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Land and Forest Iceland Frontpage

Land and Forest Iceland

The project Peatland LIFEline.is officially launched

25th September 2025

A cooperation agreement has been signed between the Agricultural University of Iceland, Land and Forest Iceland, the National Science Institute of Iceland, the Nature Conservation Agency, the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Bird Life Iceland, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) on the project Peatland Lifeline.is, which is co-funded by the European Union. As announced recently here on landogskogur.is, the project concerns the restoration of wetlands and biodiversity in Iceland. In connection with the signing, a group of about fifty representatives of these institutions and associations met at the project’s startup meeting in Hvanneyri.

The Agricultural University of Iceland (LbhÍ), as the project lead, hosted a meeting to strategise organisational frameworks and future initiatives, as detailed in a report on the university's website. The primary objective was to establish project trajectories and comprehensively review all key aspects of this extensive undertaking.

Prior to the meeting, a collaborative agreement was formalised by the project's participating institutions and organisations, with Ágúst Sigurðsson representing Land and Forest Iceland. Furthermore, the meeting was attended by Clara Ganslandt, the European Union Ambassador to Iceland, along with her delegation, including Samúel Ulfgard, the deputy head, and interns Þórhildur Kristínardóttir and Þórhildur Søbech Davíðsdóttir. Ambassador Ganslandt underscored the significance of Peatland LIFEline.is within the European Union's LIFE program, particularly in the context of nature and climate initiatives.

During the visit, the Ambassador engaged in discussions with the Rector of the Agricultural University of Iceland, Ragnheiður I. Þórarinsdóttir, and members of her team. Furthermore, she participated in a guided tour of the Andakíll area, a Ramsar-designated internationally protected wetland, led by former Rector of the Agricultural University of Iceland, Professor Björn Thorsteinsson.

According to the LbhÍ report, Dr. Jóhanna Gísladóttir, representing the Peatland LIFEline.is project, noted the extensive effort underpinning this significant achievement. The team involved in the preparatory phase expressed confidence in the project's viability due to its critical nature. This marks Iceland's inaugural LIFE project funded by the Nature and Biodiversity Fund, and it is anticipated to be the first of many. Collaborative efforts among all stakeholders are expected to enhance domestic expertise and capabilities, thereby advancing initiatives in this domain within Iceland. Dr. Gísladóttir concluded, "Given the positive sentiment at the meeting, I am optimistic about commencing this endeavor with enthusiasm," Dr. Gísladóttir commented in the LbhÍ website's report.