Restoration of mire habitats in Boreal Region 24-26 September 2013
Soomaa (Vanaõue), Estonia
Peatland Rewetting
for the climate, biodiversity and people
Project examples from
European Russia and Belarus
Jan PetersPeatlands & Climate Change
Michael Succow Foundation, Greifswald (Germany)
Content of presentation
Introduction to Peatlandcommitment of MSF
Status and threats of peatlands in Russia
Large-scale rewetting project in European Russia
Peatland rewetting and sustainable utilisation of biomass in Belarus
Conclusions
The Michael Succow Foundation (MSF)
-
Founded 1999 by Prof. Michael Succow-
As first environmental foundation in new federal states of Germany
-
Operational foundation on the national and international level
-
Main fields of work:•
Peatland conservation and restoration
•
Protected area management in transitional countries
•
Education & Research
www.succow-stiftung.de
Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF
RUS
UA
BYGER
Competence center for conservation and sustainable use of peatlands in Greifswald, Germany
International expertise and partnership for peatlands
RUS
UA
BYGER
Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF
GER
Protected area managment and peatland restoration in NE-
Germany
Adapted land use (Paludiculture)
International expertise and partnership for peatlands
RUS
UA
BYGER
Peatland Conservation through International Climate Policy Mechanisms
Hotspots of emissions from drained peatlands
(Source: Hooijer et al. (2006): PeatCO2 project report)
International expertise and partnership for peatlands
International expertise and partnership for peatlands
Belarus11%
Finland3%
Germany14%
Russia European
42%
Sweden8%
Ukraine4%
Poland8%
Iceland2%
Ireland2%
Norway6%
Emissions from peatlands in Europe
Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF
RUS
“Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation” (2011-2015)
Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF
RUS
•
Initialised by MSF after devastating peat fires in 2010
•
Fire prevention through rewetting of abandoned areas
•
Reduction of GHG from decomposition of drained peat layers
•
Co-benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services
•
Russian – German technical cooperation (co-funded by Russian (implementation) and German government (planning, design, capacity development))
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Main project components1. Inventory and prioritization in Moscow
Oblast2. Rewetting for fire risk reduction and GHG
emission avoidance3. Framework for monitoring and assessment
of GHG emissions and biodiversity 4. Technical and scientific capacity building5. Advocacy at national and international
platform6. Economic incentives for rewetting
InventoryRewetting
AssessmentCapacity building
AdvocacyEconomic incentives
InventoryRewetting
AssessmentCapacity building
AdvocacyEconomic incentives
ReductionRestorationMonitoringAccounting
ReductionRestorationMonitoringAccounting
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Total area: 45 799 km2
Distance: W-E –
320 km, N-S –
305 km
Population: 7,048 mln.
Peatland inventory of Moscow Province:
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
23731
21309
18011
17527
10837
5633 3086
Moscow Province: land use on drained, excavated, utilised and abandoned peatlands, ha
лесное хозяйство
сельское хозяйство
прочие организации, госземзапас
невозвращенные
используемые для противопожарных целейв постоянном пользовании
рыбное хозяйство
Forestry
Agriculture
Protected areas
Excavated
Industry, special issues
Utilized in different form
FisheriesTotal peatlands: 199 267 haUnder use: 101 671 haAbandoned: 60368 ha, partly abandoned: 12450 ha
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Principles for rewetting•
Use domestic expertise for planning and design of project, revised by international experts
•
Capacity building with manuals, study trips and workshops
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Principles for rewetting•
Use domestic expertise for planning and design of project, revised by international experts
•
Capacity building with manuals, study trips and workshops•
Clarify target for rewetting beforehand with stakeholders
•
Secure co-funding by regional administration or private investors to gain ownership and sustainability
•
Preferably utilisation of on-site materials (peat, wood, sand) for constructions
•
Avoid big constructions and additional infrastructure (sluices, pumping stations, roads, artificial water bodies etc.)
•
Introduce environmental education to inform public (at suitable sites)
Biodiversity
Fire risk reduction
Hydrologically optimal or minimal space
GHG reductionCarbon Credits
Peatland area available for rewetting
Overlapping space (can be 0)
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
•
Target for rewetting must be clear for each rewetting (sub-)project•
Guidance for Russia is given by Decision Support System for degraded peatlands
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Decision Support System•
Different modules guide decision makers and planers through options for treatment
•
Each modules address ecological, climatic and economic benefits
•
Synergies and conflicts are discussed
•
Will be tested and improved in the project
•
Available at: www.succow- stiftung.de/brochures.html
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
2010 2011 2012 2013 TotalNumber of sites 9 34 21 14 78
Area, ha 4994 21497 31004 14609 72105
‘Rewetting’
of peatlands by Moscow Oblast
‘Rewetting’
of peatlands by Moscow Oblast
Rewetting of peatlands in RussiaExamples from Moscow, Tver and Vladimir Oblast
Current Project Activities
Restoring peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation
Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF
BY
“Restoring Peatlands and applying Concepts for Sustainable Management in Belarus”
(2008-2011)
“Wet peatland management for the sustainable production of biomass-
based energy (wetland-energy)” (2010-2015)
Restoring Peatlands and applying Concepts for Sustainable Management in Belarus
Drained peatlands are used for agriculture (72%), forestry (25%) and peat extraction (3%)
Restoring Peatlands and applying Concepts for Sustainable Management in Belarus
Total: 17,202 ha
Restoring Peatlands and applying Concepts for Sustainable Management in Belarus
Guidelines prepared by project partner in preceding UNDP-
GEF project in Belarus
Used for rewetting design in ICI project
Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands
Introduction to Paludiculture
Peatland conservation by sustainable land use
Preservation of the peat body
Reduction of GHG emissions
Production of renewable biomass
Maintainance of ecosystem services
Conservation of biodiversity
„palus“
–
lat.: swamp, marsh + „cultura“
–
lat.: care, cultivation
To sustain peatland rewetting and connect it to economic benefits paludiculture is introduced
Paludiculture -
Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands
C. Schröder
S. Wichmann
C. Schröder
W. Wichtmann
Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands
Sphagnum farming
S. Wichmann S. Wichmann
S. W
ichm
annS. Wichmann
A. Prager
Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands
Biomass as fuel for energy
L. Lachmann
T. Dahms
W. Wichtmann
W. Wichtmann
Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands
GHG emission balance of land use types
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20
water table [cm]
t CO
2-eq
ha-1
yr-1
Croplands, common grasslands
Low intensity pastureNature conservation grasslands
Reed canary grassAlder
Reed
Drainage based land use
PaludicultureCH4
CO2
GWP
Hoo
ijer &
Cou
wen
berg
, 201
2
Reduction of >30 t/ha CO2 -eq!
Costs to remove this species from the list of globally threatened species: 330 mio $ –
without recurrent habitat management:
only 30 mio $ Source: Tanneberger 2008, BirdLife International 2012
Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands
Biodiversity benefits
Economic benefits by Carbon Credits
On the basis of CDM system, simplified standards with as principles:
•
Additionality: real reductions, additional to ‘business-as-usual’
•
Sustainability: contributing to local sustainability
•
Verifiability: by an independent third party •
Reliability: not selling twice (double accounting)
central registration
Principles for joining the voluntary markets
2nd
track to gain economic benefits: Carbon Credits
Economic benefits by Carbon Credits
Standard methodology for Verified Carbon Standard(currently under review)
gives guidance for project document (PD) development
Economic benefits by Carbon Credits
As measuring is complicated, expensive, time consuming…
Economic benefits by Carbon Credits
Use vegetation as indicator for emissions! (quick, easy, cheap...)
Greenhouse Gas Emission Site Types (GESTs)
…the VCS methodology is based on a proxy:
Studies show that:- Emissions strongly related to water level - Vegetation strongly related to water level
Economic benefits by Carbon Credits
Towards GESTs: Vegetation-forms
Integration of flora and environment-
Species groups presence/absence as indicator
-
Calibrated for NE Germany, Belarus and Russia (in prep.)
site factor gradient
species groups
site factor classessubunits 1
1 22
3 4 51 2
Conclusions
•
Goal setting together with stakeholders•
Think global, act local: Strengthen local expertise, locally adapted techniques and on-site materials
•
Invest in planning and design, not in hard construction•
Sustain rewetting by involvement of local administration and economic incentives (paludiculture, carbon credits)
Rewet: for peatlands, for people, for ever… ;-)
S. S
chm
idt
Thank you for your attention!
Jan Peters Michael Succow Foundation
Greifswald / Germany
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