ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY

”Ecosystems and biodiversity”Programme Domain

Peat ecosystems are specific biological formations that occupy relatively small areas. They are particularly valuable, as they host many species of relic plants and animals that are strictly dependent on this type of habitat. Also, the turbid deposit is a true fossil treasure from which the history of vegetation, fauna and climate can be reconstructed. The typical and characteristic species of these systems have special demands on environmental factors, which make them particularly sensitive to changes in abiotic limiting factors, including water supply, water and substrate pH and material quantity organic.

Drainage, transformation into agricultural land, intensive grazing and mowing, fire, peat extraction, etc. there are only a few of the anthropogenic factors that endanger the proper functioning of these particularly fragile systems, which are added to the abiotic factors mentioned above.

Globally, peatlands store about half of the soil’s carbon reserve through the ability to absorb and store long-term atmospheric carbon dioxide. That is why they are considered to have a major role in moderating climate change.

Peat drainage followed by the massive release of carbon dioxide and methane gas, can have a major impact on climate warming and climate change. Studies have shown that peat drainage from the temperate zone releases peat oxidation by approximately 25 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare annually (Șotropa, 2010). It is estimated that over the past 10,000 years atmospheric carbon dioxide stored in peatlands has reduced the global temperature by approximately 1.5-2˚C (Holden, 2005). Global estimates show that due to the drainage, 445,696 million tons of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere, of which 1298 million tons in 2008 alone (Joosten, 2009). Romania also contributed to this massive release, where it is estimated that the areas covered by peatlands have decreased in the last 10 years, due to the anthropogenic impact, by about 4% (Joosten, 2009).

At the national level, since 1955, the academic Emil Pop has drawn attention to the problem of protecting and conserving peat bogs, listing numerous marshes of great importance that have been destroyed. In the decades since then, the condition of most peat bogs has worsened considerably, some of them being completely drained and replaced by agricultural land.

In this context, the effort of restoration (rehabilitation) and conservation on a national scale of these unique ecosystems is a timely, very important and very actual one.

Within the project implemented by the Bucharest Biology Institute of the Romanian Academy (IBB) “Restoration strategies of the deteriorated peatland ecosystems from Romania (PeatRO)”, financed by EEA Financial Mechanism 2007-2014, within the Programme RO02 – Biodiversity and ecosystem services, a number of 218 peatlands were evaluated at national level, and the National Programme for the restoration of degraded peatlands in Romania was elaborated. Within this project were developed 50 restoration schemes for peat habitats and alkaline marshes of community interest affected by drying.

The “Ecosystems and Biodiversity” area of the RO-Environment Programme aims, in this programming exercise of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, to implement the restoration schemes for 45 peatlands, out of the 50 restoration schemes above mentioned, strongly affected by anthropogenic and/or natural desiccation, which mainly requires works to restore the water regime. Thus, by financing 4 (regional) projects within the Call for Proposals no. 1 “Restoration of wetlands and peatlands” will be ensured the long-term maintenance of these fragile ecosystems and will be potentiated the measures taken for another area of the RO-Environment Programme (“Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation”), while contributing to reduce and/or prevent the release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

The total amount allocated from the RO-Environment Programme budget for the “Restoration of wetlands and peatlands” call of projects is 3,550,000 Euro, representing:

• 3.017.500 Euro (85%) – contribuția Mecanismului financiar SEE 2014-2021;
• 532 500 Euro (15%) – the national contribution.

The budgetary allocation for each project financed is between 700,000 Euro (minimum project value) and 900,000 Euro (maximum project value) with a grant rate of maximum 90% (commercial entities and NGOs) – 100% (public or private non-commercial entities commercial, other than NGOs) of the total eligible project costs.

The direct target groups are local municipalities or authorities and landowners. Indirect beneficiaries include the direct target groups as well as the general public using the rehabilitated wetlands/peatlands and its ecosystem services.

• More information can be found in the Applicant’s Guide:

OPEN CALL – Call for proposals – ”Restoration of wetlands and peatlands”

Clarifications regarding the Call for proposals No. 1 – Restoration of wetlands and peatlands, opened under the RO-Environment Programme

• The Applicant Guide for Call No. 1 was subject to public consultation in the period: 10.06 – 09.07.2020;
• Call No. 1 was launched on 16.09.2020 for an initial period of 4 months, being extended by another 2 months due to the pandemic (SARS COV 2) and to support the requests of potential Project Promoters, respectively until 31.03.2021.

The eligible applicants (Project Promoters) are any entity, public or private, commercial or non-commercial and non-governmental organizations, established as a legal person in Romania.

Eligible Project Partners are public or private, commercial or non-commercial entities, as well as non-governmental organizations, which have the status of legal persons, either in the Donor States (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or in Romania, which are actively involved in the implementation of the project and effectively contributing to it.

Projects funded under the “Ecosystems and Biodiversity” domain contribute to the achievement of indicators related to the following results of the RO-Environment Programme: