Environmental Management

, Volume 34, Issue 6, pp 875–886 | Cite as

Re-Establishing a Sustainable Wetland at Former Lake Karla, Greece, Using Ramsar Restoration Guidelines

  • George C. Zalidis
  • Vasilios Takavakoglou
  • Athanasios Panoras
  • George Bilas
  • Sotiria Katsavouni
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Lake Karla, Greece, was almost completely drained in 1962 both to protect surrounding farmlands from flooding and to increase agricultural area. Loss of wetland functions and values resulted in environmental, social, and economic problems. A number of restoration plans were proposed to address these problems. The plan approved by the government in the early 1990s proposed construction of a 4200-ha reservoir solely to improve water storage and flood attenuation functions. However, the Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel states that the primary goal of any restoration project is to create resilient and sustainable ecosystems, as measured on a human timescale, in order to improve the ecological character and enhance the socioeconomic role that the wetland plays in the watershed. This study utilizes Ramsar guidelines for sustainable restoration of Lake Karla. Eight additional restoration measures are proposed based on functional analysis of the wetland to enhance additional wetland functions and support multiple values for humans and nature.

Ramsar guidelines Functional analysis Wetland restoration Sustainability 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. 2005

Authors and Affiliations

  • George C. Zalidis
    • 1
  • Vasilios Takavakoglou
    • 1
  • Athanasios Panoras
    • 2
  • George Bilas
    • 1
  • Sotiria Katsavouni
    • 1
  1. 1.Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Faculty of AgricultureThessalonikiGreece
  2. 2.National Agricultural Research Foundation Land Reclamation InstituteSindosGreece

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