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A research centre for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands




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Observatories and wetlands policies

Project leader: Virginie MAUCLERT (See the CV)

Team:

Christian PERENNOU, Coralie BELTRAME, Thomas GALEWSKI


CONTEXT

This project tackles the general problem of the disappearance and deterioration of wetlands throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The immediate causes of the loss and degradation of wetlands were specified above in the introduction to the strategic plan, and the underlying causes are today generally recognised:

• Demographic pressure
• Political choices in terms of farming, urban, industrial, and touristic development, which are often excessively influenced by economic and social considerations
• The gap between stakeholders and government policy, which makes it impossible to work together in a coherent way
• Historically speaking, public health and the fight against diseases, such as malaria
• The lack of knowledge (under-estimation) of the situation in Mediterranean wetlands and of their value, functions, and services
Their importance varies over space and time, particularly between developed countries in the north-west Mediterranean region and developing countries in the south-east.
More specifically, this project focuses on the problem of a lack of comprehensive and regular monitoring at the different overlapping scales: major wetlands:1) catchment basins, 2) countries and 3) Mediterranean Basin. It will progressively take action so that the monitoring results and their assessment are taken into consideration to improve land-use planning, strategies, and national policies relating to wetlands.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

  • Make an inventory of the threats facing Mediterranean wetlands and identify the actions needed to promote their protection and rational utilisation
  • Assess how much importance is given to Mediterranean wetlands in the context of sustainable development in the Mediterranean Basin
  • Ensure that the information produced by observatories is efficiently channelled towards the priority targets who are in the best position to positively influence the future of these habitats
  • Promote policies and strategies for the protection, rational utilisation, integrated management and restoration of wetlands / coastal zones

Contents:


Activities:

  • Consolidate the MWO

A recently created management and decision-making help tool, which is built around a broad pan-Mediterranean network of partners capable of (1) consolidating the knowledge and data that are currently dispersed, (2) analysing them to produce a scientifically valid message, and (3) conveying this message in each country. The MWO tool is also politically backed by Ramsar and Medwet. This tool strategically targets a broad audience ranging from ordinary citizens to policy makers in order to have an impact on local and national attitudes and decisions.

  • Institutionalise the monitoring and integrated management of wetlands in national agendas.

To achieve this objective, the project will use the most appropriate institutional tools: international conventions; wetlands policies / strategies; institutional integrated management processes; local planning and communication processes. This activity is deliberately participative so the different partners will be involved in the decision making process. Its long-term target is to convince policy makers.

  • Take better account of wetlands in territorial planning.

To achieve this objective, more involvement of the ‘developers’ is needed, so that the current overly segmented / sector-based mindsets are overcome and wetlands are better taken into account in development projects during the planning and implementation phases. This work will be carried out by national and local development agents in collaboration with national and international institutions. The collaborative efforts seem to be the most promising within the framework of European directives, local development projects, and Millennium Development Goals.

  • Consolidate the Mediterranean wetlands monitoring and evaluation network.

Upon request, the project will provide methodological and institutional assistance to other wetlands observatories and monitoring systems in the Mediterranean. Through its increasing professional organisation, this network will progressively standardise its monitoring methods and increase its capacity to have an influence on policy makers. The principal stakeholders in this network are currently at the site (Prespa, Camargue, Ichkeul), catchment basin (Rhone-Mediterranean, or ‘RhoMeO’), and national levels (French National Wetlands Observatory, National Biodiversity Observatory). This area will be developed according to the funding availablE ;

  • Make sustained efforts in terms of overall and targeted communication

To reduce the loss between the research on information relating to wetlands and how this information is exploited by key stakeholders, in particular, at the strategic and political levels. These efforts will be principally based on implementing the MWO’s communication strategy that was formulated in 2009. The means of communication will be strategically adapted to our targets: website, topic-oriented publications, monitoring and evaluation reports, brochures, articles, papers, workshops, seminars, posters, etc.


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