The National Peatland Action Programme
The National Peatland Action Programme
The National Peatland Action Programme is a 5 year plan of peatland restoration in Wales.
Welsh peatlands need urgent action to address the nature and climate emergencies.
Peatlands support a variety of habitats and species, they:
- capture and store carbon
- regulate greenhouse gases
- maintain biodiversity
- regulate water
Funded by Welsh Government, this programme was set up to coordinate peatland restoration action in Wales.
Restoration work
The National Peatland Action Programme has six priorities:
- Peatland erosion
- Peatland drainage
- Sustainable management of blanket peats
- Sustainable management of lowland peats
- The restoration of afforested peatlands
- The gradual restoration of our highest carbon-peatlands
Restoration action on over 1650 hectares in the first two years (2020-22) means the programme surpassed its initial restoration targets of 600-800 hectares of public and private land every year.
The programme will also safeguard peatlands that are in good and recovering condition.
Grants to restore peatland
We have grants available for peatland restoration projects.
Wales Peatland Data Portal
The Wales Peatland Data Portal shows where peatlands are and the areas that need restoring. The interactive maps include:
- habitats that are supported by peat
- estimates of the carbon stored in Welsh peatlands
- estimates of greenhouse gas emissions
We will update the Portal as peatland is restored. This will include the effects on peatland condition, biodiversity and mitigating climate change.
Read more about Peatland Data Portal layers
Follow the work of the programme
Follow us on social media #WalesPeatlandAction #NPAP
#HighNatureLowCarbon
Twitter @PeatlandCymru (@peatlandcymru)/Twitter)
Facebook @NatResWales
View our YouTube playlist of videos about peatland restoration across Wales
Read our third year report (2022-23) (PDF)
Read our second year report (2021-22) (PDF)
Read our first year report (2020-21) (PDF)
National Peatland Action Programme 2020-2025 (PDF)
National Peatland Action Programme – Key Actions Years 1-5 (PDF)
Education resources about peatlands
Video about why peatlands are important and why we are restoring them
A blog by one of our Project Officers about discovering an unusual alga - Natural Resources Wales / An Alga That Caught The Eye!
Wales Peatland Action
The programme has a strategic national role to support the local Wales Peatland Action projects across the country, some managed by us and others by external partners.
New LIFE for Welsh Raised Bogs
Anglesey and Llŷn Fens LIFE project
Lost Peatlands Project
Contact us
Contact us for more information about the programme npap@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk.