The H2020 WaterLANDS project includes 15 wetland sites where restoration is ongoing, or successful restoration has already taken place. These "Knowledge Sites" provide important perspectives on what constitutes successful wetland restoration, as well as highlighting pitfalls and uncertainties. Experiences from the knowledge sites will feed into on-the-ground restoration at six wetland "Action Sites" across Europe.

Last week, representatives of the WaterLANDS Knowledge Sites met at the Doñana Biological Station in Seville to participate in a workshop to identify key factors in the adaptive restoration of European floodplains and peatlands.

The workshop was organised as part of WP1 (Restoring Ecosystem Services) by task 1.4 representatives Luis Santamaría and Maria Belenguer of Doñana Biological Station.

Representatives from 11 knowledge sites participated and provided essential information to identify key uncertainties, objectives and elements of the planning and decision-making process for ecological restoration at their respective case studies.

The information gathered will be used to develop a decision support system for ecological restoration, a key output of task 1.4.

The workshop included a field visit to several restoration sites in the Doñana 2005 restoration programme.