Restoring Water Points and Habitats for Amphibians in Spain

Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate group globally, with around 41% at risk of extinction largely due to climate change, habitat loss, and pollution. These threats are particularly severe in Mediterranean regions like the Riaza River Natural Park in Spain, where amphibians face water scarcity and increased UV radiation. Amphibians are bioindicators of environmental health and are critical for ecosystems and agriculture as pest controllers, but they are often overlooked due to the complexity of their life cycles and a general lack of public awareness.

WWF Spain, with support from the Wildlife Adaption Innovation Fund, mitigated the threats amphibians face by restoring and creating water points, improving structures that are dangerous for amphibians, and promoting good agricultural practices in the Riaza River Natural Park. Specifically, ramps were placed in five water points, allowing amphibians to access water points they previously couldn’t while also ensuring they will not get trapped. One new water point was also created. The addition of topsoil, straw, and stone, wood, and straw bale barriers facilitated the rapid colonization of the new water point by wild flora and amphibians and will control erosion.

Six abandoned siphons, which can trap amphibians, were covered and transformed into shelters with stones with help from local volunteers. During this process, more than 20 animals, including amphibians, reptiles, insects, and small mammals, were rescued from the siphons. To further protect amphibians from external threats like extreme UV radiation and predators, stones and bushes were placed around three water points for shelter.

Other activities involved amphibian inventorying and disease monitoring, the development of an action plan for amphibian conservation, and the development of a guide with amphibian-friendly agriculture recommendations. This guide recommends adapting livestock watering points to accommodate amphibians, constructing amphibian shelters with stone, improving livestock fencing, and timing the use of agrochemicals with amphibian phenology, to name a few.

The project also engaged over a hundred volunteers from local communities to raise awareness around the Park’s amphibian population and to help carry out the water point adaption and restoration activities. Amphibian conservation and project communication efforts reached over 750,000 people through an article in Panda Magazine, a story on WWF-Spain’s website, a press release, 10 social media posts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and others), four awareness-raising talks, and two awareness-raising signs posted in the Natural Park.