ISSUES & OBJECTIVES

Wetlands, lakes and lagoons in Mediterranean coastal regions are of immense importance for people and for biodiversity yet often the science base needed to manage these multi-purpose resources effectively is inadequate. This conference focuses on the southern Mediterranean region and aims to:

• Examine the case for integrated science involving environmental change research and quality controlled aquatic monitoring.
• Help reconcile issues of water quality, hydrology, biodiversity (aquatic plants, invertebrates, fish and birds) with food security, public health and cultural needs.
• Apply historical information, from geo-archaeology to sediment records, to current human activity and water management issues.
• Consider integrated applications of remote sensing and field data and mechanisms to establish publicly accessible GIS databases.
• Develop hydro-ecological models to facilitate better understanding of these environmental systems and to investigate future environmental change scenarios in order to inform environmental management of wetland and related resources.
• Assist management of wetland, lake and lagoon systems and explore aspects of the EU Water-Framework Directive to aid water regulation in the southern Mediterranean.
  

  CONFERENCE IMPLICATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

  A driving force behind this conference is international cooperation and the broadening of water regulations developed in the European Union that may be of value to water management aims in the southern Mediterranean region. Both the EU Water Framework Directive and the International Cooperation (INCO) Programme are concerned with raising water quality and achieving good ecological status for water resources everywhere. Whilst recognising the wise management principles enshrined in these initiatives it is often essential to take account of national as well as local objectives relevant to individual third country partners and exercise subsidiarity. Transfer of scientific know-how and exchange of both technical and management skills together with more basic research may be needed to achieve effective aquatic resource management. Some of these aims are encapsulated in MELMARINA.