Periodic Reporting for period 2 - REWET (REstoration of WETlands to minimise emissions and maximise carbon uptake – a strategy for long term climate mitigation)
Période du rapport: 2024-04-01 au 2025-09-30
Freshwater wetlands, floodplains and peatlands have been extensively degraded across Europe for centuries, mainly due to drainage for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction, and this degradation continues today. Wetlands - especially peatlands - store vast amounts of carbon, and their disturbance leads to substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Climate warming and changing rainfall patterns further intensify wetland drying and degradation, increasing both emissions and the likelihood of climate-related disasters. Because of this, conserving, restoring and appropriately managing these ecosystems can significantly reduce current GHG emissions and unlock their considerable potential for long-term carbon sequestration. These measures are essential to meeting the EU’s climate, nature and water policy targets. To enable meaningful progress in mitigation, a better understanding of wetland carbon dynamics is needed, including accurate mapping of their sequestration potential and the identification of the most effective restoration and management practices. To ensure strong and representative evidence, 7 Open Labs (OLs) were selected across Europe based on climatic, ecological, social and governance characteristics. Together, they form a network of sites where restoration actions, monitoring and co-creation processes can be demonstrated and evaluated in real conditions.
Pathway to Impact:
In line with the EGD 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. The project will:
- Improve understanding of the status, pressures, management and restoration potential of European wetlands, floodplains and peatlands.
- Assess their capacity to act as carbon sinks or GHG sources under current and future climate scenarios.
- Quantify benefits and trade-offs of restoration actions, including biodiversity, GHG emission reduction, climate adaptation and disaster-risk mitigation.
- Analyse how different climate trajectories affect wetlands’ restoration potential and ecological functioning.
- Demonstrate, through evidence, the ecosystem services and societal benefits provided by restored wetlands.
REWET Objectives:
O.1 – To provide the evidence base for the restoration of natural wetlands, peatlands, and floodplains by successfully designing, implementing, and monitoring the 7 OLs.
O.2 – To deliver a “toolbox” to implement successful restoration practices to reach the main O.1.
O.3 – To create an inventory of European freshwater wetlands, floodplains, and peatlands with their current carbon footprint.
O.4 – To generate an estimate of the EU wetlands carbon footprint under different scenarios.
O.5 – To deliver a fit-for-purpose decision support system (DSS) tool for wetlands.
O.6 – To provide policy recommendations of best practices for wetlands restoration through guidelines and workshops.
O.7 – To create opportunities for green jobs for all stakeholders.
O.8 – To deliver a replication plan of REWET restoration and monitoring activities.
O.9 – To effectively integrate Social Science and Humanities (SSH) and Gender Dimension (GD) in order to humanise the planned technological developments.
O.10 – To properly communicate and disseminate the results of the project and clustering with other initiatives.
Pathway to Impact:
In line with the EGD 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. The project will:
- Improve understanding of the status, pressures, management and restoration potential of European wetlands, floodplains and peatlands.
- Assess their capacity to act as carbon sinks or GHG sources under current and future climate scenarios.
- Quantify benefits and trade-offs of restoration actions, including biodiversity, GHG emission reduction, climate adaptation and disaster-risk mitigation.
- Analyse how different climate trajectories affect wetlands’ restoration potential and ecological functioning.
- Demonstrate, through evidence, the ecosystem services and societal benefits provided by restored wetlands.
REWET Objectives:
O.1 – To provide the evidence base for the restoration of natural wetlands, peatlands, and floodplains by successfully designing, implementing, and monitoring the 7 OLs.
O.2 – To deliver a “toolbox” to implement successful restoration practices to reach the main O.1.
O.3 – To create an inventory of European freshwater wetlands, floodplains, and peatlands with their current carbon footprint.
O.4 – To generate an estimate of the EU wetlands carbon footprint under different scenarios.
O.5 – To deliver a fit-for-purpose decision support system (DSS) tool for wetlands.
O.6 – To provide policy recommendations of best practices for wetlands restoration through guidelines and workshops.
O.7 – To create opportunities for green jobs for all stakeholders.
O.8 – To deliver a replication plan of REWET restoration and monitoring activities.
O.9 – To effectively integrate Social Science and Humanities (SSH) and Gender Dimension (GD) in order to humanise the planned technological developments.
O.10 – To properly communicate and disseminate the results of the project and clustering with other initiatives.
During RP2, REWET achieved substantial scientific progress across its OLs activities. Two full years of continuous GHG measurements were completed using EC systems and portable gas analysers, providing a robust basis for understanding seasonal and interannual CO2 and CH4 dynamics across diverse wetland types. Additional systematic biodiversity surveys, water-quality sampling, vegetation assessments, soil characterisation and hydrological monitoring strengthened the ecological evidence base at each site.
Social-science integration also progressed, with a second round of Social Monitor activities, renewed analysis of gender dynamics, and expanded stakeholder engagement.
Significant advances were made in wetland mapping and data integration at European scale. Relevant datasets were identified, harmonised and incorporated into WETSET.
Modelling work also matured considerably. New models were developed and validated to simulate CO2 and CH4 emissions under varying environmental conditions. A biodiversity-modelling framework was completed, including ensemble species-distribution models and future projections under multiple climate scenarios. Conceptual ecosystem-service models were finalised for all sites. In parallel, sustainability indicators and a methodology for deriving a sustainability index were applied, providing a first integrated assessment of environmental, social and economic performance across the OLs.
Progress was also made on the economic dimension of wetland restoration. Initial business-model concepts were developed, supported by emerging collaborations with private-sector innovators, which provided concrete examples of market-driven restoration opportunities. An initial plan outlining financial mechanisms, ecosystem-service valuation approaches was completed.
Social-science integration also progressed, with a second round of Social Monitor activities, renewed analysis of gender dynamics, and expanded stakeholder engagement.
Significant advances were made in wetland mapping and data integration at European scale. Relevant datasets were identified, harmonised and incorporated into WETSET.
Modelling work also matured considerably. New models were developed and validated to simulate CO2 and CH4 emissions under varying environmental conditions. A biodiversity-modelling framework was completed, including ensemble species-distribution models and future projections under multiple climate scenarios. Conceptual ecosystem-service models were finalised for all sites. In parallel, sustainability indicators and a methodology for deriving a sustainability index were applied, providing a first integrated assessment of environmental, social and economic performance across the OLs.
Progress was also made on the economic dimension of wetland restoration. Initial business-model concepts were developed, supported by emerging collaborations with private-sector innovators, which provided concrete examples of market-driven restoration opportunities. An initial plan outlining financial mechanisms, ecosystem-service valuation approaches was completed.
REWET has produced several results that clearly advance beyond the current SoA. The WETSET platform offers one of the most comprehensive and harmonised wetland databases in Europe, while new modelling frameworks for GHG emissions, biodiversity, and ecosystem-service pathways provide integrated, site-specific and climate-sensitive analyses that were not previously available. The project has also developed a sustainability index that enables comparative assessment across environmental, social and economic dimensions, and has begun outlining innovative business models, such as biomass-based products and carbon-credit opportunities, supported by high-quality monitoring data.