Best Practices

IUCN NL, in collaboration with Wetlands Internationl and the University of Évora, has developed a REWET policy brief calling for an acceleration of wetland restoration despite existing knowledge gaps. Even with broad support, restoration is often hindered by perceived “knowledge gaps”, ranging from unclear definitions of wetlands to fragmented data on carbon emissions. Waiting for perfect data should not be an excuse for inaction and, in fact, restoration and knowledge generation must go hand in hand.

The Wetland-based Solutions Community of Practice is an inclusive network open to individuals, institutions, businesses, and associations committed to the restoration and sustainable management of wetlands. It serves as a collaborative space where members can connect, share experiences, and work together to advance wetland conservation efforts. Within this community, participants will have the opportunity to: 

El “Plan Estratégico de Humedales a 2030” establece la carta de navegación necesaria para llegar a buen puerto, con todas las acciones que se precisan para detener e invertir en España la pérdida y degradación de más humedales y para mejorar sus servicios ecosistémicos. El auténtico reto es lograr su plena aplicación, y es un desafío que afecta al conjunto de la sociedad.

This review article critically examines how contemporary practitioners approach river restoration and challenges for implementing restoration, which include clearly identified objectives, holistic understanding of rivers as ecosystems, and the role of restoration as a social process.

This article aims to introduce new arguments for bioengineering along riverbanks by applying the ecosystem service approach. We focus on major regulating services usually provided by floodplains. Denitrification and phosphorous retention were estimated by applying proxy-based models. Carbon sequestration within vegetation was calculated using biomass equations. The study clearly indicates an increase of ecosystem services by bioengineering measures compared to conventionally fixed riverbanks.

The Lobau, the "water world", lies to the east of Vienna, has an area of 2,300 hectares, and makes up almost a quarter of the entire area of the Donau-Auen National Park. It is one of six Austrian national parks and protects one of the last major floodplain landscapes in Central Europe.