1. Climate and biodiversity projects in Belarus and Ukraine: Re-wetting degraded peatlands
Dr Zbigniew Karpowicz

2. Why peatlands? The already well-known facts:
Peatlands are the most space effective stores of carbon
In the boreal zone they contain seven times more carbon per ha than any other ecosystem
Carbon is accumulated and stored as long as the peatland stays wet
In Belarus, peatlands occupy 1,4 mln ha
50% of Belarusian peatlands were drained in and drainage of peatlands leads to huge emissions

3. Yelnia raised bog Ramsar site
Dziakuj / Thank you

4. Two projects
1. Belarus
2. Ukraine

5. Project overview
In Belarus, with BirdLife partner APB: re-wetting 18,000 ha of degraded peatland ( );
In Ukraine, with BirdLife partner USPB: re-wetting 20,000 ha of degraded peatland ( );
Michael Succow Foundation, based in Germany, are a partner with key responsibility for the development of the GEST approach;
Carbon experts from the Silvestrum Ltd, Emmer International, Climate Focus and Beyond Carbon are being contacted for specific tasks;
Both projects seek to sell voluntary Carbon credits from the re- wetted areas, income that will be re-invested in the long-term management of sites to fund further restoration after the projects end

6. The 7-M approach
Measuring CO2 equivalents – develop a methodology – the GEST method
Making the VCU (Voluntary Carbon Units)
Making the Rewetting
Monetising of Rewetting
Monitoring the Areas
Managing the Areas
Maximising the Approach

7. Measuring CO2 equivalents
Greenhouse Gas Emission Site Types (GESTs)
Synergy of vegetation and gas emissions
to map/estimate the baseline emissions before rewetting and to monitor the emissions after rewetting

8. 2. Making the VCU Avoidance model
Joosten, Augustin, 2006
Avoidance model
estimates GWP potential of natural and degraded mires (IMCG)
links mire restoration with the amounts of avoided CO2-eq emissions

9. 3 (i) Making the rewetting

10. 3 (ii) Making the Rewetting
Site selection according to desired specifications
Maximize carbon
Maximize biodiversity
Compromise
Other incentives

11. 3 (iii) Making the Rewetting (procedure from Belarusian experience)
Site selection according to desired specifications
Work out the scientific baseline study
Acquisition of rewetting permission (1 month)
Development of engineering plan (3-5 months)
Agreement of engineering plan by Ministry of Nature Resources (1 month)
Ecological expertise (3 months)
Call for tender of construction work
Implementation of engineering activities (3-5 months)
Inspection and approval of construction work, transfer under authority of land manager
Monitoring

12. 3 (iv) Making the Rewetting
Total rewetting procedure takes
1.5 years
Costs depend on size of peatland
& complexity of construction works
Range between 15 – 150 €/ha
pict. Provided by A. Kozulin

13. 4 . Monetise the rewetting - Offering credits
Offering the VCUs to potential investors:
* EC and USA industrial
concerns
* commercial groups outside
the ETS ie. 3% Group
* Carbon brokers/traders
Explore Green Investment Schemes
Preparing for post-Kyoto Joint
Implementation

14. 5. Monitor the sites
Site by site regular monitoring scheme (remote sensing)
Documentation of changes in:
Plant and bird species, water level stability
Condition of dykes, sluices and other restoration devices
Verification of conditions (aim to build-up a centralised database to store and analyse the revealed data):
Biodiversity characteristics
Physical characteristics

15. 6. Manage the Areas: Benefits from the Re-wetting
For conservation (biodiversity)
For climate (maintenance of carbon equivalents reductions over time, prevention of fires)
For community (employment and rural re-renewal: biomass production as an alternative to peat as an energy source)
For capacity building (strengthening technical, scientific and NGOs)

16. Neighbouring countries: Ukraine and Russia
7. Maximize the approach
Neighbouring countries: Ukraine and Russia
Degraded
peatlands
Restored
peatlands
Carbon
credits
Restoration
Avoidance model
Restoration
Management
Voluntary market (now)
Kyoto market (JI, post-2012)
Trust fund
PA scheme

17. Results Belarus: 8840 ha re-wetted as of 1st September 2010;
Negotiations underway with potential first buyer of voluntary carbon credits;
Ongoing biodiversity monitoring taking place to demonstrate benefits to birds and biodiversity;
Emissions reductions gains of 3-6 tonnes CO2 equivalents per hectare/per annum from the re-wetted sites;
Ukraine:
Re-wetting will begin in early 2011, half of which (10,000 ha) will be within the existing protected areas network;
Preparations for the creation by USPB of a Carbon Fund and a Land Fund that would rent, manage and financially maintain the rewetted sites;
Operational and technical lessons learnt from the Belarus project will be transferred to the Ukraine project.

18. All pictures by: S.Koltovich/A.Osipovich
Location: Grichino-Starobinskoje rewetted peat extraction site: 3 years after rewetting

19. All pictures by: S.Koltovich/A.Osipovich
Location: Grichino-Starobinskoje rewetted peat extraction site: 3 years after rewetting

20. Zbigniew Karpowicz, Programme Coordinator (zbig.karpowicz@rspb.org.uk)
Dziakuj / Thank you
Zbigniew Karpowicz, Programme Coordinator