Well-preserved and managed Mediterranean wetlands provide invaluable services that contribute to human well-being. They play a crucial role in adapting to and mitigating natural disasters associated with climate change, such as floods, droughts, storms, and erosion.

However, these wetlands have suffered significant losses, estimated at about half of their surface since the 1970s (Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory (MWO)). This ongoing loss leads to the disappearance of the services they provide, impacting the security and livelihoods of surrounding local communities. Thus, urgent measures are needed to halt their degradation, protect the remaining sites and restore those that have been altered.

The rapid and cost-effective use of data to map these ecosystems and monitor their status and trends is crucial. This allows us to closely monitor their changes and take swift and effective action to preserve and sustainably manage them. In this regard, Earth Observation (EO) technology, combined with innovative geospatial analysis, provides essential free and open data for monitoring the status of these ecosystems.

A recent study, titled “Large-scale mapping of existing and lost wetlands: Earth Observation data and tools to support restoration in the Sebou and Medjerda river basins”, has been recently published in the “Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration” by Anis Guelmami, the MWO Coordinator.

Sebou Basin, Morocco. Photo © O.Belloulid, LPM

The study explores the use of EO data to map and delineate existing and lost wetlands, understand their current use and estimate the efforts required to restore those that have been lost or transformed. By deploying an innovative approach, the study illustrates how these tools can identify sites suitable for restoration.

The approach was tested in the Sebou river basin in Morocco and the transboundary Medjerda watershed between Algeria and Tunisia. The results reveal potentially restorable wetlands of over 7,000 km² and 1,700 km² respectively, providing a crucial basis for water resource management and land-use planning. These data will guide wetland restoration actions as Nature-based Solutions, by regenerating their habitats and restoring ecosystem services essential for human well-being.

Bibliographical reference: Guelmami, A. Large-scale mapping of existing and lost wetlands: Earth Observation data and tools to support restoration in the Sebou and Medjerda river basins. Euro-Mediterr J Environ Integr (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-023-00443-6