The Mediterranean Context

A large number of agreements have been signed up to promote water integrated catchments, water ecosystem protection and its links to wetlands over the last decade such as, at global level, the Agenda 21 (1992), the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)and the World Commission on Dams Report (2000). At Mediterranean level, there are other tools such as the Declaration of Venice (1996), the Declaration on Local Water Management (Turin 1999), or the European Water Framework Directive (2000). All of them aim at promoting sustainable use of water resources and protection of water ecosystems. They are alsosupported by the Mediterranean governments and promote the development of basin organizations as a main tool to secure their goals.

The Water and Wetlands Programme of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation intends to guide and assist the IUCN members and partners to improve the sustainable use of water ecosystems and provide advice on management and restoration issues in order to reach socio-economic development while conserving biodiversity.

The main goal of the programme is promoting "an ecosystem approach" towards policy, planning and management of water catchments. This "ecosystem approach" is a strategy focused on the integrated use of land , water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in an equity way. This strategy is aimed to satisfy the needs of societies involved. Other objectives of this approach are:

The activities of the programme are focused on the on-site demonstration of the ecosystem management approach through projects in several basins along the Mediterranean region, combining nature conservation and integrated land use and water management with the implementation of necessary institutional, legal and economic frameworks. These projects have been designed to initiate a public participation process, to establish wise governance and economic management and maintain communication flows so all stakeholders are informed. At present, a project in the Moulouya basin (NE of Morocco) is being initiated, with the main goals of building the technical and environmental management capacity of the river basin organization.

Environmental flows

The program also pursues the development of useful tools to help the sustainable management of water resources. During the initial phase of the program, the environmental flow is the designed tool for satisfactory development of the abovementioned objectives. An "environmental flow" is the water regime -in terms of quality, quantity, duration and seasonality- provided within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain ecosystems and their benefits where there are competing water uses and where flows are regulated.

Another relevant aspect of the programme is the identification of scientific gaps hindering the sustainable management in the Mediterranean, such as those concerning the management of ephemeral and intermittent watercourses. The IUCN-Med water programme organized a scientific meeting in September 2004 on the drivers leading these ecosystems. This line of work will continue with the establishment of a network of experts at the Mediterranean level and the support field projects that generate scientific knowledge to help sustainable management by water managers.

The IUCN-Med programme cooperates with the Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations (MENBO) to enhance the MENBO's environmental component.

For further information, please contact Jamie Skinner.