Sustainable Watersheds for Carbon Offsets: Biomass harvesting for phosphorus capture, habitat renewal and carbon emissions reductions

This report describes the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) work in the Lake Winnipeg watershed to harvest sustainable wetland biomass, such as cattails, to reduce nutrient loading, improve habitats, and generate carbon offsets through the circular bioeconomy.

• The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has developed a practice of harvesting cattails and other plants from drainage ditches, water retention areas, and marginal agricultural land. This process removes phosphorus from watersheds, improves wetland habitat and biodiversity, controls invasive species, and improves water flow to mitigate flood impacts.
• Harvested 'unconventional' waste biomass can be used for energy, bedding, compost, and bioproducts. Applying these materials back to the land allows for the recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus and the addition of organic material and carbon to the soil, supporting a circular economy and generating carbon offsets via carbon dioxide sequestration and displacement.
• The document reviews global carbon markets and initiatives following the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the 2015 Paris Agreement to derive lessons for Manitoba and Canada, specifically assessing carbon market verification methodologies for bioeconomy initiatives.

APA

,, R. G. G. V. G. (2019). Sustainable Watersheds for Carbon Offsets: Biomass harvesting for phosphorus capture, habitat renewal and carbon emissions reductions. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/sustainable-watersheds-carbon-offsets

Chicago

,, Richard Grosshans,Philip Gass,Bala Viswanathan,Lorne Grieger. Sustainable Watersheds for Carbon Offsets: Biomass harvesting for phosphorus capture, habitat renewal and carbon emissions reductions. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/publications/sustainable-watersheds-carbon-offsets.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=, |first1=Richard Grosshans,Philip Gass,Bala Viswanathan,Lorne Grieger |title=Sustainable Watersheds for Carbon Offsets: Biomass harvesting for phosphorus capture, habitat renewal and carbon emissions reductions |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=18 November 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/sustainable-watersheds-carbon-offsets |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{2019sustainable, author = {,, Richard Grosshans,Philip Gass,Bala Viswanathan,Lorne Grieger}, title = {{Sustainable Watersheds for Carbon Offsets: Biomass harvesting for phosphorus capture, habitat renewal and carbon emissions reductions}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/sustainable-watersheds-carbon-offsets}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }