The temporary ponds of Doñana: conservation value and present tretas

The Doñana National Park is given the highest degree of environmental protection in Spain as it has been designated as a Ramsar Site, a Biosphere Reserve, a Special Protection Area for birds, and a Natural World Heritage Site. Nevertheless, it is located in an area with a wide variety of pressures due to the exploitation of water resources. The intensification of agriculture, urban growth, and the development of tourist resorts on the fringe of this protected land has long threatened the conservation value of the Doñana National Park and has, consequently, added this park to the Montreux Record of Ramsar Sites under threat in 1990.