Restoration of Wetlands to minimise emissions and maximise carbon uptake – a strategy for long term climate mitigation

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 agricultural, forestry, mining of peat and other materials, construction of dikes, stream channelization and flood control. The disturbance in these ecosystems can contribute significantly to worldwide GHG levels, depending on the balance between draining and oxidation . Additionally, climate warming and changes in rainfall patterns leads to the drainage of wetlands, contributing to GHG. The correlation of land use (productive/non-productive) and wetlands restoration with the ecosystem services and their carbon cycle must be better understood, monitored, and guided to take advantage of the full potential of wetlands as carbon sinks, while benefiting from other ecosystem services. Therefore, the motivation of the REWET project is to guide and boost successful and sustainable – including the environmental, economic, and social pillars – restoration practices of European freshwater wetlands, floodplains, and peatlands to maximise their carbon uptake and minimise emissions, while enhancing the other ecosystem services they provide, i.e., biodiversity conservation, drinking water, disaster risk protection, and recreation.