The Mediterranean is getting hotter – and we need its wetlands more than ever. Wetlands are at the heart of life itself. They give us our drinking water, irrigate our crops, support huge biodiversity, underpin cultures, and are increasingly vital in the fight to mitigate and adapt to climate change. But our wetlands are in trouble. In the Mediterranean, we’ve destroyed about half of our wetlands in the last 50 years, and there are intense pressures on remaining areas, most of which are damaged and degraded.

The situation in and around the Buna River is no exception. Crop and livestock production, fishing, and tourism in this area are all heavily dependent on healthy wetland resources – but unsustainable practices are common in all these activities, reducing the resilience of local ecosystems.

To inform and mobilise action, within the initiative Off Your Map, MedWet gathers international and national organisations focused on conservation and natural resource management and economic experts. Their goal is to draft a new story for Mediterranean wetlands, with the funding and support of the MAVA Foundation. 

More information

Coastal wetlands and the climate crisis: Why the Mediterranean needs Nature-based Solutions