Inventories of Mediterranean wetlands can contribute to monitoring activities. They provide the status of wetlands at a given time, and comparing inventories conducted over different periods can help assess trends.
This activity was at the forefront of MedWet activities since the initiative was launched in 1991. Over the years, a number of tools were created: guidebooks, wetland typologies for mapping, databases etc. Inventories have been implemented in at least 12 of the MedWet countries, encompassing over 10 000 wetlands covering over 4 million hectares. An overview (in French only) can be downloaded here.
A very detailed report, country by country, made by Pierre Caessteker, can be downloaded here, as well as a summary leaflet.
In 2008, an online database was created so as to gather all this data from existing inventories: the MedWet Web Information System. However this database yet remains to be made fully functional.
Whilst several stakeholders mentioned that inventories were indeed necessary, it was a costly and time-consuming activity that was never really used for quick decision-making. In 2010, wetlands managers and decision-makers informed the MWO coordination unit that in most countries, wetland inventories are either not completed or not up to date.
