BaltCOP: Scaling up restoration of wetlands and rivers

The Baltic Sea is in a bad state, primarily due to eutrophication caused by nutrient runoff from the land. This over-enrichment leads to algae blooms and dead zones, threatening marine life. Funded by the EU's Interreg Central Baltic Programme, BaltCOP - the Baltic Catchment Officer Project 2024-2027 aims to tackle this issue by driving restoration work across three catchment areas in Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden. 

Innovative solutions 

Healthy freshwater ecosystems can buffer and prevent excess nutrients from entering the sea, but over the years, many wetlands have been drained, and rivers straightened. While restoration efforts are ongoing, the pace does not match the urgent need. 

To address these challenges, BaltCOP is testing and scaling the innovative catchment officer approach, focusing on building knowledge and capacity in catchment coordination, wetland construction, and stream restoration. The project involves pilot actions tailored to each country's context. Ultimately the project supports the EU and HELCOM objectives of restoring degraded ecosystems and improving water quality, and highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation to combat eutrophication and biodiversity loss in the Baltic Sea region. 

The role of catchment officers 

Catchment officers are central to BaltCOP. They act as bridges between stakeholders and help identify optimal locations for interventions, ensuring plans for reducing nutrient runoff translate into effective on-the-ground solutions. 

"Catchment officers are key to reaching many of our environmental goals linked to water quality. They are working directly with landowners, getting them on board, and helping them access the technical and financial support needed to take action. They are the driving force behind making a real impact." - Johanna Fox, Director of the WWF Baltic Sea Programme.

On-the-ground action

The project is a collaboration between WWF Sweden, Nyköping’s River Conservation Association, the Estonian Fund for Nature, Pasaules Dabas Fonds and the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies. BaltCOP involves six pilot restoration sites that will develop, test and scale the catchment officer approach. In Estonia, pilot projects in the Kasari River basin focus on constructing artificial dams and restoring natural river meanders. Latvia's efforts include developing a tool to identify optimal wetland sites and reconstructing the Mežacīruļi wetland. In Sweden, two wetlands are being restored, with the first already completed in Sättersta-Vreta. 

Results

A Catchment Officer Toolkit featuring best practices, workshop insights, and guidance on monitoring and evaluation will be developed to support catchment officers in their roles. A strategic roadmap will also be created to integrate catchment officers into national water management plans, ensuring long-term impact on nutrient reduction efforts. By building capacity and understanding of catchment coordination, BaltCOP sets a blueprint for future efforts across the Baltic Sea region, promoting healthier water systems and reducing eutrophication

#WaterWiseEU campaign 

This story has been submitted by a partner of the #WaterWiseEU campaign. The EU-wide campaign focuses on water resilience, aiming to change the way we see, use and value water. Find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved.