NordWetCap – Nordic Capacity Building for Wetland Restoration and Climate Resilience

About the Project

NordWetCap strengthens the Nordic capacity for wetland restoration as a key nature-based climate solution. The project brings together partners from Iceland, Norway and Denmark to combine practical implementation, social dialogue and policy learning in a joint Nordic effort.

Drained wetlands are a significant source of CO₂ emissions in the Nordic region – but also hold great potential for climate action, biodiversity and climate adaptation. In Iceland’s Westfjords, there are over 11,000 hectares of drained and unused land, which alone emits an estimated 215,000 tons of CO₂ annually. NordWetCap is working to translate this potential into concrete solutions.

Project Goals

The project aims to:

• Develop a common Nordic model for wetland and ecosystem restoration
• Build local capacity among landowners and municipalities
• Strengthen social acceptance through dialogue and co-creation
• Identify political and legal barriers and develop Nordic recommendations
• Establish a lasting network: Nordic Community for Ecosystem Restoration (NCER)

Folkecenter’s Role

Nordic Folkecenter leads the work package on knowledge sharing and communication. We:

• Hold a Nordic workshop in Denmark
• Develop a digital Best Practice Plus Catalogue
• Run the project’s web platform
• Communicate results via social media and the People’s Climate Meeting (Klimafolkemøde)
• Contribute to the establishment of the NCER network

Our role is to ensure that the project’s experiences do not remain local, but are shared and scaled across the Nordic region.

Expected effect

NordWetCap creates both short-term and long-term results:

• Increased capacity among landowners and municipalities
• Pilot projects for wetland restoration in Iceland
• Nordic policy recommendations
• A digital knowledge center for nature-based solutions
• A lasting Nordic collaboration on ecosystem restoration

SDGs IN THE PROJECT