Restoration of Amalvas and Žuvintas Wetlands, Lithuania

NWRM

Application scale

Field Scale

Installation date

2012-04

Age

Performance timescale

1 - 4 years

Area (ha)

1100

Management change from

From arable land

Management change to

to swamp

Design contractual arrangement

Arrangement type	Responsibility	Name
Contractual agreement	Amalvas polder reconstruction and Amalvas wetland view platform construction	E.NaceviÄius' company "Edmeta"
Contractual agreement	Amalvas wetland drainage blocking project, Amalvas wetland water level re-naturalization activity	Hydrologist-engineer
Contractual agreement	Purchase of 25 ha land	JSC "Agrogeodezija"
Contractual agreement	Restoration of the drained southern part of the Amalvas wetland	JSC "Alytaus melioracija"
Contractual agreement	Reconstruction of Amalvas polder	JSC "Sumeda", etc.

Design consultation activity

Activity stage	Key issues	Name
Implementation phase	For project partners	General project seminars
Design phase	A number of purchase negotiation meeting s with farmers, guideliness for sustainable peat grassland maangement presented to local farmers.	Information campaign on farming practices
		Name of policy/strategy 3
		Name of policy/strategy 4
		Name of policy/strategy 5
		Name of policy/strategy 6

Design land use change

No data

Design authority

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
NGO	Implementation	Nature Heritage Fund	Lead party
Other	Implementation	MarijampolÄ— municipality administration
Other	Implementation	MarijampolÄ— state forest enterprise
Other	Implementation	Ž’uvintas Biosphere reserve directorate

Key lessons

Mire†™s dryness decreased, ground water level stabilized.
Amalvas sustainable polder water pumping mode installed to ensure migratory birds population increase. Restore the natural water level fluctuations in Lake Ž’uvintas should lead to water vegetation recovery, some fish and amphibian species spawning areas expand, and stop the spread reeds and thickets. Restoring of natural water level fluctuations in Ž’uvintas and Amalvas has enabled these lakes to more easily purify its waters. Reconstruction and Ž’uvintas Amalvas locks-regulator installation passes, allowing fish to migrate.
Policy implications:
The project made an important push in promoting agi-environmental measures in the area. There is a common understanding achieved among decision makers regarding further land use on drained peatlands. However despite of significantly increased local awareness of environmental hazards related to unsustainable management of organic peat soils, there is a great need for national and European policies regarding this issue. Abandonment of subsidies for damaging farming on organic soils would prove to be extremely beneficial for biodiversity conservation and minimizing other negative environmental consequences.

Financing difficulties

Financing difficulties information

Some project actions were carried out with a substantial delay (1,5 year). That was firstly due to economic crisis that led to reduction of the staff and working hours (due to budget restrictions staff has to take unpaid days-off), therefore personnel responsible for implementation of the projects became overloaded with work.

Success factor(s)

Success factor type	Success factor role	Comments
Successful coordination between authorities	main factor	Ex., the key stakeholders were the project partners and other important parties, like farmers, were well integrated into activities.
Existing institutional framework	main factor

Financing

Financing type	Comments
EU-funds: LIFE+	Total budget used: 1240401,26 EU

Barrier

Barrier type	Barrier role	Comments
		The project served as a good basis for establishing cooperation among protected area administration, municipality, environmental non-governmental organisation and local residents.

Driver

Driver type	Driver role	Comments
Legal obligations	main driver	To ensure conservation status of the
Organisation committed to it	main driver	Nature Heritage Fund is a leading organisation in country to protect and maintain species of the comunity's interest (SCI)
Availability of subsidies	secondary driver	LIFE Nature programme is supporting the biodiversity restoration projects

Financing share type	Share	Comments
European funds	36
National funds	64

Policy description

During second half of the 20th century Lithuania lost more than two-thirds of former mire area which covered 10% of the country. This had
the effect of causing changes in the local and regional hydrological pattern, significant loss of wildlife and peat degradation, which in turn
resulted in various secondary negative effects: CO2 emissions (approximately 25% of currently reported anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which does not take into account emissions from peatlands), water pollution due to peat mineralization products and peat subsidence. The regulation of lakes, along with increased loads of nutrients caused a rapid deterioration of water quality, siltation, and overgrowth of the lakes or even the collapse of submerged vegetation. This further led to decreased water purification capacities, as well as
secondary pollution from sediments negatively affecting water bodies down the stream and, finally, the Baltic Sea †“ arguably the most polluted sea in the world.

Policy target

Target purpose
Improved Biodiversity
Runoff control
Pollutants Removal

Policy pressure

No data

Policy area

No data

Policy impact

No data

Policy wider plan

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name	Comments
Regional	Water
Regional	Environment & Biodiversity
Regional	Climate adaptation
Local	Agriculture

Policy requirement directive

No data

Costs investment

40863324

Costs investment information

Infrastructure, equipment and purchase of land (finale report data, page 31)

Costs land acquisition

30945,5390625

Costs land acquisition unit

€ (total value)

Costs land acquisition information

(finale report data, page 31)

Costs operation maintenance

110419016

Costs operation maintenance

(finale report data, page 31), total amount minus investment costs devided by 3 (3 years project)

Costs total

1240401,25

Costs total information

(finale report data, page 31)

National Id

Lithuania 01

Site name

Ž’uvintas and Amalvas mires

Summary

The WETLIFE project aimed at reversal of negative changes in Amalva and Žuvintas mires. Restoration of hydrological conditions necessary for regeneration of mire habitats was the main key to reaching the aim. Additionally, the project had a goal to facilitate a shift in agricultural practices on peatlands in order to improve conditions for biodiversity and reduce rate of peat mineralization with all related environmental consequences. Finally, the project expected to raise awareness about wetlands and to serve as an example of successful wetland restoration and more sustainable use that could be replicated in other parts of the country.

NUTS Code

Lietuva

RBD code

LT1100

Transboundary

Data provider

JustÄ— BuzelytÄ—, BEF

Longitude

23.58

Latitude

54.466

EEA core metadata

Contents

cs-lt-01-final_version.pdf