This publication is produced in the framework of Project NetWet 2 Waternet Telematic Platform: "Networking Perspectives of Transnational Co-operation and Participatory Planning for Integrated Water Resources Management through the promotion of new forms of Spatial Governance", approved under the 1st Call of proposals of Community Initiative Interreg III B (2000-2006) - CADSES "Central Adriatic Danubian South-eastern European Space".
The first part of this publication focuses on public participation in environmental matters. Public participation in environmental decision making is currently a key issue in the juridical and political debate, along with sociological and anthropological discussions, and has become in the last decades the goal of different recommendations and declarations at the international level, elaborated by the European Union or other international organizations. In this part a deep analysis is also developed as regards the important innovations that community provisions have introduced into the Italian legislation on access to environmental information and public participation. But the work does not limit its horizons to the study of the juridical framework, and goes also through an examination of the strengths and weakness that public participation processes encounter in the Italian daily practice.
The second part of the publication deals with natural resource management. It aims at presenting the process of economic valuation of wetlands with particular reference to their ecological functions. After the analysis of the link between economic valuation and nature protection, it summarises the main aspects of the Water Framework Directive in reference to wetlands, and goes further with an explanation of the main reasons of wetland loss, giving a short insight into the socio-economic importance of wetlands in the Danube areas. Furthermore, it describes the framework of economic valuation of wetlands ending with a detailed presentation of the main valuation techniques used to value wetlands' ecological functions. For a better illustration of these techniques two case studies are also reported.