"GAAB2 – requirement to protect wetlands and peatlands
A wetland is a land area that is constantly or periodically
saturated with moisture. It is a natural system capable of mitigating climate
change. Wetlands clean the air and water, but their current condition has the
world worried. As announced in the report "Global Wetland Outlook"
(Global Wetland Outlook, 2018) of the secretariat of the Ramsar Convention,
which Lithuania ratified in 1993, natural wetlands in the world have been
disappearing three times faster than forests in the last 50 years. The reason
for this is that for many years wetlands were viewed as into useless areas, as
a result of which 64% of the planet's wetlands have disappeared since 1900,
which, as scientists have determined, accumulate organic carbon, form a
microclimate, clean air and water, are a refuge for specific, mostly rare
plants and animals, and provide raw materials for industry and agriculture .
In Lithuania only during 2014-2018 period by 11.3 percent
the areas of arable land declared in peatlands increased. It is likely that the
plowed peatlands were previously covered with herbaceous vegetation and GHG
emissions increased as a result of plowing. As stated in the Strategic Plan,
the absorbed amount of GHG is decreasing: from 11.4 million t CO2 equiv. in
2014 up to 8.3 million t CO2 equiv. in 2019
After assessing the increasing threat to wetlands and
peatlands, in 2023-2027 the support conditions of the period were supplemented
with a new standard - GAAB2, for the protection of wetlands and peatland. The
essence of this standard is the limitation of economic activities in the
designated areas of peatlands and wetlands.
In wetlands and peatlands falling within the areas declared
by farmers, the following is prohibited:
to drain areas of
wetlands and peatlands and install new drainage systems in them, while
reconstruction of old systems is allowed only in cases where this does not harm
the environmental condition of peatlands;
burning areas of
peatlands;
plowing
peatlands.
The ban on draining wetlands established by the GAAB2
standard will also prevent the mineralization of a large amount of soil organic
matter - this will preserve the organic properties of the soil and prevent
increased leaching of mineral nitrogen into water bodies. The protection of
wetlands and peatlands will also contribute to the preservation and restoration
of the landscape and biodiversity.
The GAAB2 standard will enter into force from 2024, because,
as Tadas Švilpauskas, senior advisor of the Crop Production and Green
Technologies Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, the European
Commission, taking into account the fact that GAAB2 is a completely new
requirement, has created the conditions for member states to prepare for its
implementation.
"By that time, the methodology for identifying wetlands
will be prepared, an informational and digital map will be created, and other
preparatory works will be completed. All listed and planned actions require
significant time, human and financial resources. After completion of all
preparatory work, a detailed geospatial data set that meets all requirements
will be created, with the help of which applicants will be able to familiarize
themselves with the identified areas of wetlands and peatlands in their holdings
(the information will also be provided in the information system for accepting
applications), and the controlling authorities will be able to carry out the
same data with the help of control and monitoring works and to determine how
the applicants comply with the GAAB2 standard," says Tadas Švilpauskas.
Farmers who violate this requirement will be subject to
sanctions. They will not be applied only if the areas of peatlands are
less than 10% of arable land, but not more than 1 ha.
The GAAB2 standard must be followed by applicants whose
declared land falls within the designated areas of peatlands and
wetlands."
Since dry peatlands pollute the air with carbon dioxide, the
repair of land reclamation facilities in peatlands must be prohibited.
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