Malchin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany)
The toMOORow Initiative is working to restore peatlands in Germany and Lithuania while raising awareness to build public support. The initiative aims to demonstrate peatland rewetting as a viable solution to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss in Germany (Sernitz peatland, inside the “Schorfheide-Chorin” Biosphere Reserve) and Lithuania. Additionally, it is promoting the sustainable use of wet peatlands by creating added value through paludiculture and carbon credits. Paludiculture activities include the harvesting of peat moss as a sustainable alternative to fossil peat in horticulture and the herding of water buffalo.
The project is providing landowners with economic incentives to rewet their land through carbon certificates and paludiculture. Additionally, a coalition of commercial enterprises is being established to develop value chains for paludiculture products and to market carbon certificates under the MoorFutures® initiative.
– The rewetting project expects to achieve significant outcomes, including GHG savings of approximately 1,000 tonnes of CO2e annually, the creation of new habitats for rare animal and plant species, and enhanced water quality through a substantial reduction in the release of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
– Alignment of interests with landowners and compensation schemes leading to fruitful cooperation
– Potential of creating value chains for products support wetland restoration
☑ Importance of resource for community
☑ Participatory approach
☑ System productivity
☑ Diversification of funding
☑ Successful pilot testing
☑ Development of governance structures
☑ Favourable policy context
☑ Leadership/ entrepreneurship
☑ Direct involvement of private sector
☑ hydrological restoration
☑ morphological restoration
☑ hydro-morphological restoration
☑ water quality improvement
☑ vegetation restoration
☑ removal of invasive alien species
☑ land use change
☑ passive restoration