Where water had been pumped out for decades, it is now slowly returning: a peatland restoration project is underway at the Juchowo farm in north-western Poland; 90 hectares of drained peat meadows are to be returned to their original wetland state.
Degraded peatlands in Poland are to be restored; this is good for the climate, for biodiversity and for the farmers involved.
© Mariusz SimkaThe Juchowo farm in north-west Poland manages, amongst other things, grassland on peatland areas that are becoming increasingly degraded as a result of ongoing drainage. The water table in the affected meadows occasionally drops to as much as one metre below the surface. The aim of the project, which is led by aeco – a company specialising in peatland restoration – and the Polish nature conservation organisation Centrum Ochrony Mokradeł (CMOK), is to raise and stabilise the water level in summer; from autumn to spring, the water should remain as close to the surface as possible. The project – for which the participating farmers bear no costs – is funded through the sale of certificates for the emission reductions achieved by the measures. Degraded peatlands contribute to the further worsening of the climate crisis, as they release significant amounts of climate-relevant CO₂.
“Farmers are clearly seeing the effects of climate change – increasingly frequent droughts and problems with water availability – which is why they are looking for solutions that will help make their farms more resilient. Rewetting peatlands offers a range of benefits: it helps retain water on agricultural land, boosts crop yields, whilst also protecting valuable peat soils and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The experience of the Juchowo Farm is the best example for other farmers that climate action is also beneficial for their own farms", said Mariusz Simka from CMOK. CMOK is supported by EuroNatur in this large-scale peatland restoration programme.