Peatland restoration and conservation in Belarus Alexander Kozulin (NAS Belarus) Viktar Fenchuk (APB-BirdLife Belarus)

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1 Peatland restoration and conservation in Belarus Alexander Kozulin (NAS Belarus) Viktar Fenchuk (APB-BirdLife Belarus)

2 Why Belarus? - Belarus is the country of peatlands - Peatlands cover 14.2% of the territory of Belarus (2,9 mio ha)

3 Why Belarus? - Sustainable livelihoods

4 Home to threatened biodiversity: Greater Spotted Eagle prs: core European population 10 pairs 6-9 pairs 3-5 pairs 1-2 pairs

5 Belarus - In over 70% of peatlands (2 mio ha) were drained. - C. 70% are drained for agriculture - Following the breakdown of USSR large areas of drained peatlands became abandoned, degraded or ineffectively used Distribution of mires in natural state ( ha)

6 Degraded peatlands ha degraded peat extraction sites ha ineffective forest melioration ha degraded agricultural lands Over 516,000 ha natural mires with disrupted hydrology

7 Belarus: Belarus: #17 in peatland area in the World, but #17 in peatland area in the World, but # 8 in CO2 emissions from degraded peatlands # 8 in CO2 emissions from degraded peatlands From carbon sinks to carbon sources From carbon sinks to carbon sources

8 Peatland restoration in Belarus UNDP-GEF Peatlands project ( ) Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus GEF SGP Projects (2008 ongoing) Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus; Village councils Belarus Climate & Biodiversity project ( ) Michael Succow Stiftung

9 Parallel process: intensification of peat extraction million of tonnes years Development needs Energry pressure puts focus on peat as cheap local energy source for local industry development Demand driven Increased demand for peat for horticulture from EU countries

10 Sustainable scheme of peatland conservation and management Current approach: balancing real income from peat extraction by hypothetical arguments (biodiversity conservation) not fully workable New approach: balancing real income from peat extraction by real income from peatland restoration and conservation

11 Sustainable scheme of peatland conservation and management Degraded peatlands Intact peatlands peatlands Restoration Practical Conservation Restored peatlands Intact peatlands Scientific Emission reductions Carbon credits Restoration Management Practical Trade Economical

12 Key elements Practical How to reach maximal effect for climate and biodiversity during rewetting Scientific Economical Political

13 Practical Scientific How to estimate the amount of emission reductions and the effect on biological diversit Economical Political

14 Practical Scientific Economical How to ensure flow of funds for future managing rewetted peatlands and continuation of the work on restoration of degraded peatlands. Political How to balance real money from peat extraction by real money from peatland restoration and conservation

15 Practical Scientific Economical Political How to ensure the recognition of the sifnificance of mires/peatlands and their importance for climate balance

16 Over ha in the period Rewetting

17 Hrycyna (drained fen mire)

18 Zady raised bog

19 Before rewetting Dalbieniski degraded peatland

20 Before rewetting Zady degraded peatland

21 Before rewetting, 2006 Динамика растительности Transitional mires After rewetting, 2009

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24 Practical Scientific How to estimate the amount of emission reductions and the effect on biological diversit Economical Political

25 GHG monitoring for key vegetation types Barcianiha (9 GEST types) Drained and rewetted transitional mire Raznianskaje mire (4 GEST types) Natural raised bog Sporava mire (10 GEST types) Natural fen Degraded fen Drained agriculturally used fen Rewetted fen after agricultural use

26 Thank you for your attention

27 pristine bog, Ražnianskaje balota

28 Wet Phragmites reed, Barcianicha (~5 years rewetted)

29 abandoned cutover fen, Barcianicha

30 Practical Scientific Economical How to ensure flow of funds for future managing rewetted peatlads and continuation of the work on restoration of degraded peatlands. Political

31 International carbon standards The VCS Standard provides a global standard for GHG emission reduction and removal projects. The two principal documents of the program are: the VCS Program Guide - describes the rules and requirements governing the VCS Program (project registration process, the VCS registry system, the methodology approval process and the accreditation requirements for validation/verification bodies) the VCS Standard - provides the requirements for developing projects and methodologies (requirements for validation, monitoring and verification of projects and GHG emission reductions and removals)

32 VCS AFOLU GUIDANCE Eligible Project Categories ARR - Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation ALM -Agricultural Land Management IFM -Improved Forest Management REDD - Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation(REDD) and New category developed PRC, Peatland Rewetting and Conservation Approved 8 March 2011

33 PRC, Peatland Rewetting and Conservation Includes the following types of activities: A. Rewetting of drained peatlands (RDP) Methodology is under validation process B. Conservation of undrained or partially drained peatlands (CUPP) Avoiding of planned peatlands drainage (APPD) Avoiding of unplanned peatlands drainage (AUPD) C. AFOLU activities, performed on peatlands Agricultural land management on peatlands (ALM) Afforestation, reforestation and re-vegetation of peatlands (ARR) Improved forest management (IFM) on peatlands D. Activity on avoiding peat extraction

34 Carbon project portfolio - 41 sites identified - Total area of all sites amounts to over ha - Projected total emission reductions after rewetting (years 1-20) are 1 MtCO2e - Annual emission reductions c tco2 (from to t CO2e)

35 Practical Scientific Economical Political How to ensure the recognition of the sifnificance of mires/peatlands and their importance for climate balance both on national and international level

36 Minsk conference

37 Thanks a lot!