By Abbas Nazil
Europe’s last surviving peatlands are facing rapid decline as climate change pushes their ecological boundaries beyond sustainable limits, according to a new international study led by Wageningen University under the WaterLANDS project.
Researchers warn that only 7 percent of Europe’s original peatland area remains functional, and even these surviving ecosystems are likely to shrink further as rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns make conditions unsuitable across most of the continent.
The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, mapped historical, current, and future peatland distributions, revealing that 93 percent of soils that once supported peat formation no longer host ecologically functional peatlands.
Scientists attribute this massive loss to centuries of peat extraction and agricultural expansion, activities that helped drive Europe’s economic development but left its natural carbon stores severely depleted.
Under two climate change scenarios, the team found that peatland suitability will sharply decline, with long-term persistence expected mainly in the cool, wet zones of northern Scandinavia, as well as parts of Ireland, Scotland, and high-altitude regions.
Researchers emphasize that these remaining peatlands will experience increasing climatic stress, further threatening an ecosystem that plays a critical role in carbon storage, biodiversity support, and water regulation.
Experts highlight that peatlands store twice as much carbon in their soils as forests do in their biomass, making their protection essential for climate mitigation.
Degraded peatlands, they warn, are prone to drought, wildfires, erosion, and pollution, directly affecting air and water quality and threatening future water supplies for communities.
Scientists urge urgent restoration and conservation efforts, stressing that the areas identified in the study should be priority zones for intervention.
The findings are part of the EU-funded WaterLANDS project, which involves 32 organizations across 14 European countries working to develop large-scale, holistic wetland restoration strategies.
Project leaders argue that previous restoration attempts were too fragmented and localized to create meaningful ecological recovery.
They aim to connect peatland habitats and surrounding communities through integrated ecological, social, and governance approaches that ensure long-term resilience.
The researchers say the continental-scale mapping offers critical guidance for policymakers and conservationists as Europe races to safeguard its remaining peatlands before climate pressures push them past recovery.
