Floating wetlands as Nature-based Solutions for marine water pollution control in Mediterranean: Challenges and future perspectives

Mediterranean Sea is widely regarded as one of the most threatened environments in the world because of the high population densities, the lack of consistent waste-management schemes, the large influxes of tourists and the strategic merchant navigation. The growing environmental awareness of society, the advancement of Nature-based Solutions, and the need for reliable and cost-effective solutions create a favorable environment of opportunities for the Floating Wetlands which appear as an attractive ecotechnology able to address marine environmental problems in a sustainable way. Floating Wetlands are man-made ecosystems inspired by nature that are using natural processes in order improve water quality, while providing a series of ecosystem services that benefit both human and nature. Aim of this work is to reveal the growing importance of Floating Wetlands as Nature-based Solutions for marine water pollution control, to highlight the benefits of their application for economy and society and to identify future challenges and opportunities.