Saving Mediterranean water sources

Background

Short rivers and underground streams, mountain lakes, coastal lagoons and closed basins make up the freshwater sources in the Mediterranean. These support migrating birds and many endemic fish species of conservation concern.

To understand the importance of Mediterranean wetlands, compare them to the ones in North Europe. Wetlands cover only 0.3% of Spain's total area, while they cover 28% of Sweden. Freshwater resources become particularly important and vulnerable to careless planning and management.

Constant pressures on freshwater resources
In the last century, increasing population and the dominance of unsustainable policies on agriculture, tourism, urban and industrial development, fishing and energy use have all caused great loss to Mediterranean freshwater sources.

Fresh water has many useful domestic, industrial and agricultural applications. It is not, however, just a commodity that pours out of a tap with the turn of a handle. It is an integral part of our landscapes and biological cycles.

We cannot abuse, or even use, fresh water without incurring a variety of 'downstream' effects. Some of these can be devastating. In the Mediterranean region, with its hot summers, low rainfall and high biodiversity, freshwater ecosystems are particularly precious.

Invaluable, also for the biodiversity it supports
Three continents share the Mediterranean coastline; for many species, this is the northern, southern or western limit of their distribution. It is a beautiful but rough terrain, featuring short rivers, lakes, lagoons and karst features such as caves, underground rivers and closed basins. 

The Mediterranean hosts a high degree of endemism, especially amongst freshwater fishes and invertebrates - there are 230 fauna species and sub-species in the north Mediterranean alone. Tourists are drawn to this area, but they are not the only visitors: two billion birds of 150 species rely on Mediterranean wetlands as stopover points on their annual migrations.

50 - 90% lost or very threatened
In the Mediterranean region, more than half, and in some areas, up to 90% of freshwater ecosystems are lost or extremely threatened - dammed, polluted or turned over to agriculture, industry and mass tourism.

These unsustainable practices do more than threaten the survival of many wildlife species. They endanger the natural systems that store and renew the fresh water resources of the Mediterranean region.