Environnement et tourisme dans les territoires fragiles : le cas des zones humides de la Sardaigne1

During the 20th century two main interventions have been intended for coastal wetlands in
Sardinia. Throughout the first part of the century Sardinian wetlands have been targeted for
drainage to obtain productive agricultural land. At the end of the forties, wetlands were drained in
order to eradicate malaria. From the second half of the 20th century ponds become significant also
for nature conservation and tourism development (see the case of Doñana in Spain and the
Camargue in France). In Sardinia wetlands are important as avifauna habitats (see the Ramsar
Convention), tourism attractions and environmental conservation sites. In this paper we will present
the process of tourist promotion of wetlands, the opportunities and the risks of this process with
some empirical cases.