BUFFER carbon + water in peatlands: landscape-based solutions for climate adaptation

Wet and healthy peatlands have a strong natural potential to save carbon and, due to their water buffering capacity, play an important role in managing periods of excessive rains or droughts. Yet, in NWE regions large areas of peatlands are drained for peat mining, agriculture or forestry, which makes them CO2 emission sources rather than sinks. By restoring the capacity to buffer carbon and water, BUFFER+ partners aim at climate change adaptation and mitigation in NWE regions, while at the same time restore biodiversity and create new revenue streams.

BUFFER+ involves 21 partners and 7 Associated Organisations from regions which represent all peatland types across NWE. Knowledge-based organisations, land management authorities, private companies, network facilitators and public authorities join their capacities and expertise, when building on previous projects’ results. Jointly they will work on:

1) Sustainably rewetting, restoring and preserving peatlands and shaping new landscapes to create buffers for carbon and water and increased biodiversity.

2) Developing new or scaling up existing business models, to boost sustainability transitions in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while stimulating a sustainable local economy.

3) Improving governance of peatlands by involving and engaging stakeholders from industry, academia, public authorities and citizens in decision-making processes and in taking responsibility for co-creation and scaling up of new found solutions.



To realise this, partners apply and test new approaches like water farming, payments for ecosystem services, nature-based solutions to rewet and improve water quality and forming new peat. Ahead of a sales ban on peat-based potting soil, peat-free substrates will be developed. Biomolecular and biodiversity monitoring and testing digital twinning will be part of the new approaches as well, while also sharing expertise on cooperatives, and applying bottom-up community approaches.Sustainably rewet, restore or preserve peatlands and build new healthy peat landscapes to create buffers for carbon and water with increased biodiversity, resulting in 6 areas with restored peatlands, and in addition 4 detailed plans for restoration.

Develop new or scale up existing business models for farmers and other landowners/-users in peatland areas , to boost sustainability transitions in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while stimulating a sustainable local economy.

Improve governance: create new or enhance existing cooperation structures involving all quadruple helix actors and enabling them to collectively shape, and take responsibility for, sustainable land management and ecosystem rehabilitation.