RESTORE4Cs has published its 6th Policy Brief, “European Coastal Wetland Indicators: A proposal for monitoring policy processes across space and time”, presenting a groundbreaking approach to track the status, trends, and policy performance of Europe’s coastal wetlands.
Coastal wetlands: small in area, huge in value
Although they cover less than 0.6% of the EU-27 + UK, coastal wetlands deliver unparalleled benefits. They store carbon, protect coastlines from storms, regulate water flows, filter pollutants, and support a diversity of threatened species. As “blue carbon ecosystems,” their restoration is essential for meeting climate and biodiversity goals.
Healthy wetlands improve coastal resilience, reduce flood and drought impacts, support agriculture through nutrient deposition and freshwater storage, and safeguard communities from climate-related hazards.
A critical component of the EU Green Deal
The Policy Brief highlights how conserving and restoring coastal wetlands is essential to delivering the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Nature Restoration Law, Zero Pollution Action Plan, Water and Marine Strategy Directives, and EU Climate Law, among others.
Policies set ambitious 2030 targets, including a 55% reduction in net GHG emissions, 50% reduction in pesticide use, 20% reduction in fertilizers, and restoring 20% of degraded ecosystems, making reliable, coordinated monitoring more important than ever.
Why a European monitoring framework is urgently needed
To meet policy demands, countries need robust, harmonised indicators that track:
- Wetland extent, health, biodiversity, and connectivity
- Progress on restoration
- GHG emissions and removals
- Agricultural commitments under CAP
- Exposure and vulnerability to climate-related hazards
- Levels of funding and investment
The Policy Brief proposes eight fit-for-purpose outcome indicators, accompanied by detailed metrics to evaluate ecological condition, trends, and policy performance across Europe.
Harnessing advanced technologies and collaborative science
The proposed framework integrates remote sensing, GIS, modelling, machine learning, and in-situ monitoring, enabling timely, high-quality assessments. Collaboration among scientists, policymakers, managers, and local communities will be fundamental to refining these tools and ensuring their adoption across regions.
Supporting EU-wide reporting and future assessments
The indicators and metrics laid out in this Policy Brief align with EU-wide monitoring needs and will directly support the Second European Ecosystem Assessment, contributing to ongoing implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
By providing a consistent and scientifically robust monitoring system, RESTORE4Cs helps ensure European countries can better protect, restore, and sustainably manage their coastal wetlands, strengthening climate resilience, ecosystem health, and coastal community well-being.
Read and download the 6th Policy Brief in the Case Pilot languages (Romanian, Portuguese, Dutch, Lithuanian, French, and Spanish) here.
Read the full RESTORE4Cs 6th Policy Brief below:
