The largest inland wetland mosaic in the Hauts-de-France region.
Scarpe and Escaut Valleys
The Scarpe and Escaut Valleys are a large inland wetland complex of international importance in the Nord department of northern France, designated as a Ramsar site in 2020. Stretching between Douai and the Belgian border, the area forms the most extensive inland wetland in the Hauts-de-France region and is also integrated into the European Natura 2000 network. The site is administered within the broader framework of the Scarpe-Escaut Regional Natural Park and is managed to conserve its mosaic of freshwater habitats and the rare species they support.
The landscape is shaped by the lowland rivers Scarpe and Escaut (Scheldt), their floodplains, and a patchwork of standing waters, marshes, peatlands, wet meadows, and riparian woodland. Beyond its ecological value, the wetland performs vital environmental functions: it contributes to the drinking water cycle, supports river flows during dry summer periods, stores carbon in its peatlands, and continues a long tradition of agriculture, fishing, and hunting in the marshlands. Today the area also supports nature tourism, outdoor recreation, and naturalist observation.
The site harbors a remarkable set of rare wetland species, including the field frog, the fen raft spider, the pond bat, the Mercury dragonfly, and the wild celery ache rampante. Large open waters created by former mining subsidence play a particularly important role in hosting breeding and migratory waterbirds, making the site a significant area for avian biodiversity in northern France.
