TheWater Framework Directive(WFD) establishes aframework for Community actionin the field ofwater policy. Its main objectiveis to maintain andimprove the status ofaquatic environments in the European Union.
IntheDMA, the definition of ‘environmental status’ is based onthe degree of’naturalness’ of water,based on its chemical andphysico-chemical characteristics, the hydrological regime, the structure of thehabitat, flora andfauna.The WFD establishesas its ownenvironmental objectivesconservation objectivesof all thosespacesofthe Natura 2000 networkwhere themaintenance or improvementof the water statusis an importantfactor in their protection.
The Natural Park of the AlbuferaofValenciais an areaknownasNatura 2000 Network, both as a Special Protection Areafor Birds(SPA) and a Site of Community Interest(SCI). One of the prioritiesof thisLIFEprojectis to analyse theconditionof the SPAAlbuferabefore and afterthe project.This requiresestablishing valuables which are comparable. Thus, withthe ideato definethe appropriate methodology, the criteria and methodology developed byBirdLifeInternational (Monitoring Important Bird Areas: A Global Framework) will be used, adapting to the current tasks, and focusingonly on thosespeciesthat are consideredof interest to theAlbufera(for details, see report on the website).
According to therevised data, there are a priori a totalof 21 species(out of 31identifiedas representative) which would not getthefavorable referencevalue(VRF) establishedaccording to the informationavailable in ornithologicalpopulations of the AlbuferaofValencia.Also,following the methodologicalguidelinesofBirdLifeInternational, their condition, according to their current population size at every moment of their life cycle in the SPA Albufera and compared to the initially considered VRF has been evaluatedfor eachrepresentative species.
With this information the ‘distance’ between the current population size compared to the size of population indicated as VRF is estimated using the following convention:
| Percentage (%) with respect to the VRF of the population (or size of the habitat) | Qualification of the Conservation Status |
| > 90 % | 3 Good |
| 70-90 % | 2 Regular |
| 40-70% | 1 Bad |
| < 40 % | 0 Very bad |
Thus, as summarized below are presented the number of species to be included in each category, and the final count of species:
| Number of species (Total: 16 species with representative information) | Qualification of the Winter Conservation Status |
| 2 | 3 Good |
| 1 | 2 Regular |
| 3 | 1 Bad |
| 10 | 0 Very bad |
| 14 species were initially considered Unfavourable Conservation Status in winter | |
| Number of species (Total: 15 species with representative information) | Qualification of the reproduction conversation status |
| 2 | 3 Good |
| 3 | 2 Regular |
| 4 | 1 Bad |
| 6 | 0 Very bad |
| 13 species were initially considered Unfavourable Conservation Status in the breeding season | |
But whatspecies arepresented ingoodconservationstatus(favorable), moderate, poor or very poor(unfavorable)? The following table showsthe initial identificationof the stateofconservationof the speciesfor whichit can be assumeda priorithat the information availableis representativeto establishafavorable referencevalue(see Annexes VandVIof the report):
status (global, or by life cycle) of the species in the available information as representative
| Name | Scientific name | Global Value | Global Reproduction value | Hibernation value |
| Marsh harrier | Circus | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Northern shoveler | Anas clypeata | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Gadwall | Anas strepera | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Common porchard | Aythya ferina | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | Unfavourable |
| Red-crested porchard | Netta rufina | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | Unfavourable |
| Grey heron | Ardea cinerea | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | Favourable |
| Purple heron | Ardea purpurea | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Squacco heron | Ardeola ralloides | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Little ringed plover | Charadrius dubius | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Gavina corsa | Ichthyaetus audouinii | Unfavourable | Favourable | Unfavourable |
| Great cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Great crested grebe | Podiceps | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | Unfavourable |
| Red-knobbed coot | Fulica cristata | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Eurasian coot | Fulica atra | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | Unfavourable |
| Purple gallinule | Porphyrio | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | Unfavourable |
| Black-winged stilt | Himantopus himantopus | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | Unfavourable |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Black-tailed godwit | Limosa limosa | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Common tern | Sterna hirundo | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis | Favourable | Favourable | Favourable |
| Marbled teal | Marmaronetta angustirostris | Unfavourable | Unfavourable | |
| Great bittern | Botaurus stellaris | Favourable | ||
| Bearded reedling | Panurus | Unfavourable | Unfavourable |
In summary,there is much workto be done.The Albufera, despite all itsvalues, is in anunfavourable conservation status. Or, putanother way,still far fromits potential,is still one ofthe most important wetlandson the IberianPeninsula andthe western Mediterranean.A lot ofwork remains within the frameworkof this projectto improve the water quality, the coverageofpriority habitatsandenhancementof populationsof birdsof conservation interestat regional, nationaland European level.
Toimprovethe ecological status of the Albufera, does not only mean a significant enhancement of its biodiversity, but also making a sustainble use of its surrounding environment:agriculture, fisheries, tourism, food, education …