Aquatic ecosystem

Aquatic environments encompass transitional waters in lagoons, estuaries and deltas, freshwater lakes and bodies of water, wetlands of different types, and groundwater. In most cases, these environments are water and biodiversity reserves and are subject to quality improvement targets.

These rich environments are also vulnerable and sensitive to climate change, usage pressures, and urban or peri-urban development. However, they provide a multitude of services, in terms of resource management and available water stocks, maintenance of biodiversity and ecological continuity, and living standards. Aquatic environments are essential to human activity and its development, just as much as they preserve flora and fauna.

Aquatic environments offer genuine tools and solutions for building resilience and adapting to climate change, especially given their critical role in water resource management.