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Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes

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Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes Reviving Wetlands – Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes Guidelines for the Preparation of a Management Plan Global Nature Fund – Living Lakes 1 The project is co-financed by the European Union EU LIFE Programme DG Environment Imprint Global Nature Fund (GNF) Fritz-Reichle-Ring 4 78315 Radolfzell, Germany Ph +49 7732 9995-0 Fax +49 7732 9995-88 E-Mail: [email protected] www.globalnature.org www.livingwetlands.org © GNF 10 / 2004, All rights reserved Editorial Team Marion Hammerl-Resch, Udo Gattenlöhner, Sabine Jantschke with support of Eleni Daroglou, Michael Green, Antonio Guillem, Bettina Jahn, Hans Jerrentrup, Fernendo Jubete Design/Layout Didem Sentürk Printed by Druckcenter Bodensee Photographs GNF-Archive, GNF Project Partners Cover photo Fundación Global Nature (La Nava) If author is not indicated, the texts are written by the Editorial Team. Special thanks to: Fleur Bradnock, Aitken Clark, Rosanne Clark, Maria Conti, Polly Kienle, Julia Masson, Eduardo de Miguel, Gudrun Schomers and Ellen Zimmermann. Recommended citation: U. Gattenlöhner, M. Hammerl-Resch, S. Jantschke, Eds. (2004). Reviving Wetlands – Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes. 2 Reviving Wetlands – Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes Global Nature Fund – Living Lakes 3 Contents Preface 6 Introduction 8 1 Initial Situation: LIFE Project Areas 12 2 Who these Guidelines are destined for 16 3 The Management Plan: Need and Background 18 4 Participatory Approach 22 5 Vision 26 6 Legal Responsibilities and the Protection of designated Sites 28 7 How to evaluate the Resources 34 8 Resources 8.1 Hydrology: Water quality and quantity, water management 38 8.2 Ecosystem, flora and fauna 44 8.3 Aspects of cultural landscape 50 8.4 Architecture, customs and traditions 51 8.5 Science and research 55 8.6 Educational facilities and programmes 56 8.7 Industry and commerce 60 8.8 Land use and traffic 61 8.9 Agriculture and forestry 64 8.10 Fishery 69 8.11 Tourism and recreation 72 9 Action Plan 78 10 Examples of Measures 10.1 Measures to improve the water quality Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment 80 Installation of constructed wetland buffer zones at the Vassova Lagoon in the Nestos Delta 82 Phosphorus removal from Barton Broad, UK 83 New floating macrophyte green filters 84 10.2 Examples of restoration measures for wetlands The Trinity Broads 86 EU LIFE project "Untersee life" 87 Reforestation at La Nava 88 4 10.3 Examples for vegetation management Burning as a management tour for reed beds and fens 89 Vegetation management in La Nava 90 Vegetation mapping at Villacañas shallow lakes 90 Management of wetland vegetation with water buffaloes in Greece 91 Management of water plants 93 10.4 Examples of agricultural extensification Restoration of Upper Swabian lakes 95 Model Project Constance Ltd - farmers' markets at Lake Constance 95 LIFE project: Restoration of the Villacañas wetlands, Spain 97 10.5 Examples of visitor management Lake Constance trail 99 Nature trail Laguna Boada 100 Conservation Centre Eriskirch - experience nature at Lake Constance 100 Visitor trail: Heron Carr Boardwalk in the Broads 101 10.6 Examples of environmentally sound tourism development 103 10.7 Examples of environmental education EPO’s environmental education activities in the Nestos area 109 Floating Class Room at Lake Constance 111 Workcamps in La Nava 111 Summer Camps with DaimlerChrysler and Lufthansa 111 Nutmeg Puppet Show tour of the Broads 113 11 Management: Structure, Documentation, Communication 114 12 Participation and Communication 116 13 Monitoring and Evaluation 120 14 Project Partners and Supporters 126 15 Living Lakes - An international Partnership for the Protection of Lakes and Wetlands 130 16 References and Links 132 Global Nature Fund – Living Lakes 5 Preface >> Wetlands reborn Wetlands are fragile and vulnerable ecosystems. Across the planet for more than a century they have been extinguished at an alarming pace with the relentless progress of industrial processes and intensive agricultural practice. Nowhere is the loss of these vital water bodies more acute than in this small intensively developed continent of Europe. Global Nature Fund, through its Living Lakes partnership network, initiated an ambitious demonstration and recovery project in Greece and Spain with support from the EU LIFE- Environment programme, administered and funded by the European Commission. Prof Aitken Clark A key component of the project is this Manual of Sustainable Management of Wetlands and Shallow Lakes, which offers practical advice on the recovery of lost or severely damaged wetland ecosystems. The manual sets out clear steps on the preparation of a management plan for wetlands, through an inclusive participatory process involving local communities as well as the many stakeholders whose active support is vital to the successful adoption and implementation of the plan. The first discernible signs of recovery in the degraded wetlands, Nestos in Greece and La Nava and Boada in Spain, is a positive and encouraging demonstration of what may be achieved through wise wetland management. Much thought has been given to the preparation of this manual. It is intended to be of value and practical use to local communities who live and work in and around wetlands, as well as those whose primary interest is in the science involved in wetland restoration. I wish to express my warmest appreciation to everyone who has contributed to the production of the manual. Prof Aitken Clark Vice President of Global Nature Fund Vice President of BTCV 6 Water Framework Directive "Water is not a commercial product like any other, but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such." (EU Water Framework Directive) Europe’s citizens are increasingly interested in their waters, as part of their local, regional and European environment. It is against this background that the European Union has expanded its water protection policy by the Water Framework Directive (WFD): > An ambitious and binding objective - protecting all our waters, and achieving ‘good status’ for all these waters (rivers, lakes, groundwaters and coastal waters) Dr Helmut Blöch > A holistic approach – good status defined, beyond traditional chemical parameters: for surface waters also in terms of biology (microflora, microfauna, fish fauna) and morphology, for groundwaters also in terms of quantity (balance between abstraction and recharge) > Addressing interaction between waters, wetlands and other water-dependent ecosystems > Ensuring river basin solidarity – thinking, planning and acting in river basins and sub-basins, across borders in a co-ordinated river basin management plan > Getting the citizens involved – providing for broad participation of citizens, NGOs and stakeholders, municipalities etc. in the development of river basin management plans Implementing this new EU water policy is a major challenge for all involved, at local, regional, national or European level. I am therefore particularly glad that it has been able to establish a broad co-operation in implementing the WFD, the Common Implementation Strategy. It is bringing together not only the European Commission, Member States and Candidate Countries, but also NGOs, stakeholders and the scientific community, thus reconfirming the broad and participatory approach. Looking back now at three years of experience with this strategy, it can already now be regarded as an example of good European governance – building on experience and information across Europe, shaping a network, delivering ambitious guidance documents, workshops and seminars. It has also delivered common ownership by all involved, to the benefit of Europe’s waters. The WFD is now at a first crucial stage of its implementation, from Estonia to Portugal and from Ireland to Cyprus: Following the formal transposition into national legislation, the first environmental assessment for each river basin will have to be finalised by the end of 2004. There are even regions where such activity is going far beyond the borders of the enlarged European Union: for the whole of the Danube river basin, from the mountains of the Black Forest to the shores of the Black Sea, one co-ordinated assessment is being developed by the Danube countries, within the International Danube Protection Commission ICPDR. It will pave the way for implementing the WFD in this largest of the EU’s river basins. In this whole process, at regional, river basin and European level, the role of informed citizens, of NGOs, water users and stakeholders will be crucial. I therefore warmly welcome all the work done in the context of this LIFE project. It will help us achieve our common goal: getting Europe’s waters cleaner, getting the citizen involved. Dr Helmut Blöch European Commission*, Directorate General Environment *This contribution reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the European Commission. Global Nature Fund – Living Lakes 7 Introduction >> Introduction implementation of the measures requirements of the EU Water defined in the management plan. Framework Directive. This will be achieved by: In order to achieve an overall LIFE project: Living Lakes - > Applying ecological restoration agreement between the various Sustainable management of techniques to two degraded stakeholders and decision makers, wetlands and shallow lakes wetlands, respectively to an iterative step by step approach demonstrate how wetlands can be was carried out to finalise the plan
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