INTRODUCCIÓN

Water- the essence of life! One of the most important sources of biodiversity and landscape modelling  in the region of Castilla y Leon in Spain. Riversides, wetlands, meadows  and areas reached by water constitute an extended amount of ecosystems of great natural value, the protection and conservation of which is of paramount importance for the maintenance of wildlife, aside from the other ecological functionalisties such as economical and social cooperation.

Water comes to be of a greater significance for the bio-geography of a Mediterranian region like ours, where water is a scarce commodity. Even when the great part of Castilla y Leon contains the Duero river and its tributaries network as a backbone, there should be mentioned that other watersheds float the region. So, Tiétar, Alagón and Alberche take their waters into Tajo, and others into the watersheds of Ebro y Miño which are the 4 hydrographic basins in the region.

The programme for the Management and Observation of Mediterranean Wetlands and River Banks in Natura 2000: “MedWetRivers”. It is funded from the EU financial instrument for the environment LIFE and has as its own objective to contribute to the conservation of those great value and importance natural sites, through the creation and elaboration of instruments and tools that make sure a sustainable management of the same, and a close monitoring to the natural affluence.

The project, which is developed from September 2012 to December 2018 has had a budget of 2,744,394€ and a co-finance from the EU of 1,284,376€ (46.8%).