Peatland Rewetting for the climate, biodiversity and people

Transcription

1 Restoration of mire habitats in Boreal Region September 2013 Soomaa (Vanaõue), Estonia Peatland Rewetting for the climate, biodiversity and people Project examples from European Russia and Belarus Jan Peters Peatlands & Climate Change Michael Succow Foundation, Greifswald (Germany)

2 Content of presentation Introduction to Peatland commitment 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

3 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

4 Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF GER BY UA RUS Competence center for conservation and sustainable use of peatlands in Greifswald, Germany

5 International expertise and partnership for peatlands RUS GER BY UA

6 Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF GER Protected area managment and peatland restoration in NE- Germany Adapted land use (Paludiculture)

7 International expertise and partnership for peatlands GER BY UA RUS Peatland Conservation through International Climate Policy Mechanisms

8 International expertise and partnership for peatlands Hotspots of emissions from drained peatlands (Source: Hooijer et al. (2006): PeatCO2 project report)

9 International expertise and partnership for peatlands Emissions from peatlands in Europe Sweden 8% Ukraine 4% Belarus 11% Finland 3% Germany 14% Russia European 42% Poland 8% Iceland 2% Ireland 2% Norway 6%

10 Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF RUS Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation ( )

11 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))

12 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation Main project components 1. Inventory and prioritization in Moscow Oblast 2. Rewetting for fire risk reduction and GHG emission avoidance 3. Framework for monitoring and assessment of GHG emissions and biodiversity 4. Technical and scientific capacity building 5. Advocacy at national and international platform 6. Economic incentives for rewetting

13 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation Inventory Rewetting Assessment Capacity building Advocacy Economic incentives Reduction Restoration Monitoring Accounting

14 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation Peatland inventory of Moscow Province: Total area: km 2 Distance: W-E 320 km, N-S 305 km Population: 7,048 mln.

15 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation Moscow Province: land use on drained, excavated, utilised and abandoned peatlands, ha Forestry лесное хозяйство Agriculture сельское хозяйство Protected areas прочие организации, госземзапас Excavated невозвращенные Industry, special issues используемые для противопожарных целей в Utilized постоянном in different пользовании form Fisheries рыбное хозяйство Total peatlands: ha Under use: ha Abandoned: ha, partly abandoned: ha

16 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation

17 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

18 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)

19 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation Peatland area available for rewetting GHG reduction Carbon Credits Biodiversity Hydrologically optimal or minimal space Overlapping space (can be 0) Fire risk reduction Target for rewetting must be clear for each rewetting (sub-)project Guidance for Russia is given by Decision Support System for degraded peatlands

20 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:

21 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation Rewetting of peatlands by Moscow Oblast Total Number of sites Area, ha

22 Rewetting of peatlands by Moscow Oblast

23 Rewetting of peatlands in Russia Examples from Moscow, Tver and Vladimir Oblast

24 Restoring peatlands in Russia for fire prevention and climate change mitigation Current Project Activities

25 Peatland rewetting and conservation projects of MSF BY Restoring Peatlands and applying Concepts for Sustainable Management in Belarus ( ) Wet peatland management for the sustainable production of biomassbased energy (wetland-energy) ( )

26 Restoring Peatlands and applying Concepts for Sustainable Management in Belarus Drained peatlands are used for agriculture (72%), forestry (25%) and peat extraction (3%)

27 Restoring Peatlands and applying Concepts for Sustainable Management in Belarus Total: 17,202 ha

28 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

29 Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands Introduction to Paludiculture To sustain peatland rewetting and connect it to economic benefits paludiculture is introduced palus lat.: swamp, marsh + cultura lat.: care, cultivation Preservation of the peat body Reduction of GHG emissions Production of renewable biomass Maintainance of ecosystem services Conservation of biodiversity Peatland conservation by sustainable land use

30 Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands C. Schröder W. Wichtmann S. Wichmann C. Schröder

31 Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands Sphagnum farming S. Wichmann S. Wichmann S. Wichmann A. Prager S. Wichmann

32 Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands Biomass as fuel for energy L. Lachmann T. Dahms W. Wichtmann W. Wichtmann

33 Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands GHG emission balance of land use types Drainage based land use t CO 2 -eq ha -1 yr Paludiculture CH4 GWP 0-10 Reduction of >30 t/ha CO 2 -eq! CO water table [cm] Croplands, common grasslands Low intensity pasture Nature conservation grasslands Reed canary grass Alder Reed Hooijer & Couwenberg, 2012

34 Paludiculture - Business opportunities for rewetted peatlands Biodiversity benefits 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

35 Economic benefits by Carbon Credits 2 nd track to gain economic benefits: Carbon Credits Principles for joining the voluntary markets 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

36 Economic benefits by Carbon Credits Standard methodology for Verified Carbon Standard (currently under review) gives guidance for project document (PD) development

37 Economic benefits by Carbon Credits As measuring is complicated, expensive, time consuming

38 Economic benefits by Carbon Credits the VCS methodology is based on a proxy: Studies show that: - Emissions strongly related to water level - Vegetation strongly related to water level Use vegetation as indicator for emissions! (quick, easy, cheap...) Greenhouse Gas Emission Site Types (GESTs)

39 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 classes subunits

40 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 ;-)

41 Thank you for your attention! Jan Peters Michael Succow Foundation Greifswald / Germany jan.peters@succow-stiftung.de S. Schmidt