Wetland Restoration: Challenges, needs & opportunities | REWET & ALFAwetlands Final Conference 2026

What are the main challenges facing wetland restoration in Europe, and what opportunities exist to overcome them? During the joint REWET and ALFAwetlands Final Conference, Wetland Solutions for the Future, experts from across Europe came together to discuss the barriers, needs and opportunities associated with restoring wetlands at scale. This panel discussion explores key considerations for successful wetland restoration, including climate change adaptation, scientific knowledge, practical implementation, stakeholder engagement and the challenges of translating restoration ambitions into action. Speakers: Jaime Ribalaygua – Climate Research Foundation (FIC), Spain Tuula Larmola – Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Finland Ana Lillebø – University of Aveiro, Portugal Jüri-Ott Salm – Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF), Estonia Christian Fritz – Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Netherlands Moderator: Cristina Barragán – KNEIA This session forms part of Wetland Solutions for the Future, the joint final conference of the Horizon Europe projects REWET and ALFAwetlands, held on 17 September 2026 in Brussels. REWET is an EU-funded project aiming at facilitating sustainable restoration and conservation of terrestrial wetlands, including freshwater wetlands, peatlands, and floodplains, by applying fit-for-purpose technologies to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, meteorological events, and social aspects of sustainability. REWET project focuses on determining how the restoration and management of wetlands can be optimised to maximise their carbon uptake while in balance with type-specific natural processes and biodiversity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REWET Project - REstoration of WETlands to minimise emissions and maximise carbon uptake – a strategy for long term climate mitigation Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Discover more: Website: www.rewet-he.eu #wetlands #floodplain #peatlands #climatechange #carboncapture #cinea #restoration