Shaping the Future of Sustainable Peatlands
Natural peatlands are wet ecosystems that form over centuries to millennia by accumulation of organic material. They are a vital part of our natural environment, serving as significant carbon sinks, preserving unique biodiversity, and regulating water systems. However, in the Netherlands, these low-lying peatlands face severe challenges due to drainage-based land use, such as land subsidence, high CO2 emissions, salinization of water sources, and pressure from competing land uses. This Signature project focuses on addressing the challenges by developing a sustainable future vision for Dutch peatlands, particularly in the 'Groene Hart' region.
Over the past millennium, Dutch peatlands have experienced significant land subsidence and associated environmental issues due to drainage. These challenges are exacerbated by high CO2 emissions, water salinization, and loss of unique biodiversity. The urgency to address these issues is underscored by various international, EU, and national commitments, including the Paris Climate Agreement, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the EU Restoration law and the Dutch Climate Law. Despite these efforts, conflicting cultural, agricultural, and ecological values complicate the development of effective solutions.
Goal
The project aims to co-develop a future vision for sustainable peatland management and derive lessons for expanding the solution space in areas with persistent long-term sustainability challenges. The team will engage stakeholders, including local policymakers, businesses, environmental NGOs, and citizens, to create innovative and actionable pathways for the future.
The aim is to achieve progress through:
Stakeholder Engagement: The team will deepen existing contacts and engage new stakeholders in the Groene Hart region, focusing on land subsidence, peat oxidation, and sustainable land use.
Ateliers: A series of structured workshops (ateliers) will be held to assess the current situation and strategic environmental planning issues, identify key challenges and opportunities, considering future trends and disruptive events, define possible future scenarios and explore their feasibility and desirability, and develop a coherent and future-proof vision and pathways for sustainable peatland management
Information Sharing and Collaboration: Throughout the project, the team will facilitate information sharing through Q&A meetings, an online platform, and dedicated workshops to integrate the results and create comprehensive reports and scientific articles.
Join Forces: bringing together the expertise and experience of several colleagues and initiatives focused on engaging in area-oriented processes for more sustainable land use. This includes the expertise of PBL, The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, with spatial explorations (Ruimtelijke Verkenningen); Landscape architect Peter de Ruyter’s expertise in facilitating area-oriented ateliers; and the expertise at UU in pathway development.
Incubator phase
The project started with an Incubator grant, with which partnerships with local stakeholders were established, including water authorities and the Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL). It also resulted in identifying crucial challenges and opportunities in the 'Groene Hart' region and balancing scientific rigor with creative thinking to expand the solution space. This phase underscored the importance of creating a safe space for open discussions, enabling stakeholders to explore transformative changes.
Get involved
Interested? Contact the team to learn more.
Team
Non-UU partners
- Dr. Mariet Hefting, Associate Professor Soil Ecology, VU Amsterdam
- Dr. Ed Dammers, Senior researcher territorial development and foresight, Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL)
- Leo Pols, Senior researcher urban planner/environmental designer
- Gert-Jan van den Born, Senior expert on policy analysis and foresight
- Dr. Astrid Magnus, Researcher on circular economy and foresight, PBL
- Dr. Perry de Louw, Specialist groundwater & drought, Deltares
- Dr. Henk van Hardeveld, Team leader hydrology, Waternet