The Ebro Delta: from its origin to present uncertainty

Abstract

The Ebro Delta is located on the Spanish North-East Mediterranean coast (Figure 1) and is the main coastal delta of the Iberian Peninsula and one of the most important of the Mediterranean Sea, after the Nile, Rhone and Po deltas. It represents the second most important aquatic habitat of the Western Mediterranean area, after the Camargue, and the second of the Iberian Peninsula, after Doñana. The relevance of its ecosystems (salt marshes, lakes, ullals, etc.) makes it a distinctive and unique habitat. This has allowed the inclusion of the Ebro Delta in different national and international frameworks for environmental conservation: category A (urgent priority) International Interest of Euro-African Wetlands (UNESCO, 1962); International Importance of Wetland (Convention Ramsar, 1971); Special Protection Area for birds (ZEPA) (European Union, 1979); International Importance of Wetlands (Spanish Government, 1982); Natural Park (Spanish Government, 1983) and Catalonian Government, 1986); Natura 2000 Network (European Union, 1992).