WaterLANDS: towards restoring European wetlands

These changes are expected to intensify climate change to the detriment of both nature and people. WaterLANDS sees wetland restoration as an urgent socio-ecological problem. This project aims to bring together best practices from fragmented restoration projects across Europe in order to identify solutions that benefit both environment and people.

The best practices will be tested by restoring 10,500 hectares of wetlands. To achieve this a team of 31 partners representing science, industry, government and non-profit organizations from 14 countries will work together with a budget of 23 million Euro for 5 years.

European Green Deal

WaterLANDS is part of the European Green Deal, an ambitious programme of the European Commission to counter climate change. The Netherlands is well-represented by Wageningen University & Research, Radboud University, Wetlands International, the province of Groningen and Staatsbosbeheer. Within Wageningen University & Research the WaterLANDS team consists of four scientists with complementary expertise.

Read more about the European Green Deal projects in which Wageningen University & Research participates.

The Wageningen scientists about WaterLANDS

Dr. Milena Holmgren (expert ecosystem resilience): “There is clearly a need for safeguarding water resources on which life depends. There is very little of it. The largest chances of success are by working together to understand the links between aquatic-terrestrial biomes and across natural and social systems.”

Prof. Dr. Francisco Alpizar (expert environmental and natural resource economics): “Water scarcity has clearly been pushed to the limit. We face a change in the game. What we used to do will not work in the future. We already had conflicts about water. These conflicts will be intensified in the future as climate change progresses. Now we need to decide where to restore to safeguard our freshwater reserves.”

Dr. Jantsje van Loon (expert climate adaptation and nature based flood protection): “The changing climate and the resulting societal risks form an important incentive for the search for sustainable nature-based solutions.”

Dr. Juul Limpens (expert plant ecology and nature conservation): “I have worked with scientists, nature managers and farmers. In many cases they speak a different language. Sometimes however they come together in dialogue and come up with solutions that benefit both nature and people. I am convinced we need this synergy to face the environmental challenges ahead and to keep Europe a good place to live for generations to come.”

Text: Wageningen Environmental Research
Foto: Brian Sumner