Hazards that threaten Greek wetlands: The case of Lake Koronia

Abstract

Wetlands all over the world have been recognized as some of the most productive, multifunctional and dynamic ecosystems and they are under protection according to European Union legislation. However, they are under imminent threat due to increasing pollution, intensification of agriculture and rapid development activities. Lake Koronia is one of the eleven wetlands protected under the Ramsar Convention in Greece. However, it has been undergoing great degradation during the last twenty years due to the lack of a proper environmental management plan. The main activities in the wetland watershed are agriculture, industry and urban development. The aims of the present paper are to identify and represent the major ecological changes that have recently occurred, the real problems that threaten the ecosystem of Lake Koronia, as well as to make proposals that should be taken into consideration for the proper management and the conservation of the protected wetland.