The Mediterranean basin is the second largest biodiversity hotspot in the world. Mediterranean Wetlands support a high number of important species, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates, many of which are endemic to the region. Across the Mediterranean, 386 wetland areas, covering more than 9 million hectares, have been designated in the Ramsar Convention as Wetlands of Importance by the 26 countries representing the Mediterranean Wetlands Committee. 

These wetlands provide ecosystem services to millions of people and are highly relevant for national economies and cultural heritage across the region.  

Despite their importance, the 2018 Mediterranean Wetland Outlook report highlighted the ongoing loss and degradation of these habitats and their species over the last four decades – a trend that contradicts global and regional commitments, including goals of the Ramsar Convention.  

This loss is being driven by the growing populations and sectoral development policies and investments, such as land cover change, water consumption and massive tourism. We regret that safeguarding the benefits of healthy Mediterranean wetlands and rivers to the society is not a political priority. By co-coordinating the Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands (MAW), we strive to reverse this trend. 

Dialogue is essential to ensure that wetlands are prioritised in the political agenda, to provide facts and best practices, to raise awareness, to mobilise action and enable others to take on technical and financial innovations to drive impact at scale.

Conservation organisations have been working for decades to safeguard and restore Mediterranean Wetlands, however they remain fragmented in multiple networks, lacking the resources and capacities to drive a regional agenda together, that can inspire and mobilise new and innovative, cross-sectoral policy, planning and sustainable investments. 

The Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands crosses borders to increase the capacity of Mediterranean societies and bring together organisations who share a common goal to ensure the protection, restoration and sustainable use of wetlands. 

Our Initiatives

Our Impact

• In 2025, Vrina marshes in Albania and Carska Bara in Croatia have been selected to deploy the Green Light Protocol.
• We triggered 2 Red Alerts: 53 organisations requesting the Albanian government to halt the construction of the Vlora airport inside the protected area of the Narta Lagoon, and 74 organisations warning French and European decision makers against the risks of the increasing number of infrastructure projects in the Camargue.
• We strengthened 12 NGOs from 9 Mediterranean countries in wetland protection, conservation and restoration practices, improving the management and monitoring of species. Additionally, MAW promoted cross-learning among our members and partners.
• Since 2023, our Green Light Protocol enables us to support Akdeniz Koruma Derneği (Mediterranean Conservation Society) from Turkey and WWF North Africa from Tunisia.
• Recently, our partner WWF North-Africa has been awarded with a grant of 264.000 EUR from Audemars Watkins Foundation to fund part of the Dar Fatma peatland restoration in Tunisia.