Funded projects working on the restoration of natural wetlands, peatlands and floodplains

eNaBlS will set the basis of networking and collaboration to promote, embed and unfold Nature-based Solutions (NBS) concepts and approaches within universities and vocational schools, the professional sphere and society at large through transdisciplinary dialogue. eNaBlS envisions the creation of 7 Living Labs, incorporating all ‘voices’ and leaving no one behind. The goal is to enable society to bend the curve for biodiversity by mainstreaming both NBS and biodiversity in higher education and Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET). 

The EU-funded project ALFAwetlands aims to help expand the geospatial knowledge base for these ecosystems. Its co-creation approach envisions enabling the support of more inclusive and community-based approaches to restoring wetlands. Experimental data and living labs will be leveraged to integrate interdisciplinary and multi-actor research on associated ecological, environmental, social and economic issues. ALFAwetlands will assess the overall societal and well-being impacts of wetland restoration at local, national and EU levels.

RESTORE4Cs aims to assess the role of restoration action on wetlands climate change mitigation capacity and a wide range of ecosystem services using an integrative socio-ecological systems approach. Focusing on coastal wetlands across Europe, RESTORE4Cs will deliver standardised methodologies and approaches for the prioritisation of restoration promoting carbon-storage and greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions abatement, while improving the ecological status and the provision of additional ecosystem services such as flood regulation and coastal erosion protectioEffectiveness data on restoration and land use management actions on climate services and other ecosystem and socio-economic services will be gathered both from six Case Pilot sites across European coastal areas. Models and integrative assessment tools will be upscaled to wider geographical and ecological contexts using remote sensing and machine learning methods to develop an integrated status assessment of European wetlands. The results will be integrated into a digital platform to serve as a Decision Support System (DSS) for stakeholders that will steer project efforts as part of a newly created Community of Practice around wetland restoration.

The EU-Funded project WET HORIZONS will provide the critical flying start for the challenge of enhancing wetland restoration using a holistic approach. It will boost crucial wetland knowledge and develop sound tools and approaches for fast-tracking large scale restoration action. The project will improve the current data available from pristine, drained, and rewetted peatlands, floodplains, and coastal wetlands, model the effects of typical restoration measures under variable conditions, and analyse the potential socioeconomic impacts, finally delivering guidelines and best management practices.