DUBLIN, IRELAND – 8 May 2023 – Peatlands Europe, an international organisation dedicated to peatland conservation, restoration, and sustainable management, has proudly facilitated and supported the Government of Ireland in hosting the European Peatlands Initiative (EPI) development meeting in Dublin today.
The event, chaired by Cisca Devereux and Lisa Wiatschka brought together several European countries, including key stakeholders such as the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection; the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality; and UNEP Global Peatlands Initiative. The meeting, held at the iconic Dublin Custom House, focused on forging stronger ties between nations to accelerate peatland restoration and conservation efforts across Europe.
Sebastiaan van Herk, PhD, of Peatlands Europe praised the collaborative spirit of the event: “The European Peatlands Initiative development meeting exemplifies the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in driving change. We are proud to support this groundbreaking effort, and we look forward to working with governments and organisations across Europe to ensure the sustainable management and restoration of our precious peatlands.”
Participants were given the opportunity to visit a blanket bog restoration project in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, showcasing an innovative public-private partnership between the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Intel Corporation. The site features 60 hectares of drained bog re-wetted to increase water storage levels by 50-90 litres and serves as a shining example of collaborative efforts to protect biodiversity and restore water resources in Ireland.
The EPI development meeting marks the beginning of the Preparatory Phase for the initiative, following a year-long exploratory phase led by Peatlands Europe, which engaged over 150 participants across 15 countries. The European Peatlands Initiative is expected to launch in 2024.