This report constitutes an indispensable tool for each and every coastal country, the European Union and all those trying to build a Euro-Mediterranean zone of stability and shared prosperity.2 It presents a new analysis of the dynamics at work in the Mediterranean area, linked as far as possible with the social dimension. The approach highlights the relationships between development and the environment and focuses on the strategic priorities for the region. Six issues are analysed: water, energy, transport, urban areas, agriculture and rural areas, and coastal areas. All are subject to public policies and social practices that call for major changes if we want to maintain our vast natural capital, reduce risks and disparities, and get a genuine economic development process under way.