Supporting the Development of a National Peatland Protection Strategy in Slovakia

The outcome of the project will provide a shared vision of where the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of Slovak peatlands should be headed and what specific steps are needed to achieve this.

DAPHNE is participating in the international project “Peatland Futures: Collaborative Strategies for Carbon Farming and Ecosystem Conservation in CEE,” which aims to support the development of scientifically grounded, practical, and participatory strategies for the protection and restoration of peatlands in Central and Eastern European countries. The project is being implemented as part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI).

Peatlands are among the most important yet highly threatened ecosystems. In addition to their high biodiversity, they play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, water retention in the landscape, and mitigating the effects of climate change. Their protection and restoration therefore link nature conservation, water management, agriculture, and climate policy.

A Shared Vision for Slovak Peatlands

DAPHNE’s mission is to support the development of a draft national strategy for peatlands in Slovakia. The process will be based on expert analysis and dialogue among individuals and institutions that can influence the current state and future of peatlands.

We want to involve representatives of ministries and professional organizations, scientists, landowners and land users, farmers, nongovernmental organizations, the business sector, local communities, and other relevant initiatives in this collaboration.

The project will include two participatory workshops in Slovakia. The first will focus on the current situation, key challenges, needs, and priorities for the conservation and restoration of peatlands. We will use methods such as co-creating a vision, problem analysis, and roundtable discussions. The second meeting will be dedicated to presenting and validating the draft strategy, identifying common solutions, and planning next steps.

From Findings to Strategy

Prior to the actual development of the strategy, an assessment of the current situation will be conducted—covering the state of Slovak peatlands, existing policies and initiatives, key shortcomings, and the needs and conditions required for their more effective protection and restoration. The process will also include consultations with experts, policymakers, and other stakeholder groups.

The draft will also link Slovakia’s needs to European policies, particularly the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, and the Carbon Removal and Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Regulation (CRCF), as well as relevant national strategies.

We will subsequently summarize the results of the working meetings, the strategic process, and the policy dialogue in a policy brief containing specific recommendations for Slovakia, intended primarily for decision-making and expert institutions.

Project Partnership

The Peatland Futures project: Collaborative Strategies for Carbon Farming and Ecosystem Conservation in CEE is coordinated by CEEweb for Biodiversity. At the international level, Eurosite—the European Land Conservation Network—and the Michael Succow Foundation, a partner of the Greifswald Mire Centre, are also participating in the project. Activities in the three pilot countries are carried out by local partners—the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation in Bulgaria, DAPHNE—Institute of Applied Ecology in Slovakia, and CIPRA Slovenija in Slovenia.