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Taylor NG, Grillas P, Al Hreisha H, Balkız Ö, Borie M, Boutron O, Catita A, Champagnon J, Cherif S, Çiçek K, Costa LT, Dakki M, Fois M, Galewski T, Galli A, Georgiadis NM, Green AJ, Hermoso V, Kapedani R, Lange MA, Mateljak Z, Osta M, Papastergiadou E, Papazoglou C, Sabater S, Samraoui B, Samraoui F, Bachir AS, Tankovic E, Thévenet M, Troya A, Sutherland WJ. The future for Mediterranean wetlands: 50 key issues and 50 important conservation research questions. Reg Environ Change 2021; 21:33. [PMID: 33776560 PMCID: PMC7982080 DOI: 10.1007/s10113-020-01743-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Wetlands are critically important for biodiversity and human wellbeing, but face a range of challenges. This is especially true in the Mediterranean region, where wetlands support endemic and threatened species and remain integral to human societies, but have been severely degraded in recent decades. Here, in order to raise awareness of future challenges and opportunities for Mediterranean wetlands, and to inform proactive research and management, we identified (a) 50 key issues that might affect Mediterranean wetlands between 2020 and 2050, and (b) 50 important research questions that, if answered, would have the greatest impact on the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands between 2020 and 2050. We gathered ideas through an online survey and review of recent literature. A diverse assessment panel prioritised ideas through an iterative, anonymised, Delphi-like process of scoring, voting and discussion. The prioritised issues included some that are already well known but likely to have a large impact on Mediterranean wetlands in the next 30 years (e.g. the accumulation of dams and reservoirs, plastic pollution and weak governance), and some that are currently overlooked in the context of Mediterranean wetlands (e.g. increasing desalination capacity and development of antimicrobial resistance). Questions largely focused on how best to carry out conservation interventions, or understanding the impacts of threats to inform conservation decision-making. This analysis will support research, policy and practice related to environmental conservation and sustainable development in the Mediterranean, and provides a model for similar analyses elsewhere in the world. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-020-01743-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel G. Taylor
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Patrick Grillas
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | | | - Özge Balkız
- Doğa Koruma Merkezi (Nature Conservation Centre), Çiğdem Mah. 1594. Sok. No:3 06530, Çankaya, Ankara Turkey
| | - Maud Borie
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, London, WC2R 2LS UK
| | - Olivier Boutron
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Ana Catita
- Development and Innovation Network (RCDI), Centro Empresarial de Grândola, Fracção E - Incubadora de Empresas- Estrada da Aldeia do Futuro, 7570-272 Grândola, Portugal
- Associação Portuguesa de Geógrafos, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Av. Professor Aníbal Bettencourt, n.° 9, 1600-189 Lisboa, Portugal
- Associação Portuguesa para o Desenvolvimento Regional, Universidade dos Açores, Rua Capitão João D’Ávila, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - Jocelyn Champagnon
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Semia Cherif
- Laboratoire de Recherche des Matériaux et de l’Environnement pour le Développement Durable (LR18ES10), ISSBAT, Université de Tunis El Manar, 9 Avenue Zouheir Essefi, 1006 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Kerim Çiçek
- Section of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Luís T. Costa
- MAVA Foundation, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Dakki
- Département de Zoologie et Écologie Animale, Institut Scientifique, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
- Centre d’Etude des Migrations d’Oiseaux (CEMO), Institut Scientifique, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Mauro Fois
- Centro Conservazione Biodiversità, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Viale S. Ignazio da Laconi, 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Thomas Galewski
- Tour du Valat, Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, 13200 Arles, France
| | - Alessandro Galli
- Global Footprint Network, Avenue Louis-Casaï, 18, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Andy J. Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya (CTFC), Solsona, Spain
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland Australia
| | - Rezart Kapedani
- Regional Environmental Center Albania, Rr. Ismail Qemali, No. 27, Kati/Floor 3, 1000 Tirana, Albania
| | - Manfred A. Lange
- Energy, Environment and Water Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Future Earth MENA Regional Center at the Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Maher Osta
- Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon, Awad Bldg, 6th Floor, Abdel Aziz Street, P.O. Box 11-5665, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Eva Papastergiadou
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, University Campus Rio, Patras, 26500 Greece
| | | | - Sergi Sabater
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, 17003 Spain
| | - Boudjéma Samraoui
- Department of Biology, University Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Annaba, Algeria
- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Université 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
| | - Farrah Samraoui
- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Université 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
- Department of Ecology, University 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
| | - Abdelkrim Si Bachir
- Department of Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Life and Nature Sciences, University of Batna 2, Batna, Algeria
| | - Eva Tankovic
- Mediterranean Small Islands Initiative (PIM), Lycée des Calanques, 89 Traverse Parangon, 13008 Marseille, France
| | - Mathieu Thévenet
- Mediterranean Small Islands Initiative (PIM), Lycée des Calanques, 89 Traverse Parangon, 13008 Marseille, France
| | - Antonio Troya
- IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, C/ Marie Curie 22, Edif. Habitec, Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía, 29590 Campanillas, Málaga, Spain
| | - William J. Sutherland
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ UK
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