PEATLAND restoration in Scotland has increased, with the number of peatland hectares put on the road to recovery growing by 25% between 2022 and 2023.
A report by NatureScot revealed on Friday that the nature agency’s Peatland ACTION team have put 5,000 ha of peatland on course for recovery.
Vital in the fight to tackle climate change, peat covers more than 20% of Scotland and is crucial for water quality, richly diverse landscapes, slowing floods and wildfires, sustaining rural jobs and storing carbon.
Peatlands in Scotland are estimated to hold the equivalent of 185 years’ worth of the country’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions.
However, 80% of the UK’s peatlands – the majority of which are in Scotland – are estimated to be damaged and in need of restoration.
The NatureScot Peatland ACTION team delivered over 65% of the Scottish Government-funded Peatland ACTION programme between 2022 to 2023.
Working with a range of landowners and contractors across Scotland, NatureScot Peatland ACTION have completed over 50 restoration projects in the past year.
As the NatureScot Peatland ACTION team looks to the future, it has also launched the first interactive peatland restoration data mapping portal of its kind in Scotland, offering access to valuable data and analysis tools.
The public will be able to view completed peatland restoration projects across the country, as well as feasibility studies and details of peat depths and condition surveys.
NatureScot’s Deputy Director of Green Economy, Claudia Rowse said: “Increased peatland restoration is vital to combat the climate and nature emergencies.
“Peatlands play such an important role in supporting our economic growth, improving our health and well-being, strengthening communities and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“We must continue to build on the results we’ve achieved with our many partners to put thousands of hectares of peatlands on the route to becoming a nature-rich, biodiverse and net zero Scotland.”
To date, the estimated total peatland restoration delivered by the Peatland ACTION programme since 2012 is over 42,000 ha.
