WaterLANDS Key Achievements

This publication highlights the key achievements and results emerging from across the WaterLANDS project, with a focus on applications, potential impact and practical, reusable evidence, tools and frameworks.

Over its five-year duration, WaterLANDS brought together researchers, practitioners, community representatives, and policymakers to co-create scalable approaches to restoring some of Europe’s most valuable and vulnerable ecosystems. Insights from existing “Knowledge Sites” directly informed on-the-ground restoration at six “Action Sites” in Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Over the course of the project, WaterLANDS directly restored and supported the restoration of more than 4,800 hectares of wetlands across Europe, including peatlands, saltmarshes and floodplain wetlands, while also catalysing a further 8000 hectares of peatland restoration through partner-led initiatives, bringing its overall restoration influence to well over 12,700 hectares.

This collaborative effort has resulted in a diverse set of outputs that bring together best-practice approaches in ecology, environmental management, engagement, finance, and governance to create a blueprint and actionable strategies for more holistic wetland restoration. Reflecting the project’s commitment to integration, adaptability, and long․term impact, they are designed based on practical learnings from WaterLANDS sites but enable replication and upscaling across wider areas.

Equally important are the stories emerging from our Action Sites. These demonstrate how co-creation translates into real-world change and include large-scale restoration interventions, innovative citizen science initiatives, community partnerships and new ways of connecting people with wetlands. Each highlights the value of local knowledge, collaboration, and innovation in delivering meaningful ecological and social outcomes. Together, these achievements form a foundation for the next phase of wetland restoration in Europe.

Our aim is for this work to inspire continued action, inform policy and practice, and support a growing community committed to restoring wetlands for climate, biodiversity, and people