Together for Doñana

The Doñana National Park is located in the western part of the Andalusia region, in the south of Spain, and was created in the 1960s by the conservation efforts lead by WWF. The National Park, managed by the Spanish Central Administration, currently covers 50,720 hectares and is characterised by three main types of ecosystems: mobile dunes, Mediterranean bushland and marshland.

The Doñana area is the habitat for 875 plant and 226 bird species, apart from fishes, reptiles, amphibians and protected mammals. Doñana is vital as an annual stop-over point for over 6 million migratory birds: Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Glossy Ibis, Avocet or the Greylag Goose are some of these species. Until 60,000 individuals from the last species feed and winter in this area, coming from the rest of Europe (Netherlands, Germany, Sweeden, Denmark, etc.). But Doñana also harbours the last surviving populations of the Iberian lynx (the world's most endangered feline) and of the Spanish Imperial Eagle, both species on the verge of extinction.

Doñana has been declared wetland of international importance having extraordinary ecological value by the Ramsar Convention, Biosphere Reserve (1980) and World Heritage Site (1994) by UNESCO. But Doñana is also under intense pressure from inappropriate development, particularly in the form of uncontrolled tourism, agriculture and road building.

WWF Spain and the European Freshwater Programme, with funds from WWF Netherlands and WWF UK and the support of EPO and MedPO, set out to establish a model project, lead by a three-person team working in partnership with local stakeholders. The aim was to establish Doñana as a model for ecological restoration, nature conservation and sustainable development .

More information:
- Together for Doñana (WWF)

Photo © WWF/Jorge Sierra

Date of publication: 09/07/2001

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