Posted on February, 03 2025
In celebration of World Wetlands Day, WWF Central and Eastern Europe released new research revealing the critical role of floodplain restoration in combating climate change.
The findings show that restoring former floodplains could transform landscapes from greenhouse gas emitters into carbon sinks. With over 90% of Europe’s original floodplains altered or degraded, the findings underscore the need for Nature-based Solutions to meet EU climate targets and address biodiversity loss.
Unprecedented in scope and detail for the region, the study demonstrates the significant benefits of floodplain restoration not only for carbon sequestration but also in relation to two other greenhouse gases - nitrous oxide and methane. Broadening the scope beyond the commonly studied CO2 is essential, as landscapes can either emit or absorb these two other gases, depending on field conditions related to land use.
Focusing on the Tisza River in Hungary, the research reveals several critical insights into how floodplain restoration can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Periodic flooding was shown to enhance biomass production both above and below the soil, significantly boosting carbon sequestration, which offsets emissions of methane and nitrous oxide of the analysed ecosystems. By comparison, fertilized arable lands remain major emitters of greenhouse gas, primarily due to the release of nitrous oxide - a gas with 300 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 100-year timeframe.
Floodplains are a mosaic of diverse ecosystems, including a range of land uses, such as hay meadows, pastures, orchards, forests, water bodies, and, at higher altitudes, arable lands.
Balancing the diverse uses of these ecosystems with the challenges of climate change requires a well-thought out, sustainable approach. This pilot research provides evidence that if two-thirds of the analysed former deep floodplain is converted to extensive land use in harmony with controlled periodic flooding, the climate mitigation potential of the landscape would be significant. Periodic flooding enhances carbon sequestration, even during prolonged droughts caused by climate change.
Conducted as part of the Living Danube Partnership, the nearly three-year project (2022–2024) combined advanced biogeochemical modeling with field measurements and references to scientific literature. Unlike previous studies, this research incorporates data at local, regional, and landscape scales, offering a scalable framework for future restoration efforts.
“This unique study offers a new way of thinking about our floodplains,” said Dr. Szilvia Ádám, project coordinator at WWF Central and Eastern Europe. “Floodplain restoration provides a pathway to address biodiversity loss and meet climate targets simultaneously. These dynamic natural systems can regulate climate and provide vital ecosystem services when allowed to function naturally.”
The findings support the European Green Deal’s goals for promoting sustainable land use practices and directly contribute to the EU’s LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry) climate commitments, which aim to enhance carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land-use activities, and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Restored floodplains also act as natural buffers against climate extremes, mitigating droughts and heatwaves through improved water retention and soil stabilization. They create habitats that boost biodiversity and provide critical lessons for restoration efforts across Europe. Scaling up floodplain restoration could deliver significant environmental and climate benefits across the continent.
