Rewetting initiatives in the Nordic countries share overarching goals of climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and water management, yet the emphasis and implementation reflect distinct national priorities and historical contexts.
A significant share of rewetting efforts has historically focused on state-owned protected forestry land, particularly in Finland, Norway and Sweden. This is due to the accessibility and minimal conflicts of interest associated with state land. Finland, in particular, has large areas of drained peatlands that are unproductive for forestry, allowing cost-efficient restoration without extensive landowner compensation requirements. Finland also stands out as the most advanced rewetting country in the Nordic region, benefitting from decades of experience in wetland restoration work and structured programs linked to clear political targets. In contrast, rewetting costs in Norway are said to be significantly higher than in Finland, reflecting the relatively limited experience and smaller-scale projects. However, reliance on state-owned land alone will not suffice to meet long-term climate commitments in the Nordic countries. Hence, there is a gap between political ambitions and targets for rewetting and the voluntary measures in place.
Rewetting on privately owned land along with reimbursement to private landowners is a relatively recent practice in all countries, which is why there is limited knowledge about its effectiveness. All Nordic countries provide compensation to encourage landowners to participate in rewetting projects, however it differs whether landowners are compensated only for the planning and construction of wetlands or for the loss of land and production income. The effectiveness of these incentives and the appropriate levels of compensation are not yet evaluated. Hence, insights into the optimal socio-economic compensation level are lacking.
Transitioning from rewetting measures on state-owned land to broader inclusion of private landowners also presents other challenges, such as resistance from landowners, uncertainty on emission reductions, and need for robust and long-term compensation programs. Direct engagement with landowners has been the primary successful strategy across the Nordics, though this requires significant resources and communication efforts, which all countries need to increase to align with political expectations.
Targeted and regular monitoring of rewetting projects is crucial to better evaluate the impact of political instruments, particularly voluntary measures. Monitoring can be costly and is often de-prioritized, but it is vital for evaluating political programmes and funding to assess their combined effects and address any conflicting interests. Currently, extensive monitoring is limited, as there are no standardized methods for measuring rewetting impacts. Since effects of wetland restoration have a long timeframe, the importance of long-term monitoring should be highlighted. Understanding the type and size of rewetted land is also crucial to assessing its effects.
On a final note, EU legislation will affect rewetting measures in the member states even more in the future. The Nature Restoration Law and the Regulation on land use, land use change, and forestry will be crucial to change the current pattern of nature degradation across Europe. The Regulation on land use, land use change, and forestry is also adopted by EEA member states, including Norway and Iceland, but it is still unclear whether EEA member states will adopt the Nature Restoration Law. The Nature Restoration Law sets specific targets for drained peatlands, and area-based targets for rewetting in 2030, 2040 and 2050 respectively. These targets will be turned into actions in the national restoration plans that each member state must provide within the next two years. The Regulation on land use, land use change, and forestry specifies emission targets for the land use sector, where rewetting also will be an important measure. These regulations will therefore come to play an important role for the Nordic countries in the near future and most likely have great influence on national policy targets and measures for rewetting.