Goals of the LIFE+BIOAQUAE project

The Convention for the Protection of the Alps, signed jointly in 1991 by the EU and the countries surrounding the Alps (Germany, France, Liechtenstein, Italy, Monaco, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia) contains an explicit commitment to preserve or restore alpine water systems. High elevation water ecosystems are sensitive to several local and global anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change and long transport of atmospheric pollutants, but also water exploitation, alien species introduction and local sources of pollutants all of which have strong impacts on the biodiversity of these sites.

The Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP), in the last few years has started to put a strong emphasis on the conservation of biodiversity in aquatic alpine ecosystems. Since 2008,the GPNP participates to the FP7 ACQWA project, specifically addressing the quantification and monitoring of local impacts on alpine lakes. That’s why the main objective of the present project is to implement concrete conservation actions with a strong demonstrative and innovative value aimed to improve the biodiversity of high altitude aquatic ecosystems within the SCI Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso (IT1201000) in coherence with the objectives of the Commission Communication "Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – and beyond" and of the Commission Communication "Options for an EU vision and target for biodiversity beyond 2010".

Specifically the project will be developed around three specific objectives:

1. Conservation

- eradicate exotic species, eliminating the threats for high altitude

aquatic ecosystems

- conserve and improve the populations of autochthonous species

- reduce sources of organic pollution through innovative methods

2. Monitoring

- verify the impact of the actions regarding efficancy, sostenibility and

3. Communication and diffusion

- increase the level of knowledge and creating exchange opportunities not only among scientists and conservation practioners but also between the accademic and conservation community and the general pubblic