Life begins in wetlands.

Pooling skills and experience to catalyse wetland restoration across the Mediterranean

 

About us

 

The Mediterranean has lost more than 50% of its natural wetlands since 1970, and we continue to destroy them through poorly planned development and agricultural water abstraction. As climate change and population growth continue, saving and restoring what remains of these unique habitats is an urgent priority – but this does not have to come at the cost of socio-economic development. In fact, using our wetlands as nature-based solutions to some of our most pressing issues will benefit society just as much as the environment.

Nevertheless, ensuring the survival of our coastal wetlands on a regional scale is a huge task and one that requires collaboration across the Mediterranean. 

This is why the Wetland-based Solutions project was created. Coordinated by the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet), it gathers together a powerful network of expert organisations working to preserve and restore Mediterranean wetlands, who pool their expertise and experiences to hone skills, identify successful solutions, raise awareness, and spread best practices across the basin.

Key actions:

Build a strong Mediterranean Wetlands Partnership.

Improve and share the wetlands knowledge base and ensure it helps relevant authorities to make informed decisions. There will be a specific focus on wetlands’ importance to biodiversity, sustainable practices and management, and their role as nature-based solutions (NBS), in order to counteract water abstraction and coastal development threats.

Ensure that wetland economic sectors (salt production, tourism and agriculture) operate more sustainably and create socio-economic opportunities to reduce loss and degradation by restoring the relationship between humans and nature for future generations.

Develop a communication and awareness strategy to ensure engagement of relevant stakeholders at regional and site level.

Develop national and regional policy and advocacy strategies for wetlands, ensuring that wetlands are also at the top of the EU agenda.

Promote strong governance to support management, including by building capacity on the sustainable governance of wetlands.

Consolidate the network of Mediterranean wetlands managers, which is already operating in 120 sites over 1 million hectares in the region.

Support the restoration of wetlands in at least 10 countries across the Mediterranean region.

Results:

A powerful and effective network of organisations constantly coordinating to preserve and restore Mediterranean wetlands.

A strong and sound database of studies, research and knowledge available to all.

Support to the sustainable socio-economic development of the region.

Civil society engagement to support wetlands as a nature-based solution against climate impacts and the water crisis.

Political commitments and actions to stop the degradation of Mediterranean wetlands and ensure their restoration.

Replicable management and governance models.

Support at the local, regional and international levels for the effective restoration of wetlands.

Pilot project locations:

 

Ghar el Melh, Tunisia

Oristano, Sardinia

Ulcinj, Montenegro 

Buna River, Albania

The Saltpan Initiative

MedIsWet (island wetlands)