The project aims to improve our understanding of wetlands in drylands and establish their importance in relation to the regional and global carbon stock. Wetlands in southwest Spain are of vital importance to migrating birds and are a major tourist destination, attracting bird watchers and nature lovers alike. The wetlands also provide a wealth of ecosystem services, the most prominent being sea salt extraction via flooded salt pans. However, major threats to this landscape from intensive agriculture, drainage of the salt marshes, pollution from the mining industry, and climate change, are all cause for major concern and require appropriate management. Developing a framework for integrated management will be at the core of the project, particularly through embedding science into policy.