The project is being carried out by SEO/Birdlife and complements the Action Plan drawn up with WWF to recover wetlands at its facilities.
The Balearic Water Agency has commissioned SEO/BirdLife to develop a network to monitor biodiversity in the lagoons associated with its wastewater treatment plants. The main objective of the project, called ‘Aigua i Biodiversitat’ (Water and Biodiversity), is to improve knowledge of the biodiversity of the lagoons associated with the wastewater treatment plants through a process of citizen science and environmental education.
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Thus, a set of tools, teaching materials and training actions for local NGOs and teachers will be developed. These tools include the elaboration of the definition of a database, the design of educational material and the development of three training workshops for the implementation of the environmental monitoring network. These workshops will be held in Mallorca, Menorca and Eivissa with a maximum of 20 people and a duration of approximately 3 hours.
To monitor biodiversity in wetlands, a database will be designed to record species of flora and fauna, which will be public and can be consulted through the project’s website. In addition, a mini-guide will be produced with the most representative species of the wetlands. Educational material will also be developed for secondary school teachers and students.
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and their associated lagoons stand out in many cases for their importance as wetlands with a high capacity to host biodiversity and, therefore, offer an opportunity to work on their maintenance and conservation, seeking to have a positive net impact.
It is also envisaged that this aquatic biodiversity monitoring network will be extended to other wetlands of environmental value in the Balearic Islands managed by local entities and NGOs. Thus, the ultimate aim of the ‘Aigua i Biodiversitat’ project is to develop a network for monitoring aquatic biodiversity in lagoons and wetlands of environmental value in the archipelago.
In 2021, the Balearic Water Agency, in collaboration with WWF, drafted an “Action Plan for the improvement of biodiversity in the wastewater treatment plants of the Balearic Islands”. The document identified 28 WWTPs (out of the 79 managed by the Agency) that contain wetlands of importance for biodiversity. These 28 wetlands cover a total surface area of 35 ha.
Within the framework of the Plan, two wetlands linked to the WWTPs of Ariany and Sant Joan de Labritja have already been recovered.