Life begins in wetlands.
Life begins in wetlands.
The Mediterranean is getting hotter, and we need its coastal wetlands now more than ever.
+3.8° by 2100
The Mediterranean is warming up faster than the rest of the world.
150
million
Mediterranean people face a rise in the frequency of catastrophic natural events.
36%
of Mediterranean wetland species are threatened with extinction.
While thriving coastal wetlands can offer resilient Nature-Based Solutions to the climate crisis, they are shrinking at an alarming rate. We have lost 48% of our wetlands since 1970.
Don’t let them be wiped off your map. Help us turn the tide for Mediterranean wetlands by sharing our stories and following us on social media.
Too Much of a Good Thing? Wetlands and Nutrients
Not only do wetlands serve as a nature-based solution for the accelerating devastation caused by the climate emergency, but they also provide a filtering and cleansing function, similar to the human kidney, for our water that is more and more polluted by modern agriculture’s excessive dependence on chemical fertilisers. Our water is also increasingly degraded by urban development and the often untreated waste and pollution that results.
Too Much of a Good Thing? Wetlands and Nutrients
Not only do wetlands serve as a nature-based solution for the accelerating devastation caused by the climate emergency, but they also provide a filtering and cleansing function, similar to the human kidney, for our water that is more and more polluted by modern agriculture’s excessive dependence on chemical fertilisers. Our water is also increasingly degraded by urban development and the often untreated waste and pollution that results.
The Ancestral Wetlands of Ghar El Melh: Feeding the Mind, Body and Soul
The Ancestral Wetlands of Ghar El Melh: Feeding the Mind, Body and Soul Have you ever taken a bite from a fresh tomato grown by a traditional farmer in Tunisia’s Ghar El Melh wetlands? It’s a delight for the palate – but it’s so much more than that. Behind this...
‘Amicus Certus in re Incerta Cernitur’ – a Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed
Wetlands offer holistic contributions to addressing the planetary crises through their various intrinsic functions and attributes – what scientists, and increasingly much of the concerned public, are now calling Nature-based Solutions, or NbS in our acronym-crazed world!
Danilo: the Fisherman of Cabras
“In the old times fishing began in September, now we start in March. Everything has been intensively exploited for decades, and we are now paying the consequences. The rain is irregular, the reeds die and some species become extinct because of the exceeding salinity of the water”, explains Danilo, a fisherman in Oristano. “We do our best. We respect the fish while it grows, we take care of the lagoon, it’s our home, but it is a bigger problem than us, and despite the subsidies we barely survive.”
The Ancestral Wetlands of Ghar El Melh: Feeding the Mind, Body and Soul
The Ancestral Wetlands of Ghar El Melh: Feeding the Mind, Body and Soul Have you ever taken a bite from a fresh tomato grown by a traditional farmer in Tunisia’s Ghar El Melh wetlands? It’s a delight for the palate – but it’s so much more than that. Behind this...
‘Amicus Certus in re Incerta Cernitur’ – a Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed
Wetlands offer holistic contributions to addressing the planetary crises through their various intrinsic functions and attributes – what scientists, and increasingly much of the concerned public, are now calling Nature-based Solutions, or NbS in our acronym-crazed world!
Danilo: the Fisherman of Cabras
“In the old times fishing began in September, now we start in March. Everything has been intensively exploited for decades, and we are now paying the consequences. The rain is irregular, the reeds die and some species become extinct because of the exceeding salinity of the water”, explains Danilo, a fisherman in Oristano. “We do our best. We respect the fish while it grows, we take care of the lagoon, it’s our home, but it is a bigger problem than us, and despite the subsidies we barely survive.”
Wetland Biodiversity is in Crisis – Infographic
Healthy wetlands play an essential role as a habitat for biodiversity that can help to adapt to climate change. Mediterranean wetlands are a particularly important habitat for migratory birds. However they are threatened under human pressure, reducing their capacity to preserve biodiversity. ... read more
The Governance of Coastal Wetlands in the Mediterranean: A Handbook
2020, Published by PAP/RAC "This Handbook is designed as a practical guide for the governance of coastal wetlands around the Mediterranean, whether they are formally protected as Ramsar Sites, those designated under national or local legislation, or those lacking any formal protection. It takes read more
Barcelona COP 21 Policy Position Paper
At Barcelona Convention COP 21, MedWet and Off Your map partners called for urgent action to support Mediterranean coastal areas and wetlands. This policy position paper highlights the critical role coastal wetlands play as resilient Nature-based Solutions in the fight against climate change, ... read more