The RESTORE4Cs project has launched its new Decision‑support Toolbox, an interactive system designed to identify and prioritise wetland restoration opportunities across European coastal areas. Developed under the Horizon Europe RESTORE4Cs initiative, the Toolbox integrates spatially explicit environmental and socio‑economic information to assess the restorability of degraded or converted wetland areas, offering a comprehensive, evidence‑based foundation for restoration planning.
Through a user‑friendly interface, the Toolbox enables users to explore restoration potential across multiple ecological and functional dimensions. These include land‑use reversibility, wetland condition, ecological connectivity, and biodiversity relevance. Users can filter and visualise results, compare restoration scenarios, and access quantitative indicators that support transparent and robust decision‑making. Conceived both as a visual exploration platform and a strategic planning instrument, the Toolbox helps identify where restoration actions can deliver the greatest ecological and socio‑economic benefits.
Scientifically, the Toolbox builds upon the RESTORE4Cs analytical framework, harmonising data from European land‑cover and biodiversity monitoring systems with modelled indices of wetland function and restoration suitability. It applies a multi‑criteria assessment to generate composite Restoration Suitability Scores, offering spatial layers that reflect key aspects of restorability: the potential to re‑establish wetland habitats on previously converted land, the benefits of improving degraded wetlands, and the contribution of restoration to connectivity and ecosystem services. These maps and statistics can be explored at both pan‑European and national scales, supporting spatially explicit prioritisation of restoration actions.
The Toolbox directly supports major EU policy frameworks, including the EU Nature Restoration Law, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy. By providing a harmonised, open‑access spatial framework, it assists Member States, regional authorities, and stakeholders in identifying where wetland restoration can maximise co‑benefits for climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and socio‑economic resilience. It also contributes to reporting, planning, and communication under the European Green Deal, demonstrating how integrated data and modelling can guide progress toward EU and global restoration targets.
