WETNET - Coordinated management and networking of Mediterranean wetlands
Principal Investigator at ZRC SAZU
Aleš Smrekar, PhD-
Original Title
Coordinated management and networking of Mediterranean wetlands
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Acronym
WETNET
Project Team
Aleš Smrekar, PhD, Mateja Breg Valjavec, PhD, Primož Gašperič, PhD, Matjaž Geršič, PhD, Primož Pipan, PhD, Katarina Polajnar Horvat, PhD, Peter Repolusk, BA, Daniela Alexandra Teixeira da Costa Ribeiro, PhD, Petra Rus, PhD, Jernej Tiran, PhD, Matija Zorn, PhD-
Duration
1 November 2016–30 April 2019 -
Lead Partner
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Project Leader
Franco Alberti
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Financial Source
Interreg Mediteran
Evropski sklad za regionalni razvoj
ARRS
Partners
Veneto region, Italy, A research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, Province of Vercelli, Italy, Andalusian Federation of Towns and Provinces, Spain, Spanish Ornithological Society, Spain, Italian Center for River Restoration, Italy, Wetlands International – European Association, Netherlands, The Ljubljana barje Nature Park, Slovenia, Fundation Tour du Valat, France, Gozo Development Agency – Gozo Regional Committee, Malta, RCDI – Development and Innovation Network, Portugal, SARGA – Government of Aragon, Spain, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Slovenia
Description
Wetlands in Europe are vulnerable interconnected environments, hugely contributing to biodiversity. Their protection intertwines scientific-environmental aspects and governance concerns. WETNET tackles the issue of implementing a multilevel governance for MED wetlands in order to achieve overall and network effects on wetlands ecosystems as well as on connected local systems. The project aims at ensuring higher coordination between different levels of spatial planning and authorities in charge for their management, whilst limiting conflicts between preservation issues and economic activities. By defining common priorities for MED wetlands conservation, WETNET builds a common territorial strategy for their integrated management. Building on previous EU experiences (River Contracts), WETNET seeks to test and transfer ‘Wetlands Contracts’, acting through broad participatory processes where users, private and public entities are committed in mainstreaming wetlands preservation into their ordinary activities. To this aims, the project will also increase the knowledge on River Contracts effectiveness and strengthen existing transnational networks for sharing and disseminating information and good practices on wetlands preservation. The project partnership involves all authorities and typology of stakeholders operating in target field. It will allow WETNET to meet the Wetlands needs at a broad scale, ensuring the transferability of its results to other EU countries.