LifeWatch ERIC at the 5th RESTORE4Cs General Assembly

RESTORE4Cs General Assembly

The 5th RESTORE4Cs General Assembly, held from 19-21 November 2024 in the stunning Camargue region of France, brought together project partners and stakeholders to review progress and shape the future of wetland restoration and conservation across Europe. LifeWatch ERIC played a key role in the event, sharing significant developments in communication, digital tools, and policy outreach.

At the assembly, LifeWatch ERIC’s Madeira Scauri, leader of Work Package 8 (Communication, dissemination, and exploitation), provided an update on the second phase of the project’s communication strategy. She revealed the upcoming Camargue Case Pilot teaser and announced the launch of the highly anticipated RESTORE4Cs Serious Game in December 2024. The Serious Game aims to engage a broader audience in wetland restoration through interactive simulations.

The General Assembly was also a change for LifeWatch ERIC to introduce plans for a Summer School, designed for policymakers and the scientific community. This initiative will help bridge the gap between science and policy, furthering the project’s educational and outreach goals.

LifeWatch ERIC also played a crucial role in promoting cross-project collaboration. Madeira Scauri presented the Sister Projects’ joint factsheet, published on the occasion of their joint participation in SERE 2024, as well as a session on cooperation with the REWET project, led by Vanessa Ferreira, which highlighted synergies and operational steps to strengthen partnerships and maximise the project’s impact.

The assembly wrapped up with a successful series of field visits to key sites, including Marais du Cassaïre, Marais du Vigueirat, and the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park, allowing participants to gain local insights into the Camargue wetlands, where the project’s sampling and filming efforts for a documentary were underway.

Stay tuned for more updates on the RESTORE4Cs Serious Game, the Summer School, and other exciting developments as the project continues to progress.

Photo credits: LifeWatch ERIC – Madeira Scauri

RESTORE4Cs issues Policy Brief on the positive climate impact of coastal wetlands

Restore4Cs policy brief news image

RESTORE4Cs (https://www.restore4cs.eu/) is the EU-funded project dedicated to climate change, biodiversity loss and habitat degradation, focusing on the sustainable management of European wetlands. These natural coastal areas of saltwater and freshwater play a key role in achieving the EU objectives regarding climate neutrality, biodiversity protection, zero-pollution, flood protection, and the circular economy. 

Led by the University of Aveiro (Portugal), the RESTORE4Cs consortium aims to assess the role of restoration action on wetlands’ capacity, through an integrative socio-ecological systems approach.

Within the scope of this objective, on 9 September 2024, the project launched its first Policy Brief, which highlights the aspect of Greenhouse Gas emissions. 

European coastal wetlands have the capacity to reduce emissions consistently, through the so-called “carbon sequestration”, which generally refers to the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

In the case of wetlands, this is made possible thanks to their vegetation, and via sedimentation processes: they can store large amounts of organic carbon in their soil, due to their rapid growth and slow decomposition rates. Additionally, coastal wetlands generally release lower levels of methane compared to other types of wetlands. Moreover, they help trap organic particles carried by the flooding water, increasing the levels of organic carbon in the soil and forming organic-rich reservoirs called “blue carbon sinks”. 

Given their importance in our ecosystem, it is not surprising that Europe is investing in the protection of these precious environments: just a few weeks ago, at the end of August, RESTORE4Cs had joined three akin projects (ALFAwetlands, REWET and WET HORIZONS) in the SERE2024 Conference, an event entirely dedicated to Ecological Restoration. 

With the Policy Brief, authored by members of the European Topic Center, University of Malaga and University of Valencia (Spain), and the German Ecologic Institute, the project reinforces this message, by highlighting some key takeaways:

  1. the important role of wetlands as natural carbon stores
  2. the need to preserve the ones in good status, and urgently restore the endangered ones, as a cost-effective climate mitigation strategy
  3. the use of carbon certification schemes as additional tools to unlock new financial resources.
  4. the promotion of incentives for climate-friendly companies

You can read or download the full document at this link: https://www.restore4cs.eu/restore4cs-1st-policy-brief/

Contributing to wetland restoration goals: highlights from the SERE 2024 Conference in Estonia.

LifeWatch ERIC at SERE 2024 with RESTORE4Cs: joint conference on wetland restoration.

On 27th August 2024, LifeWatch ERIC has taken part to the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE 2024) in Tartu, Estonia, as communication and dissemination leader in the RESTORE4Cs European Project, dedicated to coastal wetland restoration. The participation involved the organisation of a booth and a joint session on wetland restoration with three related projects.

Wetland restoration is a key challenge in climate change mitigation strategies. Wetlands are crucial for greenhouse gas and carbon regulation and biodiversity support, making our planet more resilient against extreme weather events. However, 35% of wetlands in Europe have already been lost since 1970. 

As RESTORE4Cs is committed to supporting the implementation of Climate and Biodiversity policies within the European Green Deal, this event is especially important for the initiative, and for LifeWatch ERIC, due to its focus on the EU Nature Restoration law, which was approved earlier this year. The law cites specific goals for restoring peatlands, a specific type of wetland, due to the large contribution of degraded peatlands towards Europe’s carbon emissions.

RESTORE4Cs supports these objectives by gathering data on restoration and land use management actions, upscaling models and integrative assessment tools, structuring a European Community of Practice (ECoP), and co-designing a multi-actor approach.

LifeWatch ERIC has taken part in the conference, represented with a booth overseen by Madeira Scauri (EU Project Communication Officer), and a joint session with the other three wetlands projects ALFAwetlands, REWET and WET HORIZONS, marking the first time the project coordinators have met in person.

Liisa Ukonmaanaho from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), who coordinates the ALFAwetlands project, expressed that meeting fellow project coordinators in person after numerous virtual meetings was particularly rewarding. She also highlighted the participants’ strong interest in wetland restoration, biodiversity and climate change.

Vanessa Ferreira de Almeida from IDENER, the coordinator of the REWET project, noted that their participation in SERE 2024 highlights the critical role of collaboration in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss through nature-based solutions.

The four projects focus on different aspects of wetland restoration across Europe, studying various wetland types to provide both general and region-specific data. Their shared goals include addressing knowledge gaps and developing decision support tools for policymakers.

The projects’ research and findings were presented in a dedicated session on wetland restoration at the SERE 2024 conference. Co-chaired by the project coordinators, the session was split into two parts. The first part, led by ALFAwetlands and WET HORIZONS, focused on improving geospatial knowledge and understanding the impacts of wetland restoration on biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and socioeconomics. The second part, led by REWET and RESTORE4Cs, explored optimising wetland management for carbon sequestration and the effects of restoration on coastal wetlands’ ecosystem services.

One key takeaway from the conference, concerns the importance of collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions for wetland restoration and climate action.

Read the news and Press Release on the RESTORE4Cs website to learn more: https://www.restore4cs.eu/wetland-experts-come-together-at-the-sere-conference-in-estonia/

RESTORE4Cs at the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration 

SERE 2024

RESTORE4Cs –  the EU-funded project on coastal wetland restoration in which LifeWatch ERIC is leading communications and dissemination – will participate in the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE 2024) from 26 to 30 August 2024, in Tartu, Estonia. Representatives from the project’s coordinator, the University of Aveiro, will be present as speakers as the scientific focal point of the project. LifeWatch ERIC will also be present with a booth to showcase the project to the participants.

About SERE 2024

SERE 2024 is a biennial international conference organised by the European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) in Europe. Scientists, practitioners, and policy-makers of ecological restoration will gather in Tartu to share knowledge and discuss the future of European nature. RESTORE4Cs will hold a session on Wetland Restoration alongside its Sister Projects, ALFAwetlands, REWET and WET HORIZONS.

SERE 2024 will bring together stakeholders from across Europe to collaborate on effective approaches for the long-term recovery of nature. This event will serve as a platform for sharing ideas, knowledge, and experiences restoring various ecosystems, including wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers, agroecosystems, urban areas, and marine ecosystems. The sessions will cover the theory and practical applications of ecological restoration and the socioeconomic and political contexts. There will be a specific focus on discussions related to developing national restoration plans in line with the new EU law.

To learn more about RESTORE4Cs’ participation at SERE 2024, please visit this page: https://www.restore4cs.eu/restore4cs-at-sere-2024/.

About RESTORE4Cs and The Sister Projects

The restoration of wetlands is crucial for climate change mitigation. The Four EU-funded projects (RESTORE4Cs, ALFAwetlands, REWET and WET HORIZONS) are working together to restore wetlands and enhance their long-term mitigation capabilities. They will outline their initiatives in a special session and presentations from open abstract submissions. Their session will also include an interactive segment to create a roadmap for expediting restoration opportunities and maximising impact.

RESTORE4Cs is committed to supporting the implementing of Climate and Biodiversity policies within the European Green Deal through various initiatives. These include gathering data on restoration and land use management actions, upscaling models and integrative assessment tools, structuring a European Community of Practice (ECoP), and co-designing a multi-actor approach.

RESTORE4Cs 4th General Assembly

restore4cs general assembly

From 27 to 30 May, the RESTORE4Cs 4th General Assembly took place at the University of Valencia in Spain. The Assembly included discussions on project expectations, policy roadmaps, data repositories and more.

RESTORE4C aims to assist in implementing Climate and Biodiversity policies under the European Green Deal by collecting data on restoration and land use management, developing integrated assessment tools, creating a European Community of Practice (ECoP), and collaborating on a multi-actor approach.

Prof. Joaquin Baixeras from the University of Valencia opened the meeting, followed by Case Pilot representatives discussing project expectations and interactions. As part of the project, RESTORE4Cs has identified six Case Pilots, including coastal wetland ecosystems of different conservation statuses and types of restoration actions. These sites provide a good geographical representation of Europe and its biogeographical regions: Mediterranean, Atlantic, Baltic and the Black Sea. The other presentations focused on policy roadmaps, analysis methodology, models, and scenarios.

On 28 May, the European Community of Practice for Wetlands Restoration launched its roadmap. The meeting included communication updates, the launch of a documentary trailer, the finalisation of the filming schedule, stakeholder interviews, fieldwork and laboratory analyses, and the presentation of project information layers.

On the last day of the RESTORE4Cs 4th General Assembly, the consortium visited the local Case Pilot, Marjal dels Moros, and saw the project’s sampling zone. They also enjoyed visiting the Albufera Natural Park and a boat ride on the Albufera Lake. To learn more, please visit: https://www.restore4cs.eu/restore4cs-4th-general-assembly/

RESTORE4Cs will participate in the Wetlands Conference 2024

RESTORE4Cs – the project participated by LifeWatch ERIC on modelling wetland restoration – will be present at the International Conference Conservation and Management of Wetlands to Tackle Climate Change from 14 to 16 February in Valencia, Spain.

The event is organised by Fundación Global Nature together with the University of Valencia, the Generalitat Valenciana and the City Council of Valencia. The aim is to share the latest scientific and technical advances on wetlands and climate change and their crucial role. The discussions will mainly centre around governance frameworks, opportunities for creating green jobs, and the pressing need for conservation efforts.

The conference on conservation and management of wetlands will bring together researchers, policymakers, representatives from international organisations, and other stakeholders. The goal is to facilitate international networking and serve as a platform for sharing scientific and technical advancements. Practitioners and managers will be equipped with the necessary tools for the sustainable management of wetlands. Also, this will enable them to make strategic decisions in the face of global change. This year’s focus is on the Mediterranean, which has depleted over 50% of its natural wetlands since 1970.

LifeWatch ERIC – who oversees the project’s communication and dissemination – will attend the conference in collaboration with MedWet. Other RESTORE4Cs partners, including the University of Aveiro, the University of Barcelona, the European Topic Centre at the University of Malaga, WasserCluster Lunz & the University of Vienna, and Tour du Valat, will also attend the conference as members of the scientific committee.

For those unable to attend in person, the conference will be available via streaming. For more information, please visit the official website. 

World Wetlands Day: How our wellbeing relies on restoring wetlands

world wetlands day

Today, 2 February 2024, is the 27th World Wetlands Day. As The World Health Organization said, our well-being depends on the stability of our climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Wetlands play a significant role in connecting all three factors.

For instance, just an acre of wetlands can hold up to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater, protecting coastal areas against natural disasters. Peatlands have the potential to store twice as much carbon as the global forest biomass. Wetlands also provide food for up to 4.5 billion people annually through the fish and rice paddies harvested from them.

On this day, we would like to draw attention to an article created as part of the RESTORE4Cs project, in which LifeWatch ERIC participate. The project aims to model wetland restoration for carbon pathways, climate change mitigation and adaptation, ecosystem services, and biodiversity co-benefits.

“For centuries people have found solace in remote wetlands, but there is now evidence that spending time in places like these actually helps boost mental health. This is particularly essential for the dark winter months in northern latitude”,

Mark Reed, Professor of Rural Entrepreneurship at Scotland’s Rural College

Despite this history, we are now losing these ecosystems alarmingly. The 2018 Global Wetland Outlook from the Ramsar Convention revealed that one third of the wetlands have been lost globally since 1970, mainly to urbanization and agriculture. A key theme of World Wetlands Day 2024 is the need to act now, and Europe’s researchers believe we already have solutions to turn things around.

“I think global treaties and recent EU laws mean we’re in the right decade to restore these ecosystems”

Dania Abdul Malak, Director of European Topic Centre for Spatial Analysis and Synthesis at the University of Malaga

Nowadays there are policies that can really help reestablish their function, and make sure they can also provide ecosystem services. Restoring wetland ecosystems will become critical for a more sustainable climate, biodiversity and human wellbeing by 2030.

Matuesz Grygoruk, Professor at Warsaw University of Life Sciences’ (SGGW) Department of Hydrology, Meteorology and Water Management

Mateusz suggested prioritising wetland restoration as a central focus in determining environmental management actions. He argued that these efforts are crucial in restoring the functions of wetlands, which are irreplaceable through any other management measures.

Restoring wetlands can have significant benefits, such as improving their biodiversity, water storage capacity, and ability to sequester carbon in soil. WET HORIZONS, a sister project of RESTORE4Cs, aims to enhance wetlands restoration and support European wetland policy.

To learn more about RESTORE4Cs and their commitment to World Wetlands Day, visit this project page.

Addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and habitat degradation towards a sustainable management of European wetlands

RESTORE4CS

RESTORE4Cs, a freshly started project led by the University of Aveiro, will address management and restoration actions to maintain and promote the mitigation and adaptation capacity of European wetlands to climate change, while focusing on coastal wetlands and providing innovative tools and methodologies for decision making and restoration planning and actions.

What is the potential of wetlands? How can multiple challenges such as climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, disaster risk reduction and other threats to ecosystem services be tackled to foster mutually reinforcing actions and enhance co-benefits from wetland restoration?

All major European Union (EU) policies recognise the key role of wetlands to achieve the EU objectives regarding climate neutrality, biodiversity protection, zero-pollution, flood protection, and circular economy. Therefore, assessing the current extent and state of European wetlands, their current and potential greenhouse gases (GHG) profile and their medium to long-term mitigation capacity through restoration, or other measures, are key priorities of the European Union to tackle climate change. Led by the University of Aveiro, the recently awarded Horizon project RESTORE4Cs (Modelling RESTORation of wEtlands for Carbon pathways, Climate Change mitigation and adaptation, ecosystem services, and biodiversity, Co-benefits) will assess the role of restoration action on wetlands capacity in terms of climate change mitigation and a wide range of ecosystem services using an integrative socio-ecological systems approach. 

The kick-off meeting, held in Aveiro from 16 to 19 January, has officially marked the start of the project consortium’s activities, gathering representatives of 15 partners from 9 European countries, including universities, research institutes and infrastructures, small and medium enterprises, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs, bringing together a well-structured and multi-disciplinary team, holding all the essential expertise to be at the forefront of the research/policy interface. The meeting agenda covers all aspects of the project implementation, spanning from administrative issues, overview of the state of the art, coordination, communication and organisation of the work. Case pilot sites have been presented by the related local teams and a first visit in the field has been organised in the area pertaining to Ria de Aveiro.

Focusing on coastal wetlands across Europe, RESTORE4Cs will deliver standardised methodologies and approaches for the prioritisation of restoration, promoting carbon-storage and GHG emissions abatement, while improving the ecological status and the provision of additional ecosystem services, such as flood regulation and coastal erosion protection. More in detail, the project will provide online, user-friendly and integrated tools as unique entry points for wetland practitioners and decision makers regarding the prioritisation of conservation and restoration actions, in relation with their GHG performance as well as impacts on biodiversity and a wide range of ecosystem services while addressing in parallel three spatial scales (local, national, regional/pan-European) combined with the three targeted habitats (wetlands, floodplans and peatlands).

See the full press release, with more information on the project breakdown and consortium members, here.