SpongeWorks: Revitalisation of City Peatlands for Climate Adaptation, Biodiversity Restoration, and Community Benefits

Revitalisation of City Peatlands in the Lviv Amalgamated Territorial Community for Climate Adaptation, Biodiversity Restoration, and Community Benefits

SpongeWorks

08.2025-02.2028

LOCAL ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES «LVIV AGGLOMERATION»

Department of Ecology of Lviv City Council;

Department of Basin Management of Water Resources of the Western Bug and Syan Rivers of Lviv region, State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine;

Geography Department, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv;

Lviv Ecological Foundation (LEF).

The targeted area faces severe ecological decline due to extensive drainage systems that were introduced over several decades during the Soviet era. These systems aimed to transform peatlands into farmland or industrial sites, fundamentally disturbing the region’s natural hydrological cycles. This disruption has caused peatlands to dry out, speeding up organic matter decay and releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, into the atmosphere. This process contributes to climate change and increases the region’s environmental vulnerabilities. Moreover, the city’s growth threatens to turn peatlands into urban zones, permanently lowering the groundwater level and disturbing local river networks. The loss of natural water retention raises the risk of flooding in some areas and causes drought-like conditions elsewhere. This degradation has also led to a significant decline in biodiversity, as many native plant and animal species dependent on healthy wetland ecosystems have been displaced or are at risk of extinction. These changes weaken the region’s ability to adapt to climate change, reducing its resilience to extreme weather events and threatening the livelihoods of communities relying on these ecosystems. Reversing this trend is essential to restore ecological balance, conserve biodiversity, sustain ecosystem services, and improve the region’s capacity for climate adaptation.

The project aims to restore 2,500 hectares of city peatlands within the Lviv Amalgamated Territorial Community to promote climate adaptation, biodiversity recovery, and community benefits by developing a sponge recovery plan and implementing practical measures.

The activities include:

– Developing a strategic restoration plan for urban peatlands with 5- and 20-year goals, including hydrological and land-use predictions, and installing observation wells to monitor groundwater levels. Additionally, enhancing rewetted areas by constructing water-retaining structures in reclamation canals and beyond, in accordance with local landscape reserve guidelines, and implementing the restoration measures.

– Conducting a comprehensive assessment of peatland conditions—covering biodiversity, soil, and groundwater regimes—to evaluate the state before and after restoration, using the IUCN methodology, and creating a roadmap for these interventions.

– Engaging local communities and stakeholders to facilitate participatory planning and sustainable governance in developing the strategic restoration plan.

– Removing sections of melioration channel structures to restore the water balance and eliminate artificial barriers within a 100-metre channel to improve the sponge effect.

– Restoring lost vegetation and habitats by raising the water table, sowing seeds, and transplanting native species across the entire fragmented area of 30 hectares.

– Developing educational and awareness programmes to highlight the ecological and economic benefits of peatland conservation. Involving local residents and volunteers through brochures, newsletters, websites, toolkits, social media, and other outreach methods.