Peatlands are an essential part of the European landscape, providing habitats for many species as well as multiple ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, yet they are among the most threatened habitats in Europe. Only one third of Belarus’ 2.6 million ha of peatlands remain in a natural or close to natural state – the rest have been drained for agricultural use, forestry or peat extraction. Belarus now ranks high among carbon emission hotspots globally. Due to ineffective use in agriculture and forestry, many drained areas are now designated for ecological rehabilitation at the national level. Based on restoration efforts in Belarus to date, this project will create a proposal to rewet a significant portion of degraded peatland.
Belarus Peatlands
Developing a practical vision for restoring Belarus’ peatlands