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The
Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (EKBY)
Up until
the 1970s, the importance of Greek
wetlands was appreciated only by a handful of scientists
and nature lovers. Most Greeks tended to regard wetlands as
marshy habitats of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Likewise,
before1971, the Iranian town of Ramsar was hardly known outside
Iran. Nowadays, Ramsar is synonymous with the Convention
on Wetlands of International Importance, which was signed
by delegates from the seven founding states, including Greece.
It was thanks to the Ramsar Convention (now ratified by 90
countries) that local governmental organisations and scientific
research teams first began to focus on the biological, cultural
and economic wealth nestling in Greek wetlands. Some three
decades after the Ramsar Convention, "wetlands"
is a household term in Greece.
Foundation
for the Greek Wetlands
A milestone
in the study of Greek wetlands was the April 1989 meeting
for the Protection and Exploitation of Greek Wetlands
in Thessaloniki. Some 30 Greek and foreign specialists representing
universities, ecological organisations and the public sector
attended. Three subsequent 'Open Meetings' were organised
in Athens, Xanthi and Patras.
One of
the proposals unanimously adopted by all participants was
the inception of a specialised foundation for Greek wetlands.
A year later, in1990, this proposal was adopted by the Greek
Ministry of Environment, and submitted to the European
Commission for co-funding. Thus, in September 1991, the well-established Goulandris
Museum of Natural History founded the Greek Biotope/Wetland
Centre in Thessaloniki.
What
is EKBY?
EKBY
has always capitalised on close collaboration with public
and private sector organisations. EKBY presents its projects
and achievements to the public in an accessible way, through
publications, exhibitions, lectures and campaigns. Initially,
one of the major issues the Centre faced was the actual definition
of wetlands as such. EKBY charted c. 400 wetlands, covering
a total area of 500,000 hectares.These consist of river deltas,
marshes, lakes, lagoons, springs, rivers and artificial lakes.
Endangered migrating birds, fragile and diverse eco-systems,
the exploitation of wetlands for farming and fishing, and
their contribution to micro-climactic stability and bio-chemical
continuity, irrigation and power plants, are just some of
the issues tackled by theGreek Biotope/Wetland Centre.
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