Restoration of two peatlands has begun in the Vitebsk region with the support of UNDP/GEF

March 15, Minsk /Olga Belyavskaya - BELTA/. Restoration work on two depleted peatlands has begun in the Vitebsk region under the UNDP/GEF project "Renaturation and Sustainable Management of Peatlands to Prevent Land Degradation, Climate Change and Ensure the Conservation of Globally Significant Biodiversity". This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by UNDP/GEF project information officer Alexey Chistodarsky. "Two depleted peatlands in the Liozno district of the Vitebsk region have a chance to become healthy wetland ecosystems again," the specialist said. In early March, construction work began to restore the hydrological regime at the depleted peat deposits Poplav Mokh (414.6 ha) and Zhadenovsky Mokh (753.3 ha). For this purpose, 62 earth dams will be built on the territory of Poplav Mokh and 89 on the Zhadenovsky Mokh peatland, which will block the drainage channels and fill the depleted areas with water. Re-wetting will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere from peatlands. According to expert estimates, 3837 tons of CO2 are released annually from the Poplav Mokh territory due to the mineralization of open peat layers. For the Zhadenovsky Mokh territory, this figure is 5095 tons per year. "As a result of re-wetting, the cessation of carbon dioxide emissions and even its absorption are expected," noted Alexey Chistodarsky. In addition, raising the water level will significantly reduce the risk of peat fires. Before re-wetting, in dry years, both territories were repeatedly subjected to severe fires. The restoration of peatlands will lead to the appearance of typical species of wetland fauna, including red-listed birds such as the common crane and the short-toed snake eagle. Construction work on the restoration of the hydrological regime of the Poplav Mokh and Zhadenovsky Mokh peatlands is planned to be completed in the summer of 2010. The design documentation for re-wetting was developed by specialists from UP "Belgiprovodkhoz". In total, in Belarus, under the UNDP/GEF project, 12 depleted peatlands and disturbed wetlands with a total area of 25,717 hectares have been re-wetted since 2007. -0-