People

by Silvia Messeri

Humid zones at risk
Alarm in the European Union

We have now reached danger level: over half the marshes, ponds, lagoons and water-covered areas of the countries that make up the new Europe have completely disappeared. The loss of these humid zones is one of the most serious concerns of the European Commission of Environment. Excessive urbanization, heedless agricultural exploitation and the uncontrolled dumping of rubbish are in fact some of the main causes of the disappearance of the humid zones. For this reason the Europe Union has stated that it is necessary to act immediately to save these humid zones which are at the basis of the ecosystem. Their function is extremely important for the regulation of water levels. Apart from this they act as a filter system and are the natural habitat for a large number of plants and animals, in particolar for the migratory birds that use them during their migration to distant countries.

One of the pools of the Giara di Gesturi in Sardinia

It is impossible to substitute a valuable asset like water and according to this principle the member countries of the member countries must come to an agreement on how to act in the most efficient way to guarantee the protection of the humid zones. This means coordinating the interests of agriculture, fishing and the organization of tourism (which has recently discovered the few remaining humid zones), bearing in mind that the best way of protecting the waters is to take preventive measures against pollution. Apart from this, the Commission also maintains that the member States must come to an agreement over the measures to be taken for the protection of the rivers and coasts and especially as regards the respect for the regulations protecting these areas. This will all the more effective if all the countries in the Union also undertake an agreement to encourage educational, training and research schemes. See also: European animals and plants

FAN

FAN-Florence ART News
a cura di
Silvia Messeri & Sandro Pintus