Iceland launches restoration of 225 hectares of wetlands

A new restoration initiative began at Sogn in Ölfus, with plans to block around 23 kilometres of drainage ditches.

Iceland launched a wetland restoration initiative on state-owned land on 9 October, beginning at Sogn in Ölfus. Environment, Energy and Climate Minister Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson marked the start of work to block old drainage ditches.

According to the government's announcement, the plan is to restore 225 hectares across five state-owned properties this autumn and block approximately 23 kilometres of ditches. These are project targets, not a claim that all the work has already been completed.

Drainage lowers the water table. Restoring wetter conditions can support wetland vegetation and wildlife, while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from drained organic soils.

The ministry says projects planned for this year and next could together exceed the area restored in Iceland over the previous three decades. That remains a projection dependent on the work being carried out.

Sources: Ísland.is — tilkynning stjórnvalda