Wetlands International with its partners, the Institute of
Forest Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Michael Succow Foundation, implemented a
major peatland restoration project in Russia in response to the extensive peat fires in the summer
of 2010 in the Moscow region.
The project was initiated within the framework of co-operation between the Russian Federation and
the Federal Republic of Germany to spearhead the ecological rewetting of peatlands, and represents
one of the largest peatland ecosystem restoration projects in the world.
Dry peatland areas are prone to fires and the inhalation of the resulting smoke and smog particles
can lead to lung irritation, causing respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Effective re-wetting
of the peatland ecosystems is a key greenhouse gas mitigation measure, by reducing emissions from
peatland oxidation and fires. Ecologically restored peatland areas have significantly enhanced
resilience against droughts, thereby lowering the risk of fires. By reducing smog occurrences,
restored peatlands can reduce health and economic impacts.
Key facts
The project represents one of the largest on-the-ground peatland restoration project in the
world;
To date, over 35,000 hectares of drained peatlands have been restored using ecological methods
with another 10,000 hectares currently underway;
The total amount of emission reductions achieved is currently estimated at 175,000 to 220,000
ton CO2 eq. per annum;
According to an expert assessment, another total of 42,000 hectares have been optimally
restored in relation to peat fire prevention in the Moscow region by using complex hydro-technical
facilities;
Paludiculture (wet agriculture on restored peatlands) and sustainable management practices have
been initiated at several sites.
Peatlands cover over 8% of Russia's territory. Several million hectares of peatlands have
been drained and used for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction. When peat extraction became
unprofitable in the 1990s, many of those areas were subsequently abandoned. Land-use changes and
drainage on peaty soils have resulted in large-scale land degradation and drained peatlands have
become especially prone to major fire risk. Moreover, peat oxidation emits huge quantities of carbon
dioxide (CO2), amounting to up to 100 metric tonnes per year. In the summer of 2010, peat fires and
related smog around Moscow caused dramatic economic and health impacts, resulting in over 50,000
premature deaths.
The solution
Wetlands International, with all their partners, developed the project as part of the
International Climate Initiative led by the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation,
Building and Nuclear Safety and managed by the KfW bank.
In close collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian
Federation, the project carries out measures to return the degraded peatlands to their original
water-logged state with sustainable use of these areas in a manner involving peatland cultivation
(paludiculture) and biodiversity conservation.
Addressing peatland degradation is achieved in a complex and cost-effective manner, which involves
peatland mapping, greenhouse gas emission monitoring, wide stakeholder consultations with social
and economic appraisals before restoration, ecological design, piloting of novel restoration
techniques, cost-benefit analysis of different approaches, local national and international
awareness raising and knowledge sharing.
Helping the planet
Owing to the rewetting of peatland, the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions helps to combat
climate change, as well as to restore biodiversity. Recently, the project has resulted in deepened
knowledge about the effects of peatlands in the global carbon cycle.
According to recent scientific estimates, peatlands store more carbon than all of the forest
ecosystems combined and, despite covering only 3% of land, they play a crucial role in battling
climate change, fire risk reduction and have a significant impact on the global climate.
Additionally, the project fosters the establishment and protection of habitats and ecosystems, thus
increasing biodiversity in these areas.
Helping people
The rewetting of drained peatlands provides benefits to a large array of beneficiaries not
only for those living in close proximity to these areas, but also to all people potentially
influenced by peat fire smog that can easily migrate hundreds of kilometers.
The abandoned and drained peatlands are concentrated in the central part of the most densely
populated area of Russia’s European territory and their ecological restoration has
significant effects on the local population who live mainly in large cities. Additionally,
approximately 20 million people who live close to restored peatland are no longer exposed to the
smoke and smog, with a corresponding reduction of respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Other
benefits include the reduction of firefighting costs and rise in economic value of local real
estate, as well as improved conditions for tourism, recreational use of the peatlands, and
commercial effects of planting certain crops, such as reeds, peat mosses, alder, willow and other
fast growing trees, which could replace fossil fuels, plastic-based construction, and insulation
materials.
Spillover effect
Now the project is being scaled-up to reach from four to ten regions in Russia, which should
ultimately cover at least 0.5 million hectares of ecologically restored peatlands. As the project
results show, the costs of ecological rewetting can often be ten times cheaper than the
hydro-technical approach. Due to this, the project has attracted further support from the Russian
authorities, the private sector and Russian investors, who support the scaling-up of the project to
other areas.
Plans to make the project more replicable include enhancement of technical capacities to implement
ecological rewetting (especially through the training of new rewetting designers) and informing the
Russian government to make necessary legislative changes, crucial for the success of the process.
Furthermore, the potential for peatland cultivation (paludiculture) and trading in carbon credits
are being assessed. The problem of fire risk and greenhouse gas emissions in peatlands is of
relevance to other regions of Russia and many other countries. Therefore, the project is promoted
internationally to share its unique know-how and successes.
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