Grunnafjörður Watershed
Restoring lowland wetlands in western Iceland.
This planning grant developed a costed plan for wetland recovery in the Hvalfjarðarsveit and Grunnafjörður watersheds. With 90% of Iceland’s wetlands drained and over 350,000 ha degraded, the project analysed options for rewetting, water quality improvements and habitat restoration in a landscape under fragmented management.
Western Iceland
Fuglavernd (BirdLife Iceland)
US$ 88,934
September 2019 – October 2023
Hvalfjarðarsveit (Whale Fjord) and Grunnafjörður watersheds
Lowland wetlands, watersheds, rewetting areas
Eurasian whimbrel, common snipe, dunlin, common redshank, brent goose
Why This Landscape Matters
Iceland’s wetlands support a wide range of waders, including the black-tailed godwit.
Iceland’s wetlands are globally important for waders and wildfowl, supporting species such as whimbrel, snipe, dunlin and brent goose, as well as nine nationally Red-Listed birds. These habitats also regulate water and store carbon.
However, decades of drainage for agriculture, combined with overgrazing and abandonment, have left much of the lowland landscape degraded. Restoring these areas is critical both for biodiversity and for Iceland’s climate commitments.
What the Project Did
The grant prepared a restoration plan that addressed ecological, social and economic priorities. Actions in the restoration plan include:
Identifying opportunities for rewetting drained land and restoring hydrological processes.
Developing measures to raise water quality and improve fish habitats.
Prioritising areas for wetland restoration to benefit birds and biodiversity.
Involving communities, landowners and stakeholders in designing restoration approaches.
Creating a model that can be applied to other lowland landscapes in Iceland.
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