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Oristano Wetlands Contract: €3.5 Million for Water Monitoring and Coastal Erosion

A €3.5 million funding allocation from the Sardinia Region is launching the operational phase of the Action Programme for the Marine-Coastal Wetlands Contract of the Oristano area. The resources, assigned to the Municipality of Nurachi as lead authority, will support monitoring activities on water dynamics and interventions aimed at tackling coastal erosion.

A participatory planning process is now beginning to define the interventions across the main lagoon systems of the Gulf of Oristano through territorial working groups and technical meetings involving local stakeholders and competent authorities.

The objective is to build a shared understanding of existing challenges and identify sustainable and feasible technical solutions, starting from the direct contribution of those who live and work in these territories, particularly fishermen and farmers.

Among the main critical issues already identified are alterations in water circulation and hydraulic dynamics, coastal erosion and shoreline retreat, the gradual loss of functionality of lagoon ecosystems, and pressures linked to human activities.

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The regional funding includes:

  • €2.75 million for the creation of a water quality monitoring network in lagoons and ponds, alongside small mitigation interventions aimed at improving ecological functionality and hydraulic safety;
  • €750,000 dedicated to counteracting erosion affecting lagoon and wetland shorelines.

These activities are part of the Marine-Coastal Wetlands Contract of the Oristano area, a participatory governance instrument promoted by MEDSEA Foundation and signed by the municipalities of Arborea, Arbus, Cabras, Guspini, Nurachi, Oristano, Palmas Arborea, Riola Sardo, San Vero Milis, Santa Giusta and Terralba, together with the Province of Oristano, the Land Reclamation Consortium, and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.

 

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A participatory process for coastal wetlands 

The participatory process will last approximately three months and will be organised through biweekly territorial meetings and technical sessions with the involved institutions. The outcomes of the discussions will be consolidated into operational documents supporting the design of the interventions. The first meetings are scheduled for mid-May.

These activities also represent a key step in climate change adaptation and align with the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) approach, which uses the natural functioning of ecosystems to address environmental and social challenges.

Wetlands play a strategic role in water regulation, flood risk reduction, and coastal protection from erosion, while also contributing to carbon storage and biodiversity conservation.

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Renzo Ponti, Oristano Coastal Wetlands Contract coordinator

“With the launch of this process, we are finally entering the operational phase,” said Renzo Ponti, Mayor of Nurachi and coordinator of the Wetlands Contract. “Following the allocation of resources, the priority is to translate them into effective interventions. This is why we chose a participatory approach: solutions only work when they are built together with local communities.”

Wetlands as natural infrastructure for climate resilience
“Wetlands are fundamental natural infrastructures for climate adaptation,” Ponti added. “They protect coastlines, regulate water flows and support local economic activities. Investing in these systems means investing in the resilience of the territory.”
Ponti also stressed the importance of strengthening governance mechanisms: “Alongside the interventions, we need to consolidate permanent tools and structures for the implementation and management of the Action Programme, ensuring continuity for the work already initiated.”

The Marine-Coastal Wetlands Contract of the Oristano area is a voluntary participatory governance framework bringing together institutions and local territories for the integrated and sustainable management of the wetlands of the Gulf of Oristano, aligning policies and actions around biodiversity protection, climate resilience and local development.

Signed in 2011 by the municipalities of Arborea, Arbus, Cabras, Guspini, Nurachi, Oristano, Palmas Arborea, Riola Sardo, San Vero Milis, Santa Giusta and Terralba, together with the Oristano Land Reclamation Consortium, the Province of Oristano and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, the Contract brings local territories together under a shared commitment to invest in and implement an Action Programme aimed at strengthening participatory governance and capacity building, improving the ecological status of water systems, protecting biodiversity, enhancing landscapes, fostering a green economy, increasing climate resilience and promoting environmental communication.

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