Expert Workshop
Riverine and coastal wetlands
for biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation,
and climate change mitigation
Date November 29 & 30, 2022
Time 09:00-12:30 CET
Venue online
Target Group only invitation
Background
Pressure from climate change land use and land use change poses challenges to wetlands, their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ultimately, human health and well-being around the world is affected. Restoration offers opportunities to revive functioning wetland ecosystems and harness their great potential to contribute to climate adaptation and climate change mitigation as nature-based solutions. While we are experiencing rapid wetland decline, there is increasing recognition of their great potentials, new restoration approaches are being developed and implemented. Decision‐makers have to address these challenges to provide healthy wetlands. Innovations, including new approaches are needed to maximize opportunities for improving the functionality of wetlands, biodiversity and the benefits for people who depend on it.
Objectives
The aim of this virtual expert workshop was to discuss the most recent developments in science, practice, and policy related to the role of riverine and coastal wetlands for biodiversity and climate. Participants explored existing evidence from across Europe, shared their own experiences in interactive discussions and jointly identified hot topics and key questions in the following four thematic sessions:
- IA: Wetlands for biodiversity: Threats, vulnerability and how to boost resilience
- IB: Wetlands for climate change mitigation and adaptation: Opportunities, challenges and success indicators for nature-based solutions
- IIA: Wetland restoration in practice: How to overcome barriers, scale up implementation and maximize co-benefits
- IIB: Wetland policy, governance and planning: How to move forward in Europe
An explicit goal of the workshop is to steer the content of the upcoming 5th European Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change, hosted by BfN and ENCA in September 2023 in Bonn/Germany, with the title: “Riverine and coastal wetlands for biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and climate change mitigation”.
Based on the results of the expert exchange, we will jointly compile a "Discussion Paper", to be published by the BfN.