Periodic Reporting for period 1 - REWET (REstoration of WETlands to minimise emissions and maximise carbon uptake – a strategy for long term climate mitigation)
Período documentado: 2022-10-01 hasta 2024-03-31
Freshwater wetlands, floodplains and peatlands have been degraded for several centuries across Europe and continue to be degraded, with the main drivers being large-scale drainage for agriculture, forestry, mining of peat and other materials. Wetlands, in particular peatlands, contain huge amounts of carbon and their disruption results in high GHG emissions being released into the atmosphere.
Moreover, climate warming and changes in rainfall patterns lead to the drainage of wetlands, contributing to GHG emissions and the occurrence of natural disasters. Hence, the conservation, restoration and proper management of these ecosystems will significantly reduce current GHG emissions and has enormous potential for net carbon sequestration. Those practices are essential to meet EU and global targets on climate, nature, and water. For effective climate change mitigation, it is essential that wetlands’ carbon dynamics are better understood, their full sequestration potential mapped, and the most effective management and restoration measures identified and fostered.
Impact of the REWET project:
In line with the European Green Deal objectives, the research and innovation activities of the project will provide a thorough understanding of the complexity inherent to the management, conservation, and restoration of wetland ecosystems. REWET will analyse and identify the best restoration strategies to maximise carbon storage capacity and reduce GHG emission of wetlands, considering their climate mitigation service.
The project will provide measurable contributions to achieve the following targets:
- Improve knowledge on the status of EU wetlands: location, condition, type of management and pressures (including climate change) and restoration potential, to understand their capacity as carbon sinks or GHG sources for climate mitigation.
- Improve assessment of the added value of wetland, peatland and floodplain restoration approaches under different scenarios.
- Monitor their benefits and trade-offs in terms of GHG emissions, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
- Analyse the degree to which these approaches related to wetlands are affected by different scenarios of climate change.
- Contribute to the evidence on ecosystem services provided by restored wetlands and their long-term management as an investment with significant societal benefits.
The Open Labs:
In order to contribute more effectively to the EU reference framework on wetlands and generate higher impacts across Europe, the study cases have been selected to cover a range of local conditions and geographic characteristics based on the following criteria: (1) climatic and geographic conditions; (2) type of wetland; (3) vulnerability to natural disasters; (4) social, cultural contexts, vulnerability and (5) governance structures.
Furthermore, their excellence in terms of implemented restoration activities or envisaged restoration activities has been considered through the following sub-criteria: (1) the degree of restoration and conservation they currently have, (2) the know-how and expertise they offer in terms of wetlands restoration and monitoring of GHG, biodiversity and ecosystem services and (3) innovation, upscaling and mainstreaming potential.
REWET Objectives:
Objective 1 – To provide the evidence base for the restoration of natural wetlands, peatlands, and floodplains by successfully designing, implementing, and monitoring the seven (7) REWET’s Open Labs.
Objective 2 – To deliver a “toolbox” to implement successful restoration practices to reach the main objective (O.1.)
Objective 3 – To create an inventory of European freshwater wetlands, floodplains, and peatlands with their current carbon footprint.
Objective 4 – To generate an estimate of the EU wetlands carbon footprint under different scenarios.
Objective 5 – To deliver a fit-for-purpose decision support system (DSS) tool for wetlands.
Objective 6 – To provide policy recommendations of best practices for wetlands restoration through guidelines and workshops.
Objective 7 – To create opportunities for green jobs for all stakeholders.
Objective 8 – To deliver a replication plan of REWET restoration and monitoring activities.
Objective 9 – To effectively integrate Social Science and Humanities (SSH) and Gender Dimension (GD) in order to humanise the planned technological developments
Objective 10 – To properly communicate and disseminate the results of the project and clustering with other initiatives.
Moreover, climate warming and changes in rainfall patterns lead to the drainage of wetlands, contributing to GHG emissions and the occurrence of natural disasters. Hence, the conservation, restoration and proper management of these ecosystems will significantly reduce current GHG emissions and has enormous potential for net carbon sequestration. Those practices are essential to meet EU and global targets on climate, nature, and water. For effective climate change mitigation, it is essential that wetlands’ carbon dynamics are better understood, their full sequestration potential mapped, and the most effective management and restoration measures identified and fostered.
Impact of the REWET project:
In line with the European Green Deal objectives, the research and innovation activities of the project will provide a thorough understanding of the complexity inherent to the management, conservation, and restoration of wetland ecosystems. REWET will analyse and identify the best restoration strategies to maximise carbon storage capacity and reduce GHG emission of wetlands, considering their climate mitigation service.
The project will provide measurable contributions to achieve the following targets:
- Improve knowledge on the status of EU wetlands: location, condition, type of management and pressures (including climate change) and restoration potential, to understand their capacity as carbon sinks or GHG sources for climate mitigation.
- Improve assessment of the added value of wetland, peatland and floodplain restoration approaches under different scenarios.
- Monitor their benefits and trade-offs in terms of GHG emissions, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
- Analyse the degree to which these approaches related to wetlands are affected by different scenarios of climate change.
- Contribute to the evidence on ecosystem services provided by restored wetlands and their long-term management as an investment with significant societal benefits.
The Open Labs:
In order to contribute more effectively to the EU reference framework on wetlands and generate higher impacts across Europe, the study cases have been selected to cover a range of local conditions and geographic characteristics based on the following criteria: (1) climatic and geographic conditions; (2) type of wetland; (3) vulnerability to natural disasters; (4) social, cultural contexts, vulnerability and (5) governance structures.
Furthermore, their excellence in terms of implemented restoration activities or envisaged restoration activities has been considered through the following sub-criteria: (1) the degree of restoration and conservation they currently have, (2) the know-how and expertise they offer in terms of wetlands restoration and monitoring of GHG, biodiversity and ecosystem services and (3) innovation, upscaling and mainstreaming potential.
REWET Objectives:
Objective 1 – To provide the evidence base for the restoration of natural wetlands, peatlands, and floodplains by successfully designing, implementing, and monitoring the seven (7) REWET’s Open Labs.
Objective 2 – To deliver a “toolbox” to implement successful restoration practices to reach the main objective (O.1.)
Objective 3 – To create an inventory of European freshwater wetlands, floodplains, and peatlands with their current carbon footprint.
Objective 4 – To generate an estimate of the EU wetlands carbon footprint under different scenarios.
Objective 5 – To deliver a fit-for-purpose decision support system (DSS) tool for wetlands.
Objective 6 – To provide policy recommendations of best practices for wetlands restoration through guidelines and workshops.
Objective 7 – To create opportunities for green jobs for all stakeholders.
Objective 8 – To deliver a replication plan of REWET restoration and monitoring activities.
Objective 9 – To effectively integrate Social Science and Humanities (SSH) and Gender Dimension (GD) in order to humanise the planned technological developments
Objective 10 – To properly communicate and disseminate the results of the project and clustering with other initiatives.
REWET has successfully achieved its objectives so far. All Open Labs are running properly.
REWET has working towards improving the state of the art of wetlands, considering technical and social aspects.
All seven (7) demonstrations are properly running.
The GHG model for OL#4 has already made improvement compared to the model in the state-of-the-art.
All seven (7) demonstrations are properly running.
The GHG model for OL#4 has already made improvement compared to the model in the state-of-the-art.