2. Methodology

This study covers rewetting policies in five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The Nordic autonomous regions: Greenland, Faroe Islands, and Åland Islands, are not included in the scope of the study.

The study has focused on national policies, strategies and roadmaps for rewetting practices and assessed whether there are targets or clear objectives associated with the rewetting work. Rewetting refers to raising the water level on wetlands that previously have been drained for production purposes, such as agriculture or forestry. Hence, the study does not include the establishment of new wetlands or restoration of wetlands that have not been drained.

A literature review has been carried out, which focused on current strategies, policies, and action plans for implementing and strengthening rewetting initiatives. The focus here has mainly been on government reports, government budgets and regulation letters as well as national strategies for climate and biodiversity. Literature from research institutes and civil society organisations has also been included, such as publications by national Nature Conservation Society organisations, to ensure a broad understanding of the rewetting efforts and policies. Furthermore, the desktop study has focused on evaluations of implemented rewetting instruments, assessments of effects and social impacts. The literature has been mapped country-wise and assessed in a cross-Nordic context. The desk study has been systematically conducted through the following steps:

The review of the selected literature has been carried out country-wise, in three overarching categories: national policies and objectives, economic mechanisms for rewetting practices and rewetting policy evaluations and monitoring.

Interviews with experts from each country have been conducted to support the analysis of rewetting policies in each country. For each country, between two and four interviews have been conducted with experts from governmental bodies or civil society organisations (CSOs). In total, twelve interviews have been conducted through the study. The interviews have been carried through based on a semi-structured interview guide. In Denmark, only one interview could be carried out, due to ongoing political negotiations during the fall in 2024 regarding new rewetting targets and regulations as part of the Green Tripartite Agreement. As a result, it was not possible to secure further interviews, as the relevant experts were engaged in these negotiations and the political landscape was undergoing significant changes during the preparation of this report. This has to the extent possible been captured in the report, based on the available official documents.

To ensure an independent expert review of the findings of this study, a sounding board has been installed, consisting of three researchers from Denmark, Norway and Sweden respectively. The sounding board members were Jan Vermaat, Research Dean at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management and professor in Aquatic Ecology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Peter Hambäck, Professor at the Department of Ecology, Environment, and Plant Sciences at Stockholm University, and Martin Rudbeck Jepsen, Associate Professor in Human Geography and Geoinformatics at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen. These researchers are experts in wetlands and wetland practices in each country of belonging. Insights regarding rewetting in Finland and Iceland have to some extent been included through the sounding board. The members of the sounding board are part of several research projects regarding wetland evaluations, trade-offs and synergies among wetland ecosystem services as well as improved accuracy of national emission inventories and measurements of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The sounding board has been part of suggesting key informants and institutions for the interviews. They have also contributed to the country analysis including rewetting policies and practices.