Background The coastal area of the Narbonne lagoons is of exceptional environmental value. Historically, it has also allowed a number of economic activities to flourish including maritime commerce, tourism, fishing, salt exploitation and more. Such a Mediterranean lagoon thus benefits from its resources and exceptional natural wealth and enables strong economic development. However, along with economic activity comes greater human pressure on the environment. The EDEN project, taking account of the future creation of a Narbonne regional natural park, thus sought to bring together all local participants in economic development and regional planning in a common and concerted effort at local development based on: - rational use and enhancement of natural resources in Mediterranean lagoons; - reducing the pressure of human activities on the environment; - promoting environmentally friendly economic activities. Objectives The project had two main objectives: 1. development of an integrated 'use/environment' administration through the initiation and co-ordination of on-site operations; development of management and planning tools for specific situations as well as tools for regional evaluation; the creation of a 'water observatory' based on monitoring pond quality with respect to the human activities in the hydro-graphic basin. 2 organisation of demonstration events for municipalities, users, industrial and commercial businesses, agricultural firms, and the tourist trade. Such events focused on prevention (environmental education, business management, clean technologies, etc.) and cleaning up (decontamination of effluents, waste management, improvement of production processes, etc.). The project intended to create and implement local management and global planning tools, to constitute a network of partners to develop, implement and demonstrate the advantages of these tools for environmentally-friendly growth and quality of life, and finally, to evaluate and promote this methodology. Results The Life EDEN programme (Eco-Development around the Lagoons of the Narbonnais) represents an exemplary approach carried out successfully. Based on a lengthy consultation, it allowed the networking of communities, of the industrial and farming world in order to come together over a common objective – the protection of the Narbonnais lagoons. The project was successful in countering pollution locally through preventive and curative action as well as development and management programmes selected and validated by the pilot committee of Life EDEN. Composed of stakeholders, the committee guaranteed the relevance of the programme vis-à-vis the main objectives. Nonetheless, the project saw the need to reflect on extending the field of action to other important and related areas, for instance, farming. The relatively short duration of the project precludes measuring the impact of certain actions on the environment. Some actions carried out, such as the reduction in pollutant flows, had an immediate impact on the environment. Life EDEN successfully instigated the testing of new technologies and methodologies for the territory’s eco-development. The recent signing of a Lagoon contract will ensure the continuation, both institutionally and operationally, of the Life Eden programme. Life EDEN served as an action lever by bringing strong technical and financial support, with EUR 2.7 million euros. This has allowed for implementation of numerous environmental actions. The project also favoured the mobilisation of bodies and collective groups as co-financers and united stakeholders in a permanent consultation process.