WetlandsApplying an ecosystem-based approach to water and land interfaces CURRENT STATUS Wetlands are key providers of water and essential services to life. Hotspots of biodiversity, they are also one of the fastest declining ecosystems worldwide. The threats against them continue to mount. An increase in the conversion of natural areas to urban and agricultural areas, infrastructure development, water diversion and …

Land and soilLiving on earth CURRENT STATUS Land is the solid part of Earth’s surface which hosts the majority of human activities; the main and essential component of land is the thin covering over it which we call soil. Although land-based ecosystem services are vital for life on the planet, pressures on land and soil continue increasing: the loss of …

GeotechnologySupporting environmental assessments with spatial data CURRENT STATUS Data are at the basis of decision-making. The evolution and amount of data gathering techniques and processing tools have exponentially increased data availability and the potential for different analyses. In this context, a sophisticated data management ecosystem is crucial to respond to complex environmental challenges. To serve its purpose, data harmonisation and …

ForestsMiss the forest for the trees CURRENT STATUS Forests are complex ecosystems providing multiple functions and services, beyond what wood supply, such as provision of freshwater, clean air, regulation of climate and nutrient cycling, recreational, etc. Nowadays, forests are threatened by a wide variety of factors. In addition to the deforestation of vast areas in the world, by unsustainable management …

Conservation and managementFostering science and practices to support environmental protection CURRENT STATUS Biodiversity and the essential ecosystem services it provides – fertile soils, healthy foods, drinking water, clean air – are being seriously degraded as a result of unsustainable extraction, production and consumption patterns by an increasing human population. Humans are meant to share the Planet with millions of species; …

Anthropogenic pressures on land and seaAssessing pressures of human activities in coastal and marine areas of the Mediterranean and beyond CURRENT STATUS The coastal and marine environment is exposed to multiple factors and pressures stemming from human activities and climate change. Some of the pressures come from land-based activities like tourism, urbanization along the coast and pollution from agriculture fields …