Natuurpunt’s wetland plan brochure now available
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Rivers and Lakes
Our member Natuurpunt strives to restore 1,500 hectares of wetlands in Flanders, Belgium by 2027 with its Wetland Plan. Wetlands have been established as natural and powerful climate buffers, offering protection against floods and droughts. To help mitigate these effects, Natuurpunt has selected 18 of its nature reserves where different types of wetlands will be restored.
In April 2024, Natuurpunt managed 1/5th of existing Flemish wetlands that cover about 5% of the Flemish region in total. Fortunately, there is considerable potential to restore wetlands. No less than 147,000 hectares of wetlands can be restored in Flanders, of which 49,000 hectares are already designated as nature areas. After success stories of nature restoration in the Blankaart and the Valley of the Zwarte Beek, with the Wetland Plan, Natuurpunt takes up the responsibility to restore almost 1,500 hectares of wetlands.
Rewet to keep it dry
“We selected 18 nature reserves throughout Flanders where different types of wetland habitats will be restored. Within these reserves, currently, 1,350 hectares have already been assigned as priority areas for wetland restoration. These include peatlands, which also store a lot of carbon dioxide, as well as wet grasslands, forested swamps and fens,” explains Lander Wantens, project coordinator of the Wetland Plan.
International recognition
In 2023 Natuurpunt became a member of Wetlands International Europe. Natuurpunt’s experience with the ambitious Wetland Plan in a highly urbanized region such as Flanders is unique, and offers opportunities to strengthen the case for wetland restoration in throughout Europe.
