WWF Spain continues its journey to restore the wetlands of Alcúdia (Mallorca) with the new ‘RestaurAlcúdia’ project, building on the experience of the previous MAVA-funded initiative.
The wetlands of Maristany and Estany des Ponts are two relicts of a larger lagoon, which was filled in to satisfy urban and tourist demands in the Port of Alcúdia during the 60s and 80s. In the last decades, these have been further fragmented by urbanisation and road construction, leading to the accumulation of waste and expansion of exotic vegetation, but also reducing their capacity for water retention and causing significant flooding in the port and beach of Alcudia.
This project aims to re-nature both urban wetlands as a strategy for flood risk mitigation and environmental restoration. More specifically, it will improve the state of the water bodies, contributing to environmental recovery and climate change adaption, mitigating the flooding risk and enhancing the value of natural spaces as resources for the population and tourism.
The main project actions include:
- the recovery of historically flooded zones
- revegetation and renaturation
- removal of invasive exotic vegetation and waste
- elimination of barriers, extension of drainage channels and actions to favor fauna,
- actions to facilitate and organize public spaces
- participation, monitoring of environmental indicators
- communication and awareness-raising actions.
The project will last 3 years (2023 and 2025) and is co-funded by Fundación Biodiversidad (Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge), in the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – Next Generation EU; coordinated by Alcúdia Town Council with the participation of WWF Spain and the University of the Balearic Islands.
WWF Spain is currently processing the relevant authorisations for the execution of the main restoration works. Actions to remove exotic vegetation, waste and debris have already begun (in July 2023), as well as other citizen science activities with local high schools.
