"The other day, on the opposite side of this pond, I saw a flamingo born in 1983 born in France. A 41-year-old flamingo that probably travelled all around the Mediterranean."

Gabriele Pinna, an ornithologist and delegate for the Lipu (Italian League for Bird Protection) in the province of Oristano, seems to know the flamingos one by one. After all, he has been studying them and dozens of other bird species still inhabiting this rare biodiversity treasure for years.

We are at the S'Ena Arrubia pond in the Gulf of Oristano, in central-western Sardinia. It is a wetland. Lagoons, river deltas, marshes, swamps, peatlands: wetlands are among Europe's most valuable and, at the same time, most threatened ecosystems. These areas were once considered unhealthy lands to be reclaimed. However, the large-scale land reclamation projects of the 1920s and 1930s, although applicable in some cases for fighting malaria, ultimately caused an unprecedented loss of habitats and biodiversity. Today, the scientific community has recognised the vital role wetlands play in the fight against the climate crisis: they protect against the consequences of extreme weather events, are among the most effective carbon sinks on the planet, and mitigate human impacts on the land. Despite this, wetlands continue to shrink due to human intervention.

 

S'Ena Arrubia: The Surviving Pond

The Sardinian wetland we are visiting today is an emblematic case. It is part of the vast swamp south of Oristano that was drained during the fascist era between 1934 and 1937. Beyond the road that now separates the S'Ena Arrubia pond from the Sassu pumping station, there used to be around 200 marshes interspersed with dunes, covering a total of 18,000 hectares. The reclamation operation wiped out nearly everything, flattening the dunes, covering the marshes, and transforming this immense wetland in Oristano into fertile plains for agriculture and livestock. The focal point became Arborea, a town in the province of Oristano, which until 1944 was called Mussolinia di Sardegna: the reclamation turned it into one of the island's most productive areas but at a very high cost. Not only did it result in the dramatic loss of birdlife and biodiversity, but it's also proven that wetlands play a crucial role in mitigating the climate crisis, and their destruction makes the land more vulnerable to extreme events (such as the violent floods that hit Oristano and the entire island of Sardinia in 2013).

The S'Ena Arrubia pond covers about 300 hectares and is one of the few wetlands that survived the reclamation. Saved from being drained, it has become an independent basin, fed by artificial freshwater channels, and is a nature reserve. Here, Gabriele Pinna and his fellow ornithologists come to conduct bird population surveys and monitor the health of the protected areas.

In front of us, dozens of flamingos feed undisturbed, their elegant stance like that of tightrope walkers. "You can tell these flamingos are feeding," Pinna explains, "because they rotate slightly and stir the mud with their feet, which they then filter through their beaks."

Flamingos feed mainly on molluscs, aquatic insects, and small crustaceans. Their pink colour is due to this food, particularly Artemia salina, a small shrimp that feeds on algae rich in pink pigments called carotenoids.

The 1983 French flamingo spotted by Pinna, which came here to feed, was recognised thanks to the most traditional and effective tracking technique: banding. As explained by the Association for the Molentargius Park (which we will visit in another part of this investigation), this technique involves placing a PVC ring with a unique code on the leg of a young flamingo. The ring is the least invasive method to track migratory movements and gather valuable data on the species' biology.

"You need binoculars, a trained eye, and some practice. By reading the rings, we can gather a lot of data, from the bird's age to its physiological state," Pinna says. "When I read a ring, I receive a movement statistic called 'life histories'. Ornithologists across the Mediterranean can contribute to the database, and I can see who read a particular ring and when. It's possible I even read it myself back in the '80s—who knows."

 

Protecting wetlands: the Ramsar Convention

To help us better see the flamingos, Gabriele Pinna pulls a telescope from the trunk of his 4x4 Panda and sets it up a few meters from the S'Ena Arrubia pond. As he continues talking, he says:

"This is a delicate pond because it's a water collection basin, essentially a hydraulic structure. But it's still a pond, a natural reserve protected by Ramsar."

Ah yes, the Ramsar Convention. To date, it's the only international recognition of the importance of wetlands. On February 2, 1971—one year before the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm—the representatives of seven countries signed the Convention on wetlands of international importance in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Over the years, the number of signatory countries has grown to 172, covering over 2.400 Ramsar sites worldwide and about 2.5 million square kilometres (here is a report with the frequent updated list).

Italy, which joined the Convention in 1976, now has 57 Ramsar sites distributed across 15 regions covering almost 74,000 hectares (data from the Ministry of the Environment). Of these 57 internationally recognised Italian wetlands, 9 are in Sardinia, 6 of which are in Oristano.

The map shows the 57 wetlands registered in Italy according to the Ramsar Convention. Ramsar sites are marked by grey circles, their size varying based on the hectares of the wetland. The colours of the regions represent the total hectares of Ramsar wetlands within that region. Data source: Ramsar.

 

 

Ramsar isn't enough: the wasted heritage of wetlands in Sardinia

S'Ena Arrubia, Corru S'Ittiri, Marceddì and San Giovanni ponds, Pauli Maiori pond, Mistras pond, Cabras pond, and Sale' e Porcus pond: these are the 6 Ramsar sites in Oristano, along with Cagliari's Molentargius pond and, added in 2021, the mouth of the Rio Posada in the province of Nuoro, in northern Sardinia.

Nine protected areas, which, as Gabriele Pinna explains, are just a drop in the ocean. "There's no comprehensive management of the ponds. The Ramsar Convention is only a non-binding declaration of intent." In the future, Natura 2000, an EU network aimed at ensuring the long-term preservation of natural habitats and threatened or rare species, could provide a solution. "But the current measures aren't enough," Pinna continues, "and municipalities don't have the resources or the expertise to implement serious protection measures. They don't have the passion, I’d say."

We will dedicate an entire chapter of this series to the (lack of) management of Sardinia's wetlands. However, from a scientific and naturalistic perspective, the most relevant point is that the Ramsar Convention is insufficient. And not just because it's non-binding. The problem is that Ramsar-protected sites represent only a tiny fraction of the wetland heritage that should be safeguarded. Once again, Sardinia is a particularly significant case.

'Here, every pool, every channel is just as important as a Ramsar pond. For example, I've conducted a census of heronries. In a drainage canal near Arborea, which was completely covered with reeds, I found about 600 pairs of cattle egrets. That canal could very well be Ramsar-worthy. You can find similar examples wherever you go in the Gulf of Oristano. It's a waste because nobody even knows about these wetlands,' says Pinna."

With these words, our story takes a new turn. Europe's wetland heritage is heavily exploited, and most countries don't prevent this; on the contrary, they often support intensive agriculture, industrial extraction, and mass tourism. Recent cases highlighted by investigative journalism teams in Ireland and Germany—our partners in the initial sprint of a cross-border investigation that we have appropriately named Wasted Wetlands—demonstrate this.

But the Sardinian example shows us, from our very first visit to S'Ena Arrubia, that the wetland heritage in Italy is not just exploited: it is ignored, unknown, forgotten, and therefore wasted.

 

All of Sardinia's Wetlands

This realization led us to make the first stage of our investigation shed light on this 'waste' of wetlands. We began with scientific papers and technical reports, trying to untangle what the scientific community had, as is often the case, started to understand through data some time ago: the wetland heritage is far richer, more valuable, and, at the same time, more threatened than we had imagined.

Again, the Sardinian case proves this. Among the various studies we analyzed, one stood out—a 2021 paper published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.

The study's first author is Mauro Fois, a botanist at the University of Cagliari. We contacted him and went to meet him. He welcomed us to his office at the Botanical Garden in Cagliari, a perfect setting for our conversation. With the generosity typical of some scientists, he shared with us the method and data from an unprecedented operation: mapping, "pool by pool," all of Sardinia's wetlands. The very same ones that, according to ornithologist Gabriele Pinna, are potentially just as important as Ramsar sites. The result? 2.567 wetlands, most of which had never been studied before. And the number is likely to increase: during new field trips, it's not uncommon to discover small, previously unidentified ponds. Since the 2021 study, conducted as part of the international MedIsWet project funded by the Mava Foundation, Fois has continued updating the Sardinian wetlands database. The mapping, carried out using the Rapid Assessment protocol defined by MedWet, combined satellite data with on-the-ground observations.

"We started with a preliminary inventory," Fois explains, "by identifying and digitising all visible wetlands using high-resolution satellite images from Google Earth. Where there was uncertainty about the area of a wetland, we defined the largest potential polygon based on seasonal flooding and vegetation cover fluctuations."

This preliminary inventory was then validated through field observations. Fois and his colleagues visited a large portion of the identified wetlands in Sardinia, thus supplementing the satellite data with various indicators (for example, the origin and type of wetland).

Using Fois's data and cross-referencing it with the Ramsar database, our team created this visualisation of all known wetlands in Sardinia to date.

The map shows the 2,567 wetland sites identified by Mauro Fois's research team (in green) and the 9 Ramsar sites (in blue). The circles' size corresponds to the wetland's size in hectares. Clicking on the circles opens a window with some information: the name of the wetland, the area in hectares, its origin (natural or artificial), the type of wetland, and its conservation status (if available). The name and location are provided for Ramsar sites, the registration date, the wetland's number, and the description listed on the official Ramsar Convention site when the site was registered. Data: Mauro Fois—a study conducted as part of the Mediterranean Island Wetlands project (MedIsWet), funded by the Mava Foundation.

 

Fois points to a dot on his computer screen in central Sardinia, west of the Gulf of Oristano.

"This is the Giara plateau. It has impermeable clay soils that allow temporary water accumulation. At first glance, it might look like a quarry, but it's a wetland. From a botanical perspective, these are among the most important wetlands. But they are also crucial for a specific type of fauna, including small invertebrates and amphibians."

Indeed, invertebrates, amphibians, and plants were often overlooked when selecting internationally significant wetlands. One of the main criteria for identifying Ramsar sites focused on birdlife, considered a primary indicator of biodiversity and habitat health. While this is undoubtedly important, it led to a concentration on coastal areas. However, the Sardinian case shows that wetlands can be found anywhere. Less 'famous' flora and fauna are also vital to the health of these areas.

"It's easier to use flamingos as a flagship species to try to protect a territory. But this also applies to other species. For example, take the Giara plateau: this area is only famous for the Giara horse, an endemic breed of Sardinia. But when the horse is not present, it's hard to recognise this as one of the most interesting areas from an environmental and naturalistic perspective. And it's difficult to convince people to protect it."

In Sardinian, Fois explains, inland wetlands that experience water stagnation are called paùli, a term derived from the Latin palus, meaning marsh. And indeed, in the collective imagination, marshes are not exactly the most pleasant environments. Yet, their role is as crucial as it is underestimated.

"This type of habitat belongs to the category of Mediterranean temporary ponds," Fois continues. "Their contribution to groundwater recharge is essential: these wetlands replenish the aquifer. Wetlands also play a key role in carbon capture and mitigating excessive CO2 emissions."

Wetlands, whether temporary or permanent, natural or artificial, small or large, in the form of ponds, swamps, or marshes, are invaluable assets in the fight against the climate crisis, as the Sardinian example shows.

"Our mapping of Sardinia's wetlands worked well because we're dealing with an island context—self-contained and limited—where there are no overlaps with other regions. Here, climate change's direct and indirect consequences are more immediate and evident precisely because we are isolated. Isolation is the reason why Sardinia can be considered a pilot project."

The importance of this pilot project in mapping Sardinian wetlands teaches us that we must first understand its full complexity to protect vital habitats. Today, the scientific community recognises the strategic role of wetlands in combating the climate crisis. However, much work must be done to ensure their complete understanding and preservation. Wetlands are not just a heritage to be conserved; they are a unique example of complex habitats deeply interconnected with environmental, climatic, economic, and social factors. Recognising the value of this heritage is the first step toward using it wisely.

 

 


Credits

We undertake this with support from various funders, including:

- The Climate Arena Fellowships 2023 supported by Arena for Journalism in Europe

- The "Environmental Journalism" program of the Journalism Fund, which we obtained with other European colleagues for an investigation in several countries during the first part of 2024

- The Data Journalism grant from SISSA in Trieste, that enabled us to work on data collection and experiment collaboratively with the Data Science research group, developing and applying remote sensing technologies and AI tools for satellite image analysis, in the last part of 2023 and the first half of 2024

Most of the articles in this series are published in Italian on Il Bo Live, the digital magazine edited by the University of Padova. We also collaborate with colleagues from independent publications such as Indip, an independent magazine based in Sardinia.

"Wasted Wetlands" will continue in the coming months and years. We start in Sardinia, home to the most Italian Ramsar sites. We go to Cervia, where the salt flat, one of the Mediterranean's oldest, was devastated by the May 2023 flood that hit all of Romagna. 

And we will keep going as long as there are data to collect and stories to tell.

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