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The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has published the report of the symposium "Science at the Service of the Recovery of the Mar Menor Socio-Ecological System ," organized by the MITECO Undersecretariat through the Mar Menor Technical Office (OTMM) in Cartagena. More than thirty experts, scientists, and technicians presented their proposals on the lagoon and its surroundings.
This document compiles the diagnoses and proposed solutions presented at this meeting, which included two presentations and six panel discussions.
The memory is available in written and digital formats ( https://www.miteco.gob.es/content/dam/miteco/es/ministerio/planes-estrategias/mar-menor/Memoria%20Simposio%20MM.pdf ), in addition to being able to view each part of the symposium program on the YouTube channel of the Technical Office of the Mar Menor (@OficinaTecnicadelMarMenor)
These conclusions will focus, among other things, on optimizing and strengthening the designs of the projects proposed by the Framework of Priority Actions for the Recovery of the Mar Menor (MAPMM), which has a budget of 675.05 million euros and is the roadmap designed by MITECO to reverse the degradation of the lagoon and its catchment basin.
They will also be used to plan a participatory process during the second implementation period of the MAPMM, which is expected to be completed by December 2026.
This process, based on the best scientific knowledge, will serve to diagnose the perceptions of the people who live in the area and, ultimately, of all stakeholders involved in the use and enjoyment, management, restoration, and conservation of the Mar Menor's socio-ecological system. This will aim to find consensus and a common vision for the future through consultation, dialogue, and negotiation.
The most notable general reflection on the problems, challenges, and opportunities related to the surface water network in Campo de Cartagena was the existence of a drainage network significantly altered by simplification, urbanization, and, in general, by the intensification of land uses and activities taking place within it.
Regarding the situation of the Campo de Cartagena aquifers , whose piezometric and contamination levels are very high, and their impact on the lagoon, the report includes the reflections of experts, who advocate a combination of short-, medium-, and long-term actions.
Regarding the challenges and opportunities for lagoon recovery, experts will prioritize various initiatives to restore the lagoon's ecological values and obtain all the ecosystem goods and services it provided before its collapse.
The symposium also addressed ecological restoration and the use of nature-based solutions for restoring goods and services in the Mar Menor watershed , as well as governance and social participation mechanisms for the recovery of the Mar Menor.
Finally, initiatives of this type are planned to be developed during the MAPMM implementation period, until December 2026.