LinkedIn·Friday, 24 July 2026·24 Jul 2026

🌿 New knowledge synthesis for policy: Understanding Europe's peatlands and coastal lagoons Healthy wetlands are essential for…

BioAgora Project

2,706 followers

🌿 New knowledge synthesis for policy: Understanding Europe's peatlands and coastal lagoons Healthy wetlands are essential for biodiversity, climate regulation, water quality, and ecosystem resilience. Yet across Europe, these ecosystems are declining. A new knowledge synthesis developed by the Science Service for Biodiversity through BioAgora and the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) in response to a policy request from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV), provides the scientific foundation for assessing the ecological condition of peatlands and coastal lagoons under key EU environmental legislation. The report highlights several important findings: 💧 Hydrology is key. The natural water regime is among the primary factors of ecosystem health in both habitat types, influencing biodiversity, carbon storage, and ecosystem functioning. 🌍 Wetland loss has been extensive. Around 80% of Europe's historical wetlands have disappeared, while more than half of the remaining peatlands have been drained - despite their critical role in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. 🔍 Multiple types of pressures interact. Drainage, land-use change, nutrient enrichment, pollution, coastal development, and climate change reinforce one another, making degradation increasingly difficult to detect and reverse. 📊 Better monitoring is needed. The report proposes integrated monitoring approaches that combine Earth Observation, field measurements, modelling, and digital technologies to improve ecosystem assessment while reducing reporting burdens for Member States. Looking ahead, the report outlines the scientific foundations for a future EU wetland monitoring, supporting more coordinated, evidence-based monitoring and restoration across Europe. This work demonstrates how the emerging Science Service for Biodiversity connects scientific expertise with policy needs, providing robust evidence to support the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Nature Restoration Regulation, and other key environmental policies. 📖 Read the full report 👉 https://lnkd.in/dZyunYQh Maria Blasi Paris Vasilakopoulos Marcela Muñoz Escobar Katarina Ana Cetinic Angel Pérez-Ruzafa Dani Boix Cristiana Cravo-Laureau Agata Klimkowska Ulf Mallast Dimitris Poursanidis Ana Rita Carrasco eLTER

↻ 8

View on LinkedIn