Conclusion
Many people in the region and beyond were outraged. Tens of thousands protested in cities such as Murcia and Cartagena calling for action to save the Mar Menor. More than 500,000 signed a petition asking for the lagoon to receive stronger legal protection.
In response, Spain’s government presented a “framework of priority actions” to halt and reverse the degradation of the lagoon. Parliament, meanwhile, passed a landmark law granting the Mar Menor “legal personality” and a right to exist and be protected–a first in Europe. And regional lawmakers tightened the regulation of land use.
“For us, of course, it was a ray of hope,” said Rubio.
Tackling the causes
Armed with a budget of 675 million euros, project managers began implementing the government’s restoration framework in 2021. The plan includes dozens of on-the-ground restoration actions.
An urgent priority is creating a 1,500-meter-wide green belt around the lagoon, including a series of artificial wetlands as well as rehabilitated sand dunes and other restored natural areas. Some wetlands are being paired with “green filters,” where pumped groundwater is passed through vegetation that absorbs most of the pollutants.
One high-profile measure expected to begin soon is the dismantling of a controversy-plagued marina on the sandbank that divides the lagoon from the Mediterranean Sea. But much of the plan is devoted to addressing the pollution that has beset the lagoon at its most important sources. UNEP News
