Interreg NWE BUFFER+ Project

BUFFER carbon + water in peatlands: landscape-based solutions for climate adaptation is a 4-year project funded by Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) that aims to enhance the natural buffering abilities of peatlands through restoration processes.

Healthy peatlands have a strong potential to sequester carbon and, due to their water buffering capacity, play a crucial role in managing periods of excessive rainfall or drought. However, in NWE regions, large areas of peatlands are drained for peat mining, agriculture, or forestry, turning them into sources of CO₂ emissions rather than sinks. By restoring the capacity to buffer carbon and water, BUFFER+ partners aim to facilitate climate change adaptation and mitigation in NWE regions while also restoring biodiversity and creating new revenue streams.

Peatlands

In their natural state, peat soils are excellent stores of both carbon and water, making peatlands vital for water management during periods of excessive rain or drought. Unfortunately, areas within North-West Europe (NWE) have compromised this essential ecosystem service by creating drainage systems for peat extraction, agriculture, and forestry.

By restoring the natural capacity of peatlands to buffer carbon and water, the BUFFER+ partners contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation in NWE. This, in turn, can aid in restoring local biodiversity and creating new socio-economic opportunities, such as eco-tourism and wet agriculture. The project has three primary objectives:

1. Restore damaged peatlands in 15 regional pilot projects in North-West Europe.
2. Develop new economic and business models in wet peatlands.
3. Improve governance around peatlands.

Interreg BUFFER+ is a €9.7 million project involving 21 partners and 7 associated organizations from 5 countries: Germany, Ireland, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Together, they represent all types of peatlands in North-West Europe, from low peat bogs and boggy soils to peat meadows, wet grasslands, and raised bogs.

Donegal Pilot

County Donegal, located in the Northwest region of Ireland, is notable for its extensive peat coverage, primarily consisting of blanket bogs. The pilot action in this area aims to restore approximately 5 hectares of peatland and will serve as a demonstration site for peatland restoration, including invasive species removal, the use of matting and geotextiles, coir logs, and timber dams. The pilot aims to train NGO volunteers, park rangers, and private peatland owners in restoration techniques and natural flood management. Additionally, the restored peatland will contribute to the tourism industry, improve water quality, and increase biodiversity. Our cross-cutting pilot partner, BeeODiversity, will monitor indicators such as plant diversity and industrial and agricultural pollutants at the site.

Mayo Pilot

The pilot project in this region aims to demonstrate the concept of paludiculture to local farmers and introduce wet agriculture to a broader Irish audience. Wet agriculture, or ‘paludiculture,’ involves the production of biomass on wetlands, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project aims to test a variety of ‘paludicrops’ on wet peat to promote this practice as a viable alternative to activities requiring drainage. Our cross-cutting pilot partner, Bioclear Earth, who will monitor soil health using molecular methods to assess general microbes and genes as indirect proxies related to the carbon cycle.

Links:

BUFFER+ Website: Interreg BUFFER+

BUFFER+ YouTube: Interreg BUFFER+ YouTube

Interreg YouTube: @INTERREGNWE

Interreg LinkedIn: @Interreg-NWE

BUFFER+ LinkedIn: BUFFER+ Linkedln

Follow BUFFER+ on X (Twitter): @bufferplus

Follow Interreg NWE on X (Twitter): @INTERREG_NWE

The project is kindly co-financed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service:

The project is kindly facilitated by the Inishowen Rivers Trust and River Moy Trust: