The RICAMARE Workshop on land use changes & cover and water resources in the Mediterranean region: Presentation and conclusions

It is recognized that water is one of the most limiting resources in the Mediterranean region, and that its
availability is seriously threatened by global change in its broader sense, that includes the atmospheric,
economical, cultural and technological systems. Changes of land use systems and their associated land
cover are have been considered as a central process, which is driven by climatic and socio-economic forces, with implications on the water balances and water quality at various scales.. Reviewing the state of the art on these topics was adopted as a major task in the RICAMARE agenda. The aims were twofold:
· identifying knowledge gaps and stimulating innovative thinking by linking land-use changes, landscape
 dynamics and water issues in the Mediterranean region;
· starting the implementation of a Mediterranean Regional Network in the frame of LUCC (IGBP);
· encouraging joint research initiatives in this direction as a way to cope with needs that emerge from global change scenarios.