The morning program on Rás 1 (RUV radio, Channel one) has been covering the issue of wetlands in recent days. Yesterday, Tuesday 27 February, Ágústa informed listeners about the situation of these issues in Iceland in a chat with broadcaster Þórunn Elísabet Bogadóttir.

Ágústa explains how the drainage of marshes for land use was carried out vith the help of governmental funding in the middle of the last century, peaking aroun the year 1970. The extent of the drainage exceeded well beyond the total area which was subsequently exploited for agriculture. However, some of the areas have been used for animal grazing. Ágústa points out that there are great opportunities to turn land back into wetlands in many of these areas, for example, for land owners who do not farm. Many areas which never have been tilled after drainage still retain their original wetland flora and make good cases for easy wetland restoration.

The process that starts with the drainage of wetlands is described by Ágústa, what happens when oxygen reaches the high carbon in the soil of the marshes, starting decay and release of carbon. This process is described by Ágústa as easy to stop quickly by restoring the wetlands. The areas that are taken for restoration of wetlands are carefully selected with regard to various factors such as proximity to the sea, distance from the volcanic active zone, fertility of the ecosystems, whether there are large open areas available, value of protection for bird life and more. In this work, attempts are made to expand the network of already protected areas in the country, and in that regard, Ágústa mentions large areas in South Iceland which already are on the nature reserve list.

Ágústa notes that initially it proved a success getting landowners involved in wetland restoration projects, but later on it became more a struggle. However, several projects are now in the working and by 2025, it is estimated that around thousand hectares of drained land will have been restored to wetland. Support and advice for the restoration of wetlands is available through Land and Forest Iceland. Before suggested projects can be implemented, it is carefully assessed whether they are eligible for funding. But despite the support available, it seems, according to Ágústa, that these incentives do not suffice and they must be given a boost. If we wish to put more energy into restoration of wetlands, we need to show more interest in these issues, encourage landowners to look at their land and consider their opportunities for wetland restoration, whether it is large or small areas. The value lies in the biodiversity, the plants, insects and the establisment of healthy and resilient habitats that can cope with possible hazards.

In the interview, Ágústa shone light at other topics, such as her special interest in sphagnum moss in the marshlands and more. Growth of such mosses tends to shrink considerably after drainage but revitalises significantly when the land is restored to wetland. She estimates that wetlands will be restored on more than 150 hectares over the next couple of years and by 2025, a thousand hectares will have been restored.

The radio interview with Ágústa Helgadóttir (in Icelandic only, starting at 01.21.25 on the recording)