Seven partners have received a grant from LIFE, the European Union's environment and climate action programme. Peatland LIFEline.is is an ambitious project aimed at restoring wetlands and biodiversity in Iceland. The partners are: the Agricultural University of Iceland, Land and Forest Iceland, the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, Fuglavernd (BirdLife Iceland), the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland, the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, and the British bird conservation organisation RSPB. The project is led by the Agricultural University of Iceland.

Focus on three bird species

The project officially began on 1 September and will run for 66 months, until the end of February 2031. The total cost amounts to just over 8 million euros, of which the LIFE fund will contribute 75%, or around 6 million euros (equivalent to about one billion Icelandic krónur).

The aim of the Peatland LIFEline.is project is to increase knowledge and understanding of lowland wetlands in Iceland, their ecology, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas budget. The focus will be on the Icelandic black sedge-brown moss fens, which has a very high conservation value, and on three bird species that are indicators of healthy wetlands: the black-tailed godwit, the redshank, and the golden plover – as well as the critically endangered European eel. In addition, there will be a strong emphasis on community engagement and knowledge dissemination.

EU Ambassador attended at Hvanneyri

The project's first meeting was held from 22–24 September 2025 at Hvanneyri in Borgarfjörður, with around 50 participants in attendance. Its main purpose was to discuss organisation and future plans and to lay the groundwork for the tasks ahead.

Clara Ganslandt, the Ambassador of the European Union to Iceland, took part in the opening day of the meeting along with her delegation: Samúel Ulfgard, Deputy Head of the Delegation, and interns Þórhildur Kristínardóttir and Þórhildur Søbech Davíðsdóttir. The Ambassador gave a speech in which she emphasised the importance of Peatland LIFEline.is as part of the European Union's LIFE programme in the field of nature and climate action.

Photos: James Einar Becker