Project details

Study for the development of foundations of the implementation of a national peatland protection strategy

About 5% of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany stem from drained organic soils. In order to achieve Germany’s climate goals, a re-wetting is thus necessary to increase water levels in these soils. Rewetted peatland also creates further ecosystem services and fosters the protection of biodiversity.

Against this background the Federal Government of Germany plans a strategy for the protection of peatland and the implementation of first measures in this legislative term. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation commissioned the IfLS with a study on scientific foundations that are needed to develop and implement this national protection strategy for peatland.

The research project contained two complementary steps. Firstly, existing peatland protection strategies of the federal states and other EU-states as well as further documents that offer starting points and relevant content for the development of a national peatland protection strategy were systematically reviewed.

Secondly, two national expert workshops determined relevant corner stones for peatland protection. The first workshop aimed at developing focal points for the peatland protection strategy. In the second workshop focal points were more thoroughly elaborated.

The implementation of the analyses as well as the organization and contentual conception of the workshops were planned in close coordination with the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the Federal Ministry for Environmental Protection.

Results of the project were handed over to the client in two interim reports and a final report.

A synopsis of the results is available online (in German).