As a result of the preparatory actions of the LIFE INSULAR project (LIFE20 NAT/ES/001007), consisting of the evaluation of the conservation status of the insular territories included within the Maritime-Terrestrial Galician Atlantic Islands National Park, the review of the previous information and the state of the art regarding this protected natural area made possible the publication of the work "Protecting Wetlands: Insights from the Northern Iberian Peninsula (Galicia, NW Spain)", as one of the chapters of the book "New Insights Into Protected Area Management and Conservation Biology", published by the prestigious international publisher Intechopen.
This paper analyses the situation of the Atlantic area of the Iberian Peninsula, and specifically of Galicia, a territory that has a large number of wetlands of high value for biodiversity and the conservation of natural heritage, but on which there is no adequate protection, documented by the presence of a large number of anthropic impacts that are causing the deterioration of biodiversity, the destruction of habitats and the decline of species. This work evaluates the management, methods and processes on the biodiversity of the Galician Protected Wetlands, analysing the advances in their conservation and management over time, including the inventory of wetlands, as well as their legal provisions and denominations, the trends and changes on its limits for different reasons, their inadequate use and management measures, as well as the consequences of all these aspects that result in a loss of quality in the legal framework of Protected Wetlands, assessing the future challenges and perspectives that arise for this type of protected area.
