Polski
Issue 2/2026, From the European Commission
LIFE program to restore EU wetlands?
Feb
Wetlands are essential for building resilience to climate change, protecting biodiversity or fighting pollution. The ongoing LIFE HumedalES project is one of many European Union initiatives to protect and restore these valuable resources. It reflects Europe’s ambition to protect the environment and increase resilience for the future.
General background
Wetlands (marshes, bogs, wetlands) are ecosystems that provide habitat for a variety of plant and animal species – from reeds and willows to bats, beavers, otters and eagles. They are crucial for the protection of biodiversity, and many of the species that live in these areas are under strict protection. They help fight climate change, prevent floods and droughts, store carbon dioxide and protect water resources. This is why it is so important to restore and maintain these areas.
The Natural Resources Restoration Regulation, the first comprehensive law of its kind with a continental scope, was recently introduced at the EU level. It is a key component of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy, which sets targets for restoring degraded ecosystems, particularly those with the greatest potential for carbon capture and storage, as well as preventing and reducing the effects of natural disasters.
Wetlands under pressure
Wetlands across Europe, as the EC points out, have been under severe anthropogenic pressure for decades. Human impact is causing these areas to disappear. This has far-reaching consequences for society, the economy and the ecosystems that depend on the waters.
Reversing the degradation of wetlands can bring huge benefits not only to the environment, but also to the economy, communities and overall quality of life in Europe.
A recent pan-European study has shown that wetland restoration can reduce nitrogen pollution and improve water quality with minimal impact on agriculture.
Practical examples of restoration activities and indicative approaches to wetland management, the EC points out, are available in projects supported by the EU’s LIFE program, as well as EU research and innovation projects, including CORDIS.
LIFE HumedalES project
The project aims to restore more than 26,200 hectares of wetlands across Spain, improving the conservation status of 43 habitat types, from high mountain lakes and inland wetlands to coastal lagoons and marshes. It is an ambitious and coordinated national effort to achieve good conservation status for Spain’s wetlands and sustainable use of water resources. Supported by more than 40 stakeholders in a collaboration between public authorities, environmental authorities, agricultural authorities, regional governments, non-governmental organizations, and representatives of the agricultural and tourism sectors, it has a chance to become a reality.
Implementation of the LIFE HumedalES project is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2026, and end on March 31, 2036. The total budget is about 160.5 million euros, with 60 percent co-financing from the European Union.
At the regional level, the planned investments will amount to more than €1.5 million. Their implementation is aimed at improving knowledge, planning and management, ecological restoration, and strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, as well as coordination between different administrations, particularly in areas covered by the Natura 2000 Network.
Regulation on the restoration of natural resources
The recently introduced EU-level Regulation on the Restoration of Natural Resources (Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 24, 2024 on the restoration of natural resources and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869) aims to restore ecosystems, habitats and species in the EU’s land and sea areas in order to:
- enable the long-term and sustainable recovery of biodiverse and resilient nature;
- Contribute to the EU’s climate change mitigation and adaptation goals;
- fulfill international obligations.
Under the legislation introduced, EU countries are required to submit national reconstruction plans to the European Commission by September 2026, which should report on how the set targets will be met. They will also be required to monitor progress and report on their implementation.
The European Environment Agency, meanwhile, is to periodically produce technical reports on progress toward the set goals. The European Commission has been required to report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of the Natural Resources Recovery Regulation.
In writing the article, I used:
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/restoring-wetlands-life-programmes-biggest-project-so-far-2026-02-02_en
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/project/LIFE24-IPN-ES-LIFE-HumedalES-101202850/boosting-knowledge-management-and-restoration-of-natura-2000-wetlands-in-spain
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/restoring-wetlands-strategically-could-reduce-nitrogen-flowing-sea-minimal-impact-agriculture-finds-2026-01-14_en
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/ultimas-noticias/2026/enero/espana-ejecutara-el-mayor-proyecto-la-historia-de-los-fondos-lif.html
https://green-forum.ec.europa.eu/nature-and-biodiversity/nature-restoration-regulation-implementation_en
