October 2013
ALBUFERA LIFE is a European project for the integrated management of three artificial wetlands in the Natural Park of Albufera of Valencia. Coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Valencia and developed with the participation of Fundación Global Nature, Acció Ecologista-Agró and Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO / BirdLife) has ACUAMED and Júcar River Authority as co-financers. The project has a total budget of 1,446,234 Euro and an execution period of three years, 50 % is financed by the European Union.
The aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of the integrated management of these areas to improve water and habitat for birds quality, integrating the three European directives (Water, Birds and Habitats). During the development of the project, commons indicators will be defined "Water-bird-habitat" and rules on wetlands management that optimize these indicators will seek.
Constructed wetlands work as water treatment systems, coming from in this case, from the Albufera or external inputs. The total surface is about 90 hectares of old rice fields. The new vegetation consists of macrophytes: reeds, cattails, lilies and rushes, among others, and which are the responsible of purify the water.
The creation of these wetlands represents an aid to comply with water quality objectives of the Water Framework Directive. They also improve bird habitats, according to the guidelines set by the Birds and Habitats Directives.