Six years after the previous report, and at a time when the Mediterranean basin is the focus of many of the tensions affecting the planet, the third regional report of the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory (MWO-3) has just been published. Discover the main conclusions of this report, the result of intensive analysis led by Tour du Valat.
A threatened but essential heritage
Mediterranean wetlands, with their wide variety of habitats (see diagram below), are among the most valuable and threatened ecosystems in the region. They regulate the water cycle, filter pollution, are home to exceptional biodiversity, protect coastlines from storms, and store significant amounts of carbon. However, their gradual and often silent disappearance is jeopardizing these vital services.
The third regional report of the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory (MWO-3), coordinated by Tour du Valat as part of the Ramsar Convention’s MedWet Initiative, paints an alarming picture. More than half of historic wetlands have disappeared. Urbanization, agricultural intensification, overexploitation of water, and climate change are putting increasing pressure on these environments. However, the report also emphasizes a message of hope: far from being merely victims of our activities, wetlands are essential allies in the face of major crises in the Mediterranean.
A groundbreaking scientific diagnosis
The MWO-3 is based on an in-depth analysis conducted across 28 countries, using 18 indicators that provide information on the social and economic dynamics that can impact wetlands, the direct pressures they face, their condition, but also the services they provide and society’s responses to preserve them (DPSIR Drivers – Pressures – State – Impacts – Responses conceptual framework).
The results are striking. Since 1990, 12% of the surface area of natural Mediterranean wetlands has decreased. Forty percent of the species dependent on these environments are now in a worrying state of conservation, due in particular to climate change, among other factors. At the same time, pressures are accelerating with urbanization, which has increased by 44% around wetlands since 2000, while agricultural land occupies more than 30% of their functional space. The fragmentation of waterways has reached a critical level, with 95% of the length of major rivers affected by infrastructure. Nevertheless, the report also reveals some positive signs: the population of wintering waterbirds has increased by 43% since 1995, demonstrating that targeted conservation policies can bear fruit.
Multiple factors, visible impacts
Three main factors explain the vulnerability of Mediterranean wetlands. The first is demographic: nearly 400 million people live in close proximity to a wetland, with a density four times higher than the regional average in the Mediterranean. This proximity leads to increased demand for water, agricultural land, and infrastructure.
The second factor relates to significant disparities in governance between countries. Some have robust tools, such as the European Water Framework Directive or networks of protected areas, which enable them to regulate land use and preserve part of their ecosystems. Others, however, lack the institutional, financial, or political resources to manage these areas, leading to their rapid degradation.
Finally, climate change acts as a catalyst. The Mediterranean basin is warming 20% faster than the global average (MedECC, 2022). Droughts are becoming longer, heat waves are increasing, floods are becoming more frequent and intense, and rising average sea levels are directly threatening coastal wetlands. By 2100, 69 to 92% of coastal marshes could disappear if the current trajectory continues without major change.
Answers exist
Faced with these threats, the report emphasizes that it is still possible to take action. Today, 36% of wetland habitats benefit from some form of protection, although only 7% have a high level of protection. The opportunities for restoration are considerable: nearly 88,000 km² of lost wetlands could be rehabilitated in the northern Mediterranean countries with moderate efforts, such as restoring former agricultural land to wetland habitats. Modernizing irrigation systems would reduce water withdrawals by 35%, thereby relieving pressure on the most fragile ecosystems.
Beyond the figures, the report highlights concrete initiatives. In Tunisia, the ongoing rehabilitation of the Dar Fatma peatlands will restore a unique habitat while involving local communities in its management. In Turkey, integrated delta management projects are helping to preserve ecological continuity and support traditional activities. In Spain, the restoration of coastal wetlands around Valencia illustrates the concrete benefits that these environments can bring when they are put back at the heart of the land. The rehabilitation of the Albufera has improved water quality, enhanced biodiversity and, above all, increased the city’s resilience to flooding and heat waves. These actions show that investing in restoration means both protecting nature and providing essential services to populations.
Towards a new pact between societies and Mediterranean wetlands
The report’s conclusion is clear: protecting and restoring wetlands is not just an ecological issue, it is a necessity for the future of Mediterranean societies. These environments must be recognized as solutions to the climate, water, and social crises facing the region.
This third installment calls for a new pact between societies and wetlands, based on better land-use planning, inclusive governance, and targeted investments in restoration. It invites governments, scientists, NGOs, and citizens to join forces so that wetlands are no longer perceived as marginal spaces but, on the contrary, become pillars of resilience and sustainability for Mediterranean societies.
| Download the report “Mediterranean Wetlands, Challenges and Prospects 3” – Mediterranean Wetlands: Responses to Ongoing Crises |  |
Bibliographie
CEPF (2024). Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot: Ecosystem Profile Technical Summary. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Arlington, VA.
Fader, M., Giupponi, C., Burak, S., Dakhlaoui, H., Koutroulis, A., Lange, M.A., Llasat, M.C., Pulido-Velazquez, D., Sanz-Cobeña, A. (2020) Water. In: Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin – Current Situation and Risks for the Future. First Mediterranean Assessment Report [Cramer W, Guiot J, Marini K (eds.)] Union for the Mediterranean, Plan Bleu, UNEP/MAP, Marseille, France, pp. 181-236, doi:10.5281/zenodo.7101074.
Galewski, T., Segura, L., Biquet, J., Saccon, E., & Boutry, N. (2021). Living Mediterranean Report—Monitoring species trends to secure one of the major biodiversity hotspots. Tour du Valat.
Geijzendorffer, I.R., Galewski, T., Guelmami, A., Perennou, C., Popoff, N., Grillas, P. (2018). Mediterranean wetlands: a gradient from natural resilience to a fragile social-ecosystem. In: Schröter M, Bonn A, Klotz S, Seppelt R, Baessler C (eds) Atlas of ecosystem services: drivers, risks, and societal responses. Springer International Publishing AG, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96229-0.
Geijzendorffer, I. R., Beltrame, C., Chazée, L., Gaget, E., Galewski, T., Guelmami, A., Perennou, C., Popoff, N., Guerra, C. A., Leberger, R. & Jalbert, J. (2019). A more effective Ramsar Convention for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 7, 21. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00021.
Grill, G., Lehner, B., Thieme, M. et al. (2019). Mapping the world’s free-flowing rivers. Nature 569, 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1111-9.
Guelmami, A. (2020). Sebkhat Séjoumi et son Bassin Versant (Tunisie) : Un Territoire en Mouvement. Rapport technique. Tour du Valat, CEPF, 54p.
Guelmami, A. (2023). Large-scale mapping of existing and lost wetlands: Earth Observation data and tools to support restoration in the Sebou and Medjerda river basins. Euro‑Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 9(2–3), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-023-00443-6.
Guelmami, A., Arslan, D. & Ernoul, L. (2023). Assessing the impacts of land use and land cover changes 1984–2020 on wetland habitats in the Gediz Delta (Turkey). Climatic and Environmental Significance of Wetlands: Case Studies from Eurasia and North Africa [Internet]. IGI Global; 2023 [cited 2024 Aug 12]. pp. 12–23. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-9289-2.ch002.
MedECC (2020). Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin – Current Situation and Risks for the Future. First Mediterranean Assessment Report [Cramer, W., Guiot, J., Marini, K. (eds.)] Union for the Mediterranean, Plan Bleu, UNEP/MAP, Marseille, France, 632pp. ISBN: 978-2-9577416-0-1 / DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7224821.
Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory (2012). Mediterranean wetlands outlook 1. Technical report. Tour du Valat, France.
Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory (2018). Mediterranean wetlands outlook 2: solutions for sustainable Mediterranean wetlands. Tour du Valat, France.
Leberger, R., Geijzendorffer, I. R., Gaget, E., Guelmami, A., Galewski, T., Pereira, H. M., & Guerra, C. A. (2020). Mediterranean wetland conservation in the context of climate and land cover change. Regional Environmental Change, 20(2), 67.
Plan Bleu (2025). MED 2050, The Mediterranean by 2050, A foresight by Plan Bleu.
Popoff, N., Gaget, E., Béchet, A., Dami, L., Du Rau, P. D., Geijzendorffer, I. R., Guelmami, A., Mondain‑Monval, J.-Y., Perennou, C., Suet, M., Verniest, F., Deschamps, C., Taylor, N. G., Azafzaf, H., Bendjedda, N., Bino, T., Borg, J. J., Božič, L., Dakki, M., Encarnação, V. M. F., et al. (2021). Gap analysis of the Ramsar site network at 50: over 150 important Mediterranean sites for wintering waterbirds omitted. Biodiversity and Conservation, 30, 3067–3085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02236-1.
Schuerch, M., Kiesel, J., Boutron, O., Guelmami, A., Wolff, C., Cramer, W., Caiola, N., Ibáñez, C., & Vafeidis, A. T. (2025). Large-scale loss of Mediterranean coastal marshes under rising sea levels by 2100. Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1), Article 128. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02099-2.
Verniest, F., Galewski, T., Boutron, O., Dami, L., Defos du Rau, P., Guelmami, A., Julliard, R., Popoff, N., Suet, M., Willm, L., Abdou, W., Azafzaf, H., Bendjedda, N., Bino, T., Borg, J. J., Božič, L., Dakki, M., Hamoumi, R. E., Encarnação, V., et al. (2024). Exposure of wetlands important for nonbreeding waterbirds to sea-level rise in the Mediterranean. Conservation Biology, 38, e14288. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14288.
Contact
Anis GUELMAMI, Coordinateur de l’Observatoire des Zones Humides Méditerranéennes I [email protected]
