Zvaniec mire. Is there any hope?

Yes! A project targeting conservation of the world’s most important Aquatic Warbler breeding site has been approved!

The name of the project “Clima-East: Conservation and sustainable management of peatlands in Belarus to minimize carbon emissions and help ecosystems to adapt to climate change, while contributing to the overall mitigation and adaptation effort.”

This project aims to address the most critical problems of fen mires conservation and management in Belarus, with a focus on innovative approaches to ecosystem-based climate mitigation and adaptation at peatlands.

The budget of 1,400,000 EUR allows introduction of landscape scale solutions and 3,500 ha of peatland territory will be cleared of shrubs, reeds, and trees at Zvaniec mire. Systems for monitoring of the efficiency of biomass harvesting and for precise identification of the carbon dividends will allow estimating positive effects for biodiversity through vegetation management as well as for climate change mitigation. It is expected that the project will result in avoided emissions of 15.6 tCO2-eq/ha/year by replacing fossil fuel use with peatland biomass. Retention (non-deterioration) of fen peatland carbon capacity will amount to 360 tC/ha. Basing on the based on the pilot successful experience 3 projects will be developed for other peatlands.

The 3 years project is expected to start in March 2013. UNDP acts as an implementing agency for the project.

Zvaniec mire

Photo: Ivo Dinsbergs
For more information contact
Dr. Alexandr Kozulin
kozulin@tut.by