Paros Island, GR - July 2025
Can reviving traditional water management techniques boost biodiversity in drought-prone landscapes? The Greek case study from the SpongeScapes project is helping us find out.
Earlier this July, WWF Greece presented early results from the Paros Island sponge measure at the International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions (ICZEGAR). Their poster focused on 34 traditional stone check dams built along the ephemeral Kavouropotamos stream — a nature-based solution designed to retain water, enhance groundwater recharge, and increase resilience to drought.
But how does this translate to biodiversity?
Thanks to rigorous long-term biodiversity monitoring — launched even before the dams were built — researchers are uncovering exciting changes in the local ecosystem:
- Freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates have increased in abundance, with some species recorded for the first time on Paros.
- Grass snakes (Natrix natrix) were observed only after the dams were installed.
- Vegetation cover is visibly expanding, with NDVI data supporting field observations.
Monitoring will continue until 2026 to better understand seasonal and climatic influences. Challenges remain — including pollution and habitat disturbance — but this project illustrates the potential of combining traditional ecological knowledge with modern science.
Want to dive deeper into sponge measures and their monitoring ? Explore our webinars in our Sponge Academy.