More than 50 ecologists met in Seville last week to create an Iberian observatory to provide new data and tools to help. protecting the health of rivers and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The meeting, which took place in a mixed format at the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) on March 21-22, It brought together the research assistants of the research centers in Spain, Portugal and France and the people responsible for the management of different hydrographic basins. Spanish, according to a statement from CSIC.
The business is currently “More than half of the Iberian rivers are degraded. In addition to the fact that “droughts and rising temperatures caused by climate change are expected to worsen freshwater health,” due to water pollution and the presence of invasive species”.
CSIC acknowledges that this first meeting is the starting point for the launch of the Iberian Fluvial Observatory and laying the groundwork for a new way to assess river health of the Iberian Peninsula.
In this sense, it shows that this project will combine the experience of taxonomists and the use of molecular techniques, thereby allowing together a characterization of the biodiversity of Iberian rivers, including microbes, algae, invertebrates, fish and birds. What else, The observatory will assemble another team to measure the ecological functions provided by riverssuch as fish farming, water treatment or climate regulation.
“In that sense, it’s a new project and certainly unique, because it will be one of the first large-scale observatories that will allow us to understand how climate change and other human impacts can affect the health and benefits of rivers. They bring to the community,” said Cayetano Gutiérrez Cánovas, researcher and observatory coordinator at EBD-CSIC. said.
This observatory will consist of six study areas. It will cover different climatic zones of the Iberian Peninsula, from the arid regions in the south to the Cantabrian Mountains, and an annual monitoring will be undertaken to understand the long-term dynamics of stream ecosystems.
“Improving the health of rivers has a direct impact on people’s health and well-being and the economy, not forgetting that it is a legal obligation as a result of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. healthier rivers and more biodiversity will attract more tourists to rural areas as they will have better bathing quality and more fish.. “In addition, improving the health of our rivers will allow lowering water treatment and purification costs and will help reduce floods and heat waves.”