D3.3 Integrative assessment framework of the GHG abatement potential and resilience of wetlands (final version)

In this report, we advance the description of the RESTORE4Cs Integrative Assessment Framework (IAF) for evaluating the greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement potential and resilience of wetlands and their surrounding social-ecological systems, with a primary focus on coastal wetlands. A preliminary version of the IAF was presented in Deliverable D3.1 Integrative assessment framework of the GHG abatement potential and resilience of wetlands, first version (Marangi, C. et al 2025), which outlined the rationale behind the framework and summarized the approach used to design the project’s architectural structure. The present report takes this work a step further by incorporating the concept of vulnerability into the overall analytical framework and by examining more operational aspects, including the resources and capabilities required for the effective implementation of the IAF. In addition, we provide an overview of the methodological choices adopted within the project to generate the information base upon which the assessment is developed. The report summarizes the criteria, indicators, models, and tools identified and applied across the project to demonstrate how the various components of the IAF are instantiated within the case studies. This includes the scenario-building process developed under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) framework, which integrates narratives and modelling approaches to project GHG emissions from wetlands as complex social-ecological systems. Finally, the report discusses the value chain generated through the implementation of the IAF, emphasizing how each step of the framework’s application contributes to maximizing the usability and reusability of outputs, thereby enhancing the overall return on investment in the assessment process.