Four years of research deliver new tools for climate-smart wetland restoration
After four years of collaboration across Europe, the Horizon-funded WET HORIZONS project has come to an end. The project has delivered new scientific insights, open datasets and practical tools that can help governments, land managers and restoration practitioners make better decisions about wetland restoration, climate mitigation and biodiversity protection across Europe.
Wetlands are among Europe's most valuable ecosystems. They store vast amounts of carbon, support biodiversity, regulate water flows and help societies adapt to climate change. Yet decades of drainage and land-use change have left many wetlands degraded, transforming them from carbon sinks into sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Addressing this challenge was the ambition behind WET HORIZONS, a major EU Horizon research project bringing together scientists, modellers and restoration experts from across Europe. Now, after four years of research, the project has reached its conclusion, delivering practical tools designed to support wetland restoration across the continent.
Turning research into practical solutions
A central goal of WET HORIZONS was to help bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and real-world restoration decisions. To do so, researchers developed methods and tools that improve understanding of how restored wetlands affect greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, water regulation and ecosystem services.
Among the project's key outcomes are new emission factors for restored peatlands, designed to improve national greenhouse gas inventories and strengthen climate reporting. The work combines field measurements, satellite observations, drone imagery and machine learning to better capture how emissions change following rewetting.
The project also developed ServiPeat, an online decision-support system that allows users to explore different peatland restoration scenarios and assess potential impacts on water retention, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and ecosystem services.
In addition, researchers examined the economic dimensions of wetland restoration, identifying where peatland rewetting can deliver climate benefits most cost-effectively. New interactive planning tools further help decision-makers explore trade-offs between climate mitigation, biodiversity goals and economic considerations.
A strong contribution to European wetland research
Beyond individual tools, WET HORIZONS has generated a considerable body of openly accessible scientific knowledge.
Over the course of the project, the consortium produced 55 open-access scientific publications and 15 openly available datasets, all accessible through the project's Zenodo community.
One of the most widely used outputs is the European Wetland Map, developed jointly with the ALFAwetlands project. The dataset has already been downloaded nearly 29,000 times, highlighting the growing demand for reliable information on Europe's wetlands.
The commitment to open science ensures that researchers, authorities and restoration practitioners can continue building on the project's results long after the formal end of the project.
Supporting Europe's restoration ambitions
The project’s results arrive at a crucial time. Across Europe, governments and land managers face increasing pressure to restore degraded ecosystems while meeting ambitious climate and biodiversity targets.
Restoration decisions often involve complex trade-offs. Which areas should be prioritised? How much climate benefit can be expected? What are the costs? And how can biodiversity gains be maximised?
WET HORIZONS has sought to provide evidence-based answers. By combining expertise in ecology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, economics and spatial modelling, the project has created a stronger knowledge base for planning restoration measures that are both effective and cost-efficient.
From project to lasting impact
The final WET HORIZONS event, held in August 2026 during the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe conference in Brest, France, showcased the project's main scientific achievements and practical tools.
While the project itself has ended, its impact is expected to continue. The datasets, models and decision-support tools developed through WET HORIZONS remain available for researchers, policymakers and practitioners working to restore wetlands across Europe.
More information
Read more about WET HORIZONS here
Contact: Professor Shubiao Wu, Project coordinator, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Mail: wushubiao@agro.au.dk
Special Consultant Lorenzo Pugliese, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Mail: Lorenzo.pugliese@agro.au.dk or tel.: +45 93521064ª
Communication Advisor Camilla Brodam Galacho, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Mail: brodam@agro.au.dk or tel.: +45 93522136