There is an urgent need to reconsider and learn from the old traditions and cultures for the good of wetlands and the sustainable benefits they provide.

Moustafa M. Fouda, MedWet, 1999

Download Culture and wetlands, a Ramsar guidance document.

Cultural values play a significant role in the two-way relation of humankind with nature and in the quest for a harmonious co-existence to the benefit of both. 

Protected by the surrounding mountains, Prespa people managed an almost self-reliant way of life up until the 1960s. However, in the last decades many traditional activities were abandoned and replaced with non-sustainable ones, thus bringing negative impact upon Prespa ecosystems health and consequently upon the quality and viability of the services they provide.

In fishing – always the major economic activity - traditional boats, dugout canoes, were in use until the end of 1960s, when they were replaced, while most common ancient fishing methods respecting the fish life-cycle are now almost extinct. Distinctive local architecture has always relied on raw materials from the wetlands, as well as stones from around the region. Nowadays restoration efforts are taking place, but the danger of deterioration of the local architectural character is apparent.

Local breed of cows well adjusted to the terrain is almost extinct, while buffalos are being reintroduced since their grazing on the reed-beds provides for spawning grounds for fish and amphibians. Together with traditional burning of the reeds during winter time, the grazing used to provide food for many waterfowl.

In addition, farmers on the Greek part of the wetland turned to intensive monoculture of beans, abandoning other traditional cultivations, while on the FYR of Macedonian side intensive apple growing is practiced.♦