Global Land Project and the Integrated Land Ecosystem-Atmosphere Processes Study. The Regional Center is guided by a 13-member Regional Advisory Committee.

Global Change in the MENA Region
Interactions and feedbacks between rapidly increasing multiple pressures on water supply, energy generation and food security in countries of the MENA region are driving societal and environmental systems across critical thresholds. These pressures, including climate change, growing resource demand and resource degradation, population growth, enhanced urbanization and globalization, cause unprecedented challenges for communities in the region. Recent and ongoing drastic political and societal transitions have added to these pressures.

The MENA region being home to a combined population of some 400 million people has been called a climate change “hot spot”. Expected adverse impacts include major challenges in energy, water, food security and threats to environmental integrity. Societies and countries will have to devise appropriate and effective mitigation– and adaptation strategies in order to manage the causes and reduce the effects of such impacts sustainably.

Future Earth’s goals and objectives are well suited to identify and implement such strategies in collaborative and regionally coordinated research and development programs.