ReWet - Research Infrastructure Wetland observatories for rewetting of drained peatlands

ReWet provides the infrastructure at ecosystem scale to study the effect of rewetting drained agricultural and forest peatlands on greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4 and N2O) and fluxes of nutrients (P and N), dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DIC, DOC).

Aim

The objective of ReWet is to facilitate climate-smart management and land use change related to agriculture and forestry on soils with high organic carbon contents, The ReWet infrastructure provides a research platform for studies on peatlands under different management practices before and after rewetting. Such a research infrastructure is critically needed to carefully assess the consequences of rewetting peatlands, especially for greenhouse gas balances and water quality, both of which are of critical importance for Danish policies on land use. Hence, this platform will contribute to the development of research-based guidelines for rewetting peatlands.

ReWet aligns with Danish and European international commitments such as the Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Climate Change Agreement or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related Goal 6 'Clean Water, Sanitation'; Goal 13 'Climate action', and Goal 15 ‘Life on Land’.

Short background information

In Denmark 10% of the GHG emissions is a result of drainage of peatlands, the national 70% GHG reduction goal by 2030 cannot be achieved without rewetting a substantial area of drained peatland. ReWet will establish four observatories on agricultural and forest peatland sites. These observatories will serve as platforms for ecosystem monitoring, experimental research, technological development, and demonstration.

Funding

The project is funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

Activities

The research infrastructure aims to cover the variations in Danish peatlands. ReWet will establish observatories on four different sites

• Gas flux measurements
• Emissions of CO2 and CH4 monitored in larger areas (>1 ha) at all sites by EC systems to represent the fluxes at ecosystem scale.
• Hydrology and water quality

Methods, stakeholder engagement

The ReWet observatories strengthen the links between the restoration of ecological and biogeochemical functions of peatlands and the wider benefits this can provide to society. Using the ReWet observatories as part of wider living laboratories on wetlands, the results generated contribute to solving the mosaic of challenges in wetland restoration, and to raise public awareness of the importance of peatlands for nature, the environment and climate, and translate these into a language that is understood within broader policy forums.

Achievements

The infrastructure is being installed.