This guide,part of the Science & Management collection, is the summary of an exchange workshop on research and management programmes focussing on biodiversity in the Camargue..
The workshop was organised in April 2010, at the Tour du Valat, within the framework of the LITEAU research programme, which is funded by the French Ecology Ministry.
Some fifty participants, including scientists and natural area managers working in the Camargue, and elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin, attended this event so as to:
- look back at the contributions of 20 years’ research to support public policies in favour of biodiversity and wetlands,
- assess current research programmes and what they provide to natural area managers, together with emerging issues,
- compare existing knowledge about the Camargue and other Mediterranean wetlands.
This comparative analysis highlighted the substantial contribution scientific expertise has provided in helping natural area managers find answers to their questions, and to draw attention to the obstacles encountered.
Given the challenges that lie ahead in the upcoming decades, it is more important than ever to strengthen bonds and promote dialogue between researchers and local land managers so that decisions can be made in the light of scientific evidence, and to set up adaptive management practices which respect the natural rhythm of the Camargue Delta while helping to determine possible future scenarios for this exceptional area.