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Mancha Húmeda
Mancha Húmeda is a Spanish wetland area which was designated a Biosphere reserve in 1980. "Húmeda" means damp in Spanish and "Mancha Húmeda" refers to wetlands situated in La Mancha, a predominantly arid region of central Spain. The core area of the reserve is the Tablas de Daimiel National Park, a threatened wetland which continues to be important for its bird population. The buffer zone of ''Mancha Húmeda'' includes a natural park, the Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park. The natural park, which is larger than the national park, is administered by the regional government of Castile-La Mancha. Conservation issues Some conservationists have questioned the future of ''Tablas de Daimiel'' as an internationally protected area, because the site's eco-system has been damaged by over-use of water resources. In the twentieth century, groundwater in the area was used in an unsustainable way to develop irrigated agriculture, and it has proved difficult to implement a solution. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from terrestrial land forms or Body of water, water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique anoxic hydric soils. Wetlands are considered among the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal species. Methods for assessing wetland functions, wetland ecological health, and general wetland condition have been developed for many regions of the world. These methods have contributed to wetland conservation partly by raising public awareness of the functions some wetlands provide. Wetlands occur naturally on every continent. The water in wetlands is either freshwater, brackish or seawater, saltwater. The main w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Water Framework Directive
The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC is an EU directive which commits European Union member states to achieve good qualitative and quantitative status of all water bodies (including marine waters up to one nautical mile from shore) by 2015. It is a framework in the sense that it prescribes steps to reach the common goal rather than adopting the more traditional limit value approach. The Directive's aim for 'good status' for all water bodies will not be achieved, with 47% of EU water bodies covered by the Directive failing to achieve the aim. Objectives of the Directive The Directive aims for 'good status' for all ground and surface waters (rivers, lakes, transitional waters, and coastal waters) in the EU. The ecological and chemical status of surface waters are assessed according to the following criteria (see also: freshwater environmental quality parameters): * Biological quality (fish, benthic invertebrates, aquatic flora) * Hydromorphological quality such as river b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protected Areas Of Castilla–La Mancha
Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although the mechanisms for providing protection vary widely, the basic meaning of the term remains the same. This is illustrated by an explanation found in a manual on electrical wiring: Some kind of protection is a characteristic of all life, as living things have evolved at least some protective mechanisms to counter damaging environmental phenomena, such as ultraviolet light. Biological membranes such as bark on trees and skin on animals offer protection from various threats, with skin playing a key role in protecting organisms against pathogens and excessive water loss. Additional structures like scales and hair offer further protection from the elements and from predators, with some animals having features such as spines or camouflage serving ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protected Areas Established In 1980
Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although the mechanisms for providing protection vary widely, the basic meaning of the term remains the same. This is illustrated by an explanation found in a manual on electrical wiring: Some kind of protection is a characteristic of all life, as living things have evolved at least some protective mechanisms to counter damaging environmental phenomena, such as ultraviolet light. Biological membranes such as bark on trees and skin on animals offer protection from various threats, with skin playing a key role in protecting organisms against pathogens and excessive water loss. Additional structures like scales and hair offer further protection from the elements and from predators, with some animals having features such as spines or camouflage servin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biosphere Reserves Of Spain
The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the zone of life on Earth. The biosphere (which is technically a spherical shell) is virtually a closed system with regard to matter, with minimal inputs and outputs. With regard to energy, it is an open system, with photosynthesis capturing solar energy at a rate of around 130 terawatts per year. However it is a self-regulating system close to energetic equilibrium."Biosphere" in ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th ed. (2004) Columbia University Press. By the most general [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lagunas De Ruidera
The Lagunas de Ruidera are a group of small lakes in the Campo de Montiel, Castilla-La Mancha, between Albacete Province, and Ciudad Real Province, Spain. Most of the lakes are interconnected and their total water amount may reach 23.06 hm3, which is considerable by the standards of other lakes in the Iberian Peninsula. The largest lakes are Laguna Colgada and Laguna del Rey. The area near the lakes is a tourist site, with small hotels, restaurants, camping sites and private villas, located mostly in or around Ruidera town. The area can be reached from Ossa de Montiel or Villahermosa. List of lakes There are now 15 small lakes in the group: Albacete Province * Laguna Colgada * Laguna Batana * Laguna Santos Morcillo * Laguna Salvadora * Laguna Lengua * Laguna Redondilla * Laguna de San Pedro * Laguna Tinaja * Laguna Tomilla * Laguna Conceja * Laguna Taza. This lake was drained in order to build a camping site Ciudad Real Province *Laguna Cenagosa *Laguna Coladilla *Laguna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Water Week In Stockholm
World Water Week in Stockholm is a week-long global water conference held each year in late August or early September. Known as World Water Week, the event is organized and led by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Events and conference sessions address a wide range of the world's water, development and sustainability issues and related concerns of international development. Over 3300 participants attended the conference in 2017. The week feature experts and representatives from business, governments, water management and science sectors, intergovernmental and non governmental organisations, research and training organisations, and United Nations agencies. The conference features plenary sessions and panel debates, scientific workshops, poster exhibitions, side events and seminars. In 2017, 380 organisations from 138 countries all over the world participated in World Water Week. Functioning as an open and dynamic platform, World Water Week aims to link practice, s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stockholm International Water Institute
The Stockholm International Water Institute, SIWI, is an independent, not-for-profit foundation, which seeks to strengthen the governance of fresh water globally, regionally, nationally, and locally. Founded in 1991, SIWI performs research, builds institutional capacity and provides advisory services in five thematic areas: ''water governance'', ''transboundary water management'', ''water and climate change'', ''the water-energy-food nexus'', ''and water economics''. Research and competence The Stockholm International Water Institute initiates research, manages projects and carries out investigations on a wide range of water-related issues. By addressing and implementing strategies and providing policy advice on water resources management and development, the institute also supports decision making processes at both the national and international levels. Stockholm International Water Institute regularly publishes reports, articles and policy briefs on a wide range of water and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carbon Sink
A carbon sink is anything, natural or otherwise, that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period and thereby removes carbon dioxide () from the atmosphere. Globally, the two most important carbon sinks are vegetation and the ocean. Public awareness of the significance of sinks has grown since passage of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which promotes their use as a form of carbon offset. There are also different strategies used to enhance this process. Soil is an important carbon storage medium. Much of the organic carbon retained in the soil of agricultural areas has been depleted due to intensive farming. " Blue carbon" designates carbon that is fixed via the ocean ecosystems. Mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses make up a majority of ocean plant life and store large quantities of carbon. Many efforts are being made to enhance natural sequestration in soils and the oceans. In addition, a range of artificial sequestration initiatives are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Since the 1980s, ecotourism has been considered a critical endeavor by environmentalists, so that future generations may experience destinations relatively untouched by human intervention. Ecotourism may focus on educating travelers on local environments and natural surroundings with an eye to ecological conservation. Some include in the definition of ecotourism the effort to produce economic opportunities that make conservation of natural resources financially possible. Generally, ecotourism deals with interaction with biotic components of the natura ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Union. It implements a system of agricultural subsidies and other programmes. It was introduced in 1962 and has since then undergone several changes to reduce the EEC budget cost (from 73% in 1985 to 37% in 2017) and consider rural development in its aims. It has, however, been criticised on the grounds of its cost and its environmental and humanitarian effects. Overview The CAP is often explained as the result of a political compromise between France and Germany: German industry would have access to the French market; in exchange, Germany would help pay for France's farmers. The CAP has always been a difficult area of EU policy to reform; it is a problem that began in the 1960s and one that has continued to the present, albeit less severely. Changes to the CAP are proposed by the European Commission, after a public consultation, which then sends its proposals to the Council and to the European Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Water Footprint
A water footprint shows the extent of water use in relation to consumption by people. The water footprint of an individual, community, or business is defined as the total volume of fresh water used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. Water use is measured in water volume consumed (evaporated) and/or polluted per unit of time. A water footprint can be calculated for any well-defined group of consumers (e.g., an individual, family, village, city, province, state, or nation) or producers (e.g., a public organization, private enterprise, or economic sector), for a single process (such as growing rice) or for any product or service. Traditionally, water use has been approached from the production side, by quantifying the following three columns of water use: water withdrawals in the agricultural, industrial, and domestic sector. While this does provide valuable data, it is a limited way of looking at water use in a g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
