Moors are enormous carbon stores and form biodiversity hotspots. In Switzerland, many moors are protected, but are nonetheless in poor condition due to lack of funding. This is because most upland moors and fens were once drained with drainage ditches to enable agricultural and forestry use before they were legally protected. These two myclimate climate protection programmes are making up for the lack of funds for the rewetting of upland moors and fens, thus avoiding large quantities of CO₂ emissions.
Globally, moors store 30 per cent of soil carbon, despite the fact that they cover only three per cent of the world’s surface. In earlier times, moors were drained for agriculture, forestry or peat extraction, but this releases huge amounts of CO₂ from the soil. In order to stop these emissions, rewetting is urgently needed. This process entails building measures to remove drainage ditches and thus restore the natural water balance in the moors. Moor renaturation represents a nature-based solution and is an important tool in the fight against global warming. The renaturing of moorland as a climate protection project is possible thanks to methods from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), which estimates the quantity of CO₂ emissions prevented by renaturation.
There are many good reasons for rewetting drained moors, as they provide numerous ecosystem services. Healthy moors are not only powerful carbon stores; they are also biodiversity hotspots. As water-rich ecosystems they provide habitats for rare and even endangered plant and animal species. Healthy moors are also very important for climate adaptation, as they regulate the water balance of the landscape thanks to their capacity to store water. Renaturation also improves flood protection, water pollution control, the microclimate and the appearance of the landscape. It offers the local population a place for relaxation, and the funds invested in the renaturation primarily benefit local businesses. Undisturbed moor soils also store important information from the past in the form of heavy metals and pollen, and thus serve as an environmental archive. Consequently, myclimate is particularly proud to support these nature-based projects.
Raised bogs and fens differ in the way they are supplied with water. A raised bog is separated from the groundwater and the upper peat layer is only fed by precipitation. Consequently, a raised bog is acidic and nutrient-poor. A fen, on the other hand, is still in contact with the groundwater and is therefore somewhat richer in nutrients.
myclimate has been developing high-quality upland moor projects in Switzerland since 2019 as part of a climate protection programme. It is a pioneer with a wealth of experience when it comes to developing climate protection projects. The support programme for fens has also been running since 2023. The following upland moor and fen renaturation projects have already been successfully implemented:
Do you have any general questions about our support programme? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by email or phone (+41 44 500 43 50).
Media reports about the programme:
