This practice-oriented guideline is aimed at nature conservation stakeholders who wish to integrate the objectives of natural climate protection into their land management and prepare rewetting measures in a structured way.
It covers the key phases of a peatland conservation project from financing and assessing the baseline conditions through planning and approval to implementation, monitoring, communication and public engagement. Supplementary checklists facilitate practical project work.
A particular focus is on the interaction between nature conservation and climate protection. The guideline shows how potential conflicting objectives can be identified at an early stage, synergies exploited and rewetting projects implemented professionally.
Peatlands provide unique habitats for numerous rare and endangered animal and plant species. At the same time, they store large quantities of carbon and significantly contribute to the landscape’s water balance.
When peatlands are drained, the carbon bound in the peat is released again through decomposition processes. In Germany, drained peatlands account for around 53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in greenhouse gas emissions each year. This corresponds to around 7.5 per cent of Germany’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The guideline makes it easier to get started with peatland conservation projects and helps to prepare and implement rewetting measures professionally.
Please refer to the DBU website for further information. The guideline can be downloaded free of charge at: