Integrated water management scenarios for wetland protection: application in Trichonis Lake

Sustainable water resources management is a priority issue today, since it can contribute to achieving both environmental preservation and economic prosperity. Wetlands constitute a significant environmental system, since they incorporate unique habitats with endemic and migrant species and therefore contribute to the conservation of high global biodiversity. However, they suffer from degradation because of the intensification of agriculture, the increase in pollution rates and poor water management practices. This study attempts to develop a methodology by combining GIS applications, remote-sensing techniques and physically based hydrologic modelling for the formation of water management plans in lake catchments. This methodology has been tested in Trichonis Lake catchment, in Western Greece, where the endangered calcareous fens habitat undergoes great ecological stresses due to the irrational use of local water resources. The first results indicated that the particular methodology operated efficiently. The suggested scenario has been adopted by the local water authorities and the significant water level fluctuations observed in the past have been eliminated to approximately 25% in the initial implementation period. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.