Comprehensive assessment of climate measures in catchments – Towards carbon-neutral land use with systems analysis

Luke is a partner in a project “Comprehensive assessment of climate measures in catchments – Towards carbon-neutral land use with systems analysis” which got funding from Catch the Carbon research and innovation programme, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Luke is leading WP6 Changing land-use in the cutover peatlands in the Northern Ostrobothia which aims at gathering the data available in the different sources, defining the research needs and specifying the criteria for the land-use selection process after energy peat production has ceased down. This WP provides information for the comparison of the different land-use types (recommendations and a story map).

#SysteemiHiili

The fragmentation of information on climate change mitigation and adaptation and the lack of syntheses make it difficult to use research results to support climate-wise and sustainable decision-making in the land use sector. Strengthening carbon sinks in soil and tree biomass is important, but water bodies also process carbon and nutrients leached from terrestrial ecosystems, accumulate terrestrially fixed carbon and act as a source of greenhouse gases. The main goal of the SysteemiHiili project is to improve methodological capacity and understanding of the impact chains and overall impacts of land use change, and to support the introduction of climate-wise, sustainable and cost-efficient solutions at national, regional, catchment and local levels. The project develops an evaluation system based on the ecosystem service concept, for managing carbon flows at the catchment level, study the release of carbon from the catchments under different land use, study the climate impact of carbon leached into water bodies and look for solutions that mitigate climate impact and brownification of waters. In addition, the project develops the carbon processes calculation and integrated impact assessment of the national VEMALA model used in nutrient load assessment and water management and planning. Also, it will increase the capacity to effectively apply systems analysis methods to comprehend complex systems. The SysteemiHiili project will also examine the acceptability of new land use options in finished peat extraction areas and the policy instruments that promote these options. Furthermore, it contributes to the achievement of national climate goals in applying the developed methods in regional climate work in the pilot areas. The co-creation with various organizations and stakeholders creates new opportunities for co-operation and new options to find more sustainable solutions to achieve carbon neutrality goals.

More information (in Finnish and English):

https://www.syke.fi/Hankkeet/systeemihiili