Kurzfassung

The Draa Basin, southern Morocco, represents a fragile desert oasis with a rich cultural diversity inhabited by almost 1 million people. Salinisation of freshwater resources is a major environmental problem that also affects the Draa river. The goals of the current project are to support the efforts of the UNESCO with respect to conservation and management through the identification of the ecological and economic effects of salinisation, derivation of ion-specific thresholds and...The Draa Basin, southern Morocco, represents a fragile desert oasis with a rich cultural diversity inhabited by almost 1 million people. Salinisation of freshwater resources is a major environmental problem that also affects the Draa river. The goals of the current project are to support the efforts of the UNESCO with respect to conservation and management through the identification of the ecological and economic effects of salinisation, derivation of ion-specific thresholds and prioritisation of zones for freshwater salinization management based on socio-ecological research. The project consists of 5 work packages that deal with the 1) assessment of the ecological status based on invertebrates, vertebrates and ecosystem processes, 2) development of predictive models for salinisation 3) stakeholder analysis involving interviews and stakeholder workshops 4) actions for students and early career researchers 5) application for funding to sustain the study and research network. Overall, the funding will be used to establish a collaborative study and research network and as leverage to produce crucial prerequisites for the application for a larger grant. The project will produce science-based management suggestions for the Draa Basin, lead to high quality scientific publications, activate and involve stakeholders and enhance education and training of Moroccan and German students and early career researchers.» weiterlesen» einklappen