The acquisition, financed through the Grants for the Purchase of Estates Containing Habitats of Community Interest from the Generalitat de Catalunya, represents a decisive step in the deployment of the Projecte Estanys d’Empordà.
A first estate for the Projecte Estanys d’Empordà
From Alive, we can announce that we have acquired our first estate, which is dedicated to the restoration and conservation of temporary ponds and wetlands within Projecte Estanys d’Empordà. The purchase has been made possible thanks to the Grants for the Purchase of Estates Containing Habitats of Community Interest from the Generalitat de Catalunya, a support scheme that promotes the active conservation of Catalonia’s natural heritage.
Amb aquesta adquisició, assumim la custòdia directa de l’espai i iniciem les actuacions necessàries per recuperar-ne la funcionalitat ecològica, afavorir la biodiversitat i contribuir a la restauració dels antics paisatges lacustres de l’Empordà.
The Empordà ponds: an ecosystem that needs to be restored
The Projecte Estanys d’Empordà aims to restore a part of the hundreds of ponds and lagoons that once occupied the Empordà plain. According to the studies compiled by the project, these ecosystems covered over 2.800 hectares before the drainage and desiccation processes that intensified from the Middle Ages onwards. Currently, the conserved or restored wetlands represent only about 15% of the original area.
The Sant Climent Sescebes estate, the first step in a broader strategy
The new estate, located in Sant Climent Sescebes and covering 13 hectares, will contribute to the restoration objectives we are driving through Alive, which aims to recover at least 450 hectares of new ponds and wetlands in the Empordà region through acquisitions, stewardship agreements, leases and other land management arrangements.
Planned activities on the estate
Among the first planned actions are the removal of artificial drains that prevent the natural flooding of the land, the creation of microhabitats favourable to native flora and fauna, and the removal of invasive exotic species. These interventions will allow the recovery of the ecological processes typical of temporary ponds and increase the space’s capacity to host species of conservation interest.
Beyond biodiversity: the benefits of wetlands
The restoration of these types of ecosystems brings benefits that go beyond biodiversity. Wetlands act as natural water regulators, contribute to its purification, store carbon and help mitigate the effects of droughts and floods. They also constitute spaces of great value for environmental education, research and a model of sustainable nature tourism linked to the local area.
A milestone in our conservation strategy
This first acquisition represents a milestone for Alive, consolidating a conservation strategy based on the direct management of natural spaces and reinforcing our commitment to the recovery of Empordà’s aquatic ecosystems. The estate thus becomes the first tangible step in an initiative that aims to restore water and biodiversity to an essential part of the Empordan landscape.
