Humedales andaluces - Conservation and restoration of wetlands in Andalucia

The project aimed to improve the conservation status of 12 EU habitat types on three Natura 2000 sites (Rincón, Santiago and Amarga) in the South of Córdoba province in Spain. The project achieved to increase the wetland surface areas of SCI/SPA Fuente de Piedra lagoon by managing water flows within the lagoon. This improved the habitat quality and helped the recovery of deteriorated nesting areas, as well as two freshwater lagoons. Additionally, several actions were undertaken in the SCI/SPA Odiel marshes to recover an area that had previously been converted into a salt pan. In the SCI/SPA Lagoons of Southern Cordoba, land acquisition allowed gully corrections and reforestation actions which combined to help reduce silting risks in the Amarga lagoon. In addition, the Santiago lagoon, which had been drained in the past, was restored. Two useful documents resulted from the project implementation: A ‘Manual for the Mediterranean Wetlands Restoration’ focusing on providing guidelines for ecological restoration projects in Mediterranean wetlands and the ‘Hydro-geological study of the Lagoons of Southern Cordoba’ that helped to considerably strengthen knowledge about the hydro-geologic dynamics of the three target lagoons. Furthermore, the project’s awareness and educational campaign utilised a mobile exhibition displayed in different municipalities throughout the three project areas accompanied by a leaflet. Other dissemination materials included school education packs.