Stadens grönområden har stor betydelse för människors hälsa och välbefinnande. De utgör också en viktig förutsättning för att skapa en robust och hälsofrämjande byggd miljö i ett förändrat klimat. I de nordiska länderna finns en mångfald av verktyg som kan användas för att stärka urbana ekosystemtjänster och biologisk mångfald i samhällsbyggnadsprocessen. I denna verktygslåda finner du nio av dessa verktyg. Här finns vägledningar, handböcker, guider och metoder som till exempel grönytefaktor, planering av grönstruktur, restaurering av natur, zonering och lokalt omhändertagande av dagvatten. Varje verktyg presenteras med syfte, målgrupp, resultat, vilka kompetenser som behövs för att kunna tillämpa det och i vilken skala det kan användas. Syftet med denna publikation är att främja planering, byggande och förvaltning av grönblåa strukturer och ekosystemtjänster i de nordiska länderna. 

Peatlands in the Nordic Baltic region and elsewhere in the world store large amounts of carbon and are at the same time important for conservation of biodiversity. Thus peatlands are space-effective carbon stocks, but when drained carbon and nitrogen are released as greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and as nitrate to the surface water, while methane will be released when rewetting.

New knowledge reveals that one of the most efficient means to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere are the restoration of drained peatlands by reestablish former high water tables on organic soils.

This project on synergies between climate change mitigation and the restoration of peatlands has been conducted under a regional Ramsar initiative covering the Nordic and Baltic countries (NorBalWet), with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The report contains chapters on peatlands and their role in climate change mitigation, individual country chapters and the role of the Ramsar Convention.

This report describes the status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Nordic region, the drivers and pressures affecting them, interactions and effects on people and society, and options for governance. The main report consists of two volumes. Volume 1 The general overview (this report) and Volume 2 The geographical case studies. This study has been inspired by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (IPBES). It departs from case studies (Volume 2, the geographical case studies) from ten geographical areas in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) and the autonomous areas of Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. The aim was to describe status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Nordic region, including the drivers and pressures affecting these ecosystems, the effects on people and society and options for governance. The Nordic study is structured as closely as possible to the framework for the regional assessments currently being finalized within IPBES. The report highlights environmental differences and similarities in the Nordic coastal areas, like the inhabitants´ relation to nature and the environment as well as similarities in social and policy instruments between the Nordic countries. This study provides background material for decision-making and it is shown that Nordic cooperation is of great importance for sustainable coastal management and should be strengthened in future work.

This report contributes to a Nordic IPBES-like assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Nordic coastal areas. It is based on ten geographical cases in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) and Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. The purpose is to reflect upon local biodiversity and ecosystem services, e.g. status and trends, drivers of change and policies for governance, and what future we are to expect. The cases describe the situation in the Näätämö area, Kalix archipelago, Quark, Lake Puruvesi, Bay of Lumparn, Öresund, Helgeland archipelago, Faroe Islands, the northern coastline of Iceland, and Disko Bay. It stretches from fresh water areas to ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean and from urbanised areas with heavy pressures on the environment, e.g. Öresund, to sparsely populated areas, like Greenland with a population of around 0.03 habitants/km2.

Financial institutions have facilitated the expansion of business activities detrimental to biological diversity. However, the demand for investing in activities with positive impact on nature is rapidly rising, and the financial sector is increasingly urged to align their portfolios with biodiversity positive outcomes. This report provides a status of existing analytical tools and public and private strategies that ensure that public and private investments strengthen, not weaken, biodiversity. The report also looks closer at the approaches to biodiversity safeguards in the Nordic financial institutions Nefco (Nordic Environment Finance Corporation), NDF (Nordic Development Fund) and NIB (Nordic Investment Bank), and examines their methods to support biodiversity and nature through their financial activities.

The Nordic countries continue to experience growth of urban areas, which provides benefits like economic growth, but also imposes economic costs in terms of reduced ecosystem services. This report focuses on urban nature recreation and highlights economic methods and data that can help capture the associated nonmarket welfare benefits. The study stresses the need to collect user data to better understand visitation patterns, which can be combined with valuation methods to provide evidence of economic benefits associated with e.g., hiking, cycling, skiing, paddling and other recreation activities. Once these benefits are visible, decision-makers will have a better basis to balance economic growth with the environmental costs it imposes on urban ecosystem services.

A substantial part of the cultural landscape and cultural heritage for many European countries is related to agriculture. Agricultural activity in some form is of vital importance in order to maintain and uphold the cultural heritage related to agriculture, however, intensive farming methods is also a major destroyer of cultural heritage. The role of agriculture as an upholder of cultural heritage was the focus of attention for a European workshop in Norway in February 2005 which brought together representatives from the public agricultural and cultural heritage sectors and researchers from The Netherlands, Austria, Estonia, England, and the Nordic countries of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Norway. This report presents the status for the link agriculture - cultural heritage in these nine countries and points out some differences as well as mutual characteristics between the national contexts.

We are facing two global environmental crises, the loss of biodiversity and climate change. Both crises should be handled within the forthcoming decades. Actions implemented to mitigate one challenge should not worsen the other. The two crises are interlinked. Biodiversity, together with geophysical and climatic factors form and maintain ecosystems, which contribute to climate change mitigation by capturing CO2 and store carbon. But the current climate change worsen the negative impact of the main drivers causing biodiversity loss. This leads to further degradation of ecosystems, which in turn may weaken the functionality of ecosystems that reduce the ability of nature to capture and store carbon. The project identified eight cases related to nature-based solutions enacted in the Nordic countries and identifies synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

Environmental impacts are increasing due to human activities. The overuse of the benefits nature provides us is the direct result of our failure to put a price on these benefits. One way of addressing this is to require environmental compensation.

The purpose of the study is to provide Nordic Council of Ministers and national decision-makers with an overview of key conditions for increased, flexible and cost-effective application of compensation.

The study shows that for a relatively small cost society can make a significant investment in the provision of biodiversity and ecosystem services by requiring compensation.

The study outlines three main recommendations on how to increase the use of environmental compensation:

1. Stimulate supply of, and demand for, compensation

2. Clarify and supplement guidelines and legal framework

3. Strengthen Nordic cooperation on compensation

The study supports the exchange of knowledge to further develop effective policy and management tools for nature-based solutions for the climate and the environment. The study compiles good examples which shed light on how the Nordic countries have been successful inimplementing measures to simultaneously address climate change, pollution and biodiversityobjectives in laws, policies and administrative practices, including highlighting potential barriers forimplementing integrated policy solutions. Moreover, it provides recommendations for screening methods of laws, policies and management practices to revealuntapped synergies between climate change, pollution and biodiversity measures. Finally, the report proposes joint Nordic initiatives that can maximise synergies between biodiversity, climateand pollution initiatives in the Nordic region and globally.

This report generates an overview of the use of the nature risk concept, describes the scope, and assesses the applicability in the Nordic countries, and in international organisations. The concept of nature-related risks is found to be mainly in use in the financial sector. The application of the term has increased rapidly in recent years, with numerous efforts to implement the concept. Moreover, similar concepts precede, within the same scope; the earliest being biodiversity risk. It is recommended that each of the Nordic countries take active steps to implement the concept of nature risk in relevant policies, regulations and sectors. It is also recommended that the Nordic countries follow the international development on nature risk and related policy areas, such as the EU taxonomy and the TNFD framework, and ensure that national policy is aligned with the international agenda.

Protected areas are established for nature conservation purposes, but in many cases they also provide excellent opportunities for outdoor recreation. For instance, the national parks of the Nordic countries contain some of the finest sceneries in Northern Europe. An increased focus on protected areas also means that the effects of their recreational use on the nature and environment need to be monitored. As the importance of the specific areas for recreational use increases, a solid basis is needed for planning and management decisions. In order to provide accurate services and allocate resources accordingly, the managers of the areas need information on the visitors, their numbers, behaviour, expectations etc. This is the final report of the workshop "Nordic and Baltic Workshop on Visitor Information Needs and Monitoring Methods (NBW)". The report both summarises the results of the workshop and provides an overview of the status of visitor monitoring in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Den 6–9 juni 2012 arrangerades ett nordiskt seminarium om  ELC med tema Samarbete och utmaningar om landskapskonventionen. Arrangerad av Planstyrelsen (NPA), finansierades av Nordiska ministerråds arbetsgrupp om terresta ekosystem (TEG) med bidrag från Miljöverndepartementet i Norge och NPA.Slutsats, förslag till det nordiska planmyndighetsmötet i augusti 2012: Nordiskt ELC-forum är viktigt och det behöver: vara resurspool för ELC´s utveckling i Norden, vägledningsmaterial och projektexempel vara rådgivare om koordinering och samarbete om seminarier och utbildning på alla nivåer (innefattar allmänheten) betona landskapets roll i planering, informera kommunerna om värdet av landskapet för samhället (hälsa och friluftsliv) och stötta kommunerna så att dessa tar hänsyn till det i sin planering ledas av en arbetsgrupp finansieras. Kontinuitet i samarbetet inom ELC är vigtig

Bioenergy is one important form of renewable energy where Finland, Norway and Sweden have considerable potential. Greatly increased use of biomass for energy will, however, have considerable effects on environmental values like biodiversity, landscape appearance, outdoor recreation, and the cultural heritage. This review concludes that positive or marginally negative effects of biomass harvesting are likely for harvesting of logging residues, clearance of trees under power lines, along roads, and from marginal agricultural land, as well as production of energy crops on arable land. Negative effects are likely from harvesting of stumps, more intensive forest cultivation on logged areas, and harvesting of biomass from currently non-commercial forests. The environmental effects of production of biomass from reed canary grass or short rotation forestry will depend on where and how such production takes place.

Forests play a key role in the global climate system. The Nordic countries have extensive forests with large and growing tree biomass that captures substantial amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Nordic forests are also important for biodiversity, with complex ecosystems providing habitats for about half of all known native species and threatened species in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Forests also supply the basis for the economically important forest sector. In this report we review current knowledge on the role of old forests in the carbon cycle, their natural dynamics and importance for biodiversity. Based on evidence in the literature, it is clear that old forests continue to accumulate carbon for a long time, well past the normal logging age. The carbon uptake of old forests represents an important co-benefit for the well-documented value of old forests for biodiversity.

Ederfuglen er i alvorlig tilbagegang i Østersøen og Nordsøen, kønsbalancen er skæv med et stort overtal af hanner, og derfor er en international forvaltningsplan er under udarbejdelse i regi af Vandfugleaftalen (AEWA). Bæredygtig forvaltning kræver opdateret viden om bestandens trækforhold og dødelighed, og den bedste kilde til denne viden er ringmærkning. Denne rapport giver et overblik over det omfattende materiale om ringmærkede og genmeldte ederfugle i Østersø/Nordsøområdet, i alt næsten 18.000 genmeldinger af mere end 125.000 ringmærkede fugle siden 1970. Detaljerede statistiske analyser af dette materiale vil kunne give vigtig ny viden om hvor ynglefugle fra forskellige områder tilbringer vinteren, og om dødeligheden hos begge køn og alle aldersklasser.

Natural and cultural heritage represent key assets that deliver different kind of benefits to citizens in the Nordic countries. This report illustrates the economic values at stake and discusses the important and inevitable key trade-offs facing decision-makers charged with managing these assests. The report has three goals: to briefly describe existing conservation measures in the Nordic countries, to illustrate the type and magnitude of economic values generated by these measures, and to discuss key trade-offs and policy implications arising from the selection of measures, which lead to welfare impacts depending on the level of human use. The valuation studies reviewed in the report demonstrate real economic values associated with the experiences that natural and cultural heritage provides both in terms of increased welfare and regional economic impacts.

The use of remote sensing interacts in various ways with Nordic programmes for strategic landscape monitoring and the related activities. As yet these activities are established mainly within national contexts and as such there is little formal international coordination in the application of image data. The increasing national and international requirements for information and knowledge on landscapes and landscape changes, such as in connection to habitat and biodiversity, urges movement towards coordination in the use of data gathering methods including remote sensing. This report concludes a four year programme of activities examining the uses of image data within existing Nordic landscape monitoring work and developing possibilities for increased coordination in this area. Towards its goal the programme has seen broad participation from Nordic and other European landscape and related monitoring activities. The result represents groundwork to be picked-up by subsequent initiatives that can also form operational partnerships between Nordic monitoring activities.

This project has been developed within the frame of the Nordic Action Plan 2000-2004 (Nord 1999:29) to review the status and threats of the natural and cultural heritage in Arctic waters. Two of the most commonly used demersal fishing gears in the Arctic are the otter trawl and the scallop dredge. Detrimental effects of bottom gear towed over the seabed include incidental catch and direct mortality of a wide range of organisms and habitat alteration. Any three-dimensional fragile structures rising above the seabed, such as cold-water corals, sponges, geological formations and archaeological remains are easily destroyed. This report reviews the scallop and shrimp fisheries, the distribution and conservation of vulnerable habitats (coral reefs, sponge communities), the status of archaeological remains on the seabed and relevant legislation and the conservation measures and role of protected areas. In addition there are two case studies based on fisheries and survey data from Iceland and recommendations to improve the current situation.

People are dependent on the ocean and coasts and their resources for their survival and well-being. Coastal ecosystems of the Nordic countries, such as kelp forests, blue mussel beds, eelgrass meadows and shallow bays and inlets, provide a number of supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services to both the local communities as well as the wider population who benefit from them. The study has focused on examining these coastal values through selected examples, and recommend possible applications and relevance for the management of the Nordic coastal areas and their resources. The project has also identified key gaps in the knowledge and suggests where further work should be emphasized.

Restoration is a tool to achieve several of the strategic targets of The Convention on Biological Diversity from 2010. Currently, there is no standard for how to set priorities for restoration. The aim of this project was to exchange knowledge between the Nordic countries and Estonia regarding experiences of restoration and priority setting with a landscape perspective. Using case examples, the project explores and discusses approaches for setting priorities, and suggests possible ways of improved approaches for prioritization. This includes how to improve Green Infrastructure and measures for protection of species and habitats in fragmented landscapes. The case examples use different approaches, and provide ideas, reflections and take-home messages to enhance future prioritization. This report show that there is a need for greater emphasis on the prioritization aspects of restoration.

The Convention of Biological Diversity commits the parties to halt the loss of biodiversity within 2020. For accomplishing this task, the Aichi targets have been established. Aichi target 15 aims at restoring 15% of damaged ecosystems by 2020. The Nordic countries are parties to CBD, and committed to the Aichi targets. This project will establish a basis that may be used by the management and political authorities in the Nordic countries for achieving Aichi target 15 on restoration of degraded ecosystems. The report explores the possibilities, limitations and challenges on how ecological restoration can contribute to the Aichi target, based on available knowledge and existing statistics on degraded land and restoration experiences in the Nordic countries and Estonia. This is intended as a contribution for future work at the national level and in local communities.

The Nordic project AFFORNORD studied the effects of afforestation on ecosystems, landscape and rural development in the years 2004–2006. Forests play a major role in the environment and economy of the Nordic countries. In historical times, extensive areas in the southern and western part of the Nordic region were deforestated, followed by afforestation in the past two centuries. There is no doubt that afforestation affects biodiversity, landscape dynamics, rural development and human health in several ways, positive as well as negative. Therefore, the purpose of afforestation must be clear in the planning phase. Proper forest management is also of critical importance. No land-use meets all environmental goals simultaneously. Some negative impacts are inevitable, even if the most conscientious management is employed. Generally, a trade-off must be made between the desire for a pristine environment and the need for a working and operational landscape for the benefit of society at large.

Forests and forestry play a major role in the economy and ecology of the Nordic countries. This important resource has been heavily exploited throughout the centuries, with the consequence that, in certain regions, forests were almost eradicated. In order to amend this, extensive afforestation has taken place in the Nordic countries. The goals of afforestation are many, among these to re-establish the forest resource and to have a positive influence on rural development. However, afforestation has other consequences, such as changes in ecosystems and landscape. Therefore, it is important to gain an overview over the multi-scale effects of afforestation in the Nordic countries. This is the goal of the Nordic project AFFORNORD. This book contains 43 scientific papers presented in an international conference held in Iceland in 2005 on the effects of afforestation on ecosystems, landscape and rural development. The papers are dealing with different topics related to afforestation, stretching from biology to sociology, from insect communities to human communities, and from microhabitats to landscapes.

Natural disasters – ecological solutions

Every year, natural disasters cause loss of lives and significant damage in the Nordic countries. Ecosystems in good condition have the ability to reduce the impacts of natural disasters. However, degradation of natural habitats has in many cases seriously damaged this ability. A recently concluded Nordic project ERMOND—Ecosystem Resilience for Mitigation of Natural Disasters—aimed to facilitate new thinking and new solutions in disaster risk management in the Nordic countries.The main conclusion from the ERMOND project is that Nordic disaster risk reduction strategies should place restoration of degraded ecosystems on the agenda as an integrated part of future disaster risk reduction management. This may in the long run proof to be cheaper and more sustainable than traditional engineered solutions, such as building levees for preventing floods. Restoration of degraded ecosystem will furthermore provide a wide array of other environmental, economic and social benefits. The ERMOND project was launched in 2014 as a theme project of the Nordic Council of Ministers, appointed by the Icelandic Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources. In total, fifteen institutions participated in the ERMOND project, and another four were part of a wider network receiving information on project activities. Project partners came from all the Nordic countries. The project was financed through the following funding schemes of the Nordic Council of Ministers: NordBio - The Program for the Icelandic Presidency in NCM in 2014 and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Group (TEG). The Committee of Senior Officials for the Environment funded the project NordEcRes, which was linked to the ERMOND project. The results of the ERMOND project will soon be published in a TemaNord report, an ANP Policy brief and several scientific articles.

Marine Ecosystem Services (MARECOS) is an interdisciplinary study that provides relevant information for national, Nordic and international ecosystem services assessments and valuation in the implementation of marine policy.

This report aims to provide suggestions on how ecosystem condition assessments, being based on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), and the HELCOM indicator based assessments for the Baltic Sea, could be used for the assessment of ecosystem services.

By describing the potentials of linking data and knowledge describing the status of marine ecosystems and water quality to the values of the services and goods provided, the report offers useful information for policy and decision makers in the domain of the marine and aquatic policies around the Baltic and in the Nordic countries.

Utfordringer i Arktis Noen av de siste så og si uberørte områdene i verden finnes i Arktis. I denne storslåtte naturen er det mange kulturminner som forteller en fasinerende historie om menneskers evne gjennom tidene til å overleve i denne kalde og barske regionen. En av nåtidens største miljøutfordringer i Arktis er å sikre at aktiviteter, som utnytter naturens resurser, turisme, friluftsliv og forskning, utføres på en bærekraftig måte. Dette er den eneste måten vi kan beskytte de uberørte naturområdene på, bevare biodiversiteten og sikre de unike kulturmiljøene for framtida. Den nordiske handlingsplanen for natur- og kulturbeskyttelse i Arktis - Grønland, Island og Svalbard ble vedtatt i 1999 med hensikt å fremme en bærekraftig utvikling i Arktis. Intensjonen var å beskytte natur- og kulturmiljøer som helhet gjennom en overordnet innsats. Denne helhetlige tankegangen kan i internasjonal sammenheng ses på som nyskapende. Handlingsplanen initierte ni veldig ulike prosjekter som nå er fullført. Resultatene beskrives i denne brosjyren.

Udfordringer i Arktis Nogle af de sidste næsten uberørte områder i verden findes i Arktis, og den storslåede natur rummer mange kulturminder, som fortæller en fascinerede historie om menneskets evne til at overleve i den kolde og barske region gennem tiderne. En af nutidens største miljømæssige udfordringer i Arktis er at sikre, at aktiviteter som udnyttelse af naturens ressourcer, turisme, friluftsliv og forskning sker på bæredygtig vis. Kun på den måde kan vi beskytte de uberørte naturområder, bevare biodiversiteten og sikre de unikke kulturmiljøer for fremtiden. Den Nordiske Handlingsplan for natur- og kulturmiljøbeskyttelse i Arktis - Grønland, Island og Svalbard blev vedtaget i 1999 med henblik på at fremme en bæredygtig udvikling i Arktis. Intentionen var at beskytte natur- og kulturmiljøer som en helhed gennem en overordnet indsats. I international sammenhæng kan denne holistiske tilgang ses som en nyskabelse. Handlingsplanen blev udmøntet i ni meget forskelligartede projekter, som nu er fuldførte. Denne brochure beskriver resultaterne.

Challenges in the Arctic Some of the last fairly pristine areas in the World are found in the Arctic, and many cultural heritage sites in this magnificent nature tell us a fascinating story of the ability of man to survive in this cold and rough region throughout the ages. Today one of the most urgent environmental challenges in the Arctic is to ensure that activities such as exploitation of the natural resources, tourism, out-door life, and research are conducted in a sustainable manner in order to protect the pristine areas, the biodiversity, and the unique cultural environment. The Nordic Action Plan to Protect the Natural and Cultural Heritage of Arctic - Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard was adopted in 1999 to promote sustainable development in the Arctic. The intention was to protect natural and cultural environments through an overall effort, and this holistic approach may be seen as pioneering in an international context. The action plan initiated nine very diverse projects that have now been carried through. The results are described in this booklet.

Nunani Issittorqarfiusuni Avannarlerni (Arktiskimi) anguniarniakkat unammillernartut Silarsuarmi pinngortitat innarlerneqarsimanngingajattut kingulliit ilaat Nunani Issittoqarfiusuni Avannarlerniipput (Arktisimi), pinngortitarssuamilutassani alianaangaartumiipput kultureqarnermut tunngassusillit eqqaassutissaqarfiit, tupinnangaartumik ukiorpassuit ingerlanerini inuit tamaani isseqisumi tujorminartumilu inuuniarsinnaasimanerannik takussutissaasut. Arktiskimi avatangiisit pinngortitarlu pillugit ulluttinni anguniagassat tassa qulakkiissallugu, suliniutit soorlu pinngortitamit pissamaatitut taasakkatta atornerlunneqarnerat, takornariartitsisarnernik suliaqartarnerit, silamiittarnerit ilisimatusarnerilllu, nungusaataanngitsumik ingerlanneqartarnissaat. Aatsaat taamaaliornikkut pinngortitat allanngorneqanngitsut illersorsinnaassagattigit, pinngortitallu uumassusillit assigiinngiiaarneri atatiinnarneqarsinnaallutik aammalu kultureqarnermut tunngassusillit eqqaassutissaqarfiit asseqanngitsut siunissamut isumannaajarneqarlutik. Nunani Avannarleni Qanoq Iliusissanut Pilersaarusiaq pinngortitaq-eqqaassutissaqarfiillu Arktiskimiittut - Kalaallit Nunaanni, Island-imi Svalbard-imilu akuersissutigineqarsimavoq 1999-mi tunaartarinerullugit Arktiskimi nungusaataanngitsumik ineriartortitsinissat siuarsarneqarnissaat. Siunertaasimavoq pinngortitap-eqqaassutissaqarfiillu ataatsimut isigalugit illersorneqarnissaannut pingaarutilinnik suliniuteqarnissat. Nunat assigiinngitsut akornanni taamak ataatsimut periaaseqarniarneq nutaaliatut isigineqarsinnaavoq. Qanoq Iliusissanut Pilersaarusiq suliarineqarsimavoq assigiinngitsorujussuarni iluarsartuullugu pilersaarusiorluni suliaasimasuni (projektini) qulingiluaasuni, maannakkullu naammassineqareersimasuni. Naammassinerisa inerneri uvani atuagaaqqami allaaserineqarsimapput.

Brýn viðfangsefni á norðurheimskautssvæðinu Á norðurheimsskautssvæðinu er að finna nokkur af síðustu svæðum jarðar þar sem náttúran er nánast ósnortin og í þessari stórbrotnu náttúru leynist fjöldi menningarminja sem er hrífandi vitnisburður um ótrúlega hæfni mannsins til að komast af öldum saman í þessum kalda og hrjóstruga heimshluta. Eitt brýnasta viðfangsefnið á sviði umhverfismála á norðurheimskautssvæðinu er að tryggja að öll starfsemi, svo sem nýting auðlinda, ferðaþjónusta, útivist og rannsóknir, sé rekin á vistvænan og sjálfbæran hátt. Aðeins þannig getum við verndað um ókomna tíð þessa ósnortnu náttúru, líffræðilega fjölbreytni og menningarminjar. Norræna framkvæmdaáætlunin um vernd náttúru og menningarminja á norðurheimskautssvæðinu - Grænlandi, Íslandi og Svalbarða - var samþykkt árið 1999 og hafði að markmiði að stuðla að sjálfbærni á norðurheimskautssvæðinu. Ætlunin var að vernda náttúruna og menningarminjar sem heild í einu samræmdu átaki sem með réttu má líta á sem nýmæli í alþjóðlegu tilliti. Í tengslum við framkvæmdaáætlunina voru unnin níu afar mismunandi verkefni sem lokið hefur verið við. Þessi bæklingur lýsir árangri starfsins.

De nordiske landene gjennomfører tiltak for å redusere effekten av klimaendringene og skape et mer bærekraftig samfunn. Målet med dette prosjektet har vært å vurdere hvordan kulturarven kan påvirkes av disse tiltakene, vise gode eksempler på klimatilpasningstiltak og peke på eventuelle behov. Prosjektet bidrar til forståelse av ulike klimatilpasningstiltak, slik at myndighetenes planlegging i større grad kan omfatte helhetlige vurderinger av tiltakenes påvirkning på kulturarven. Generelt bidrar prosjektet til en økt forståelse av kulturarvens sårbarhet, og legger grunnlag for økt beskyttelse av den nordiske kulturarven i et endret klima og en verden som gjennomgår et grønt skifte. Prosjektet har tatt utgangspunkt i eksisterende kunnskap i Danmark, Norge, Island og Sverige, og det omfatter klimatiltak som påvirker kulturarven både fysisk, indirekte og visuelt.

All Nordic countries are committed to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. According to the CBD Aichi Targets, areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services should be protected through ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas as well as other effective area-based conservation measures. The ecosystems of the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and North-West Russia are very diverse and unique even globally. This region is characterized by extensive boreal forests and vast areas of tundra, intermingled by various freshwater bodies. Climate change and loss of natural habitats due to intensive land-use and unsustainable use of natural resources are the most serious threats to biodiversity in this region, also called the Barents Region.

Future of biodiversity in the Barents Region

Climate change may affect biodiversity to a large extent. Its effects have already caused shifts in species distributions and even species extinctions. Since especially high latitude regions are expected to be affected, this publication assesses the impact of future climate change on the biodiversity in the Barents Region (northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, and Northwest Russia). It reports on the impact of climate change on a large range of species, including amphibians, butterflies, birds, mammals, moths, plants, slugs, snails, and reptiles, of which a few were studied more in depth. It further identifies future hotspots of species diversity and gives recommendations on species that should be prioritized for conservation and on areas that should be included in the network of protected areas in future. Lastly, it provides guidance on which aspects require further study.

Peatlands, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation

 Did you know that

• peatlands hold more carbon than all forests of the world combined?
• drained peatlands are responsible for 25% of total CO2 emissions in the Nordic and Baltic countries?
• rewetting of peatlands substantially reduces these emissions?

 This policy brief pleads for increased commitments to conserving and rewetting peatlands; for abolishing regulations that drive peatland drainage; for changing drained peatland use to paludicultures; and for setting up good practice demonstration projects. It stresses the need for better communicating the benefits of wet peatlands and the costs arising from damaged ones. Finally it highlights the role of peatland rewetting and restoration in reaching national and international policy targets for climate change mitigation, water quality improvement and biodiversity conservation.

Luontomatkailun ja luonnossa virkistäytymisen merkitys kasvaa Pohjoismaissa ja Baltiassa. Tiedot luontoalueiden kävijöistä ovat tärkeitä, jotta alueiden virkistyskäyttöä voidaan suunnitella ja toteuttaa siten, että kävijöille tarjotaan laadukkaita virkistyskokemuksia, kehitetään luontomatkailua, edistetään kansanterveyttä ja hyvinvointia sekä suojellaan luonto- ja kulttuuriperintöä kestävästi.Tämän oppaan tarkoituksena on antaa ideoita ja tietoa eri menetelmistä ja keinoista, joiden avulla luontoalueiden virkistyskäyttäjistä ja käyttötavoista saadaan enemmän tietoa. Oppaan pääpaino on käytännön menetelmissä: kuinka kävijälaskentoja ja -tutkimuksia tehdään, miten tulokset kannattaa raportoida ja kuinka tietoja voidaan hyödyntää. Opas sisältää ohjeita, suosituksia ja esimerkkejä Pohjoismaihin ja Baltiaan soveltuvista kävijäseurantamenetelmistä.Oppaan on laatinut luontoalueiden kävijäseurantaan perehtynyt asiantuntijatyöryhmä, ja sen tarkoituksena on edistää Pohjoismaiden ja Baltian olosuhteisiin muokattujen yhtenäisten kävijäseurantamenetelmien käyttöä. Tämä on ensimmäinen askel kohti yhtenäistä kävijäseurantatietoa, joka luo yhteisen perustan kävijätilastoille ja -tietokannoille näissä maissa.

Vikten av friluftsliv och naturturism ökar i de nordiska och baltiska länderna. Information om besökare i naturområden är betydelsefull för förvaltning av friluftsliv, för att säkerställa friluftslivsupplevelser av hög kvalitet, för utveckling av turism och för ett effektivt och hållbart skydd av natur- och kulturarv. Syftet med denna vägledning är att förse förvaltare av naturområden med metoder, verktyg och idéer för besökarundersökningar. Vägledningen fokuserar huvudsakligen på praktiska frågor: hur besöksräkning och besökarstudier utförs, hur resultaten redovisas och hur den erhållna informationen kan användas. Vägledningen omfattar riktlinjer, rekommendationer och exempel på metoder för besökarundersökningar som lämpar sig för naturområden i de nordiska och baltiska länderna. Vägledningen har tagits fram av en expertgrupp och är ett försök att få till stånd en användning av överensstämmande metoder under nordiska och baltiska förhållanden. Den är ett första steg mot att erhålla enhetlig information från besökarundersökningar och att skapa en gemensam grund för statistik och databaser med besökarinformation i dessa länder.

Põhja- ja Baltimaades on loodusturismi ja rekreatsiooni tähtsus tõusuteel. Informatsiooni loodusalade külastajate kohta on tarvis rekreatsiooni korraldamiseks, et säästval viisil kindlustada kvaliteetsed rekreatsioonikogemused, turismi areng, rahvatervise edendamine ning efektiivne looduse ja kultuuripärandi kaitse. Käesoleva käsiraamatu eesmärk on pakkuda loodusalade majandajatele meetodeid, vahendeid ja ideid, mille abil on võimalik saada rohkem informatsiooni puhkajatest ja loodusalade kasutusest. Põhirõhk on praktilistel küsimustel: kuidas korraldada külastajate loendust ja külastajauuringuid, mil viisil anda aru tulemustest ja kuidas saadud andmeid kasutada. Käsiraamat sisaldab juhtnööre, soovitusi ja näiteid külastajate seire meetoditest, mida saab kasutada Põhjamaade ja Balti riikide loodusaladel. Käsiraamatu on koostanud loodusalade külastajaseiremeetodite ekspertgrupp ja eesmärgiks on võtta Põhja- ja Baltimaades kasutusele ühtlustatud meetodid. See on esimene samm ühtlustatud meetodite kasutamise poole külastajate seire valdkonnas ning loob ühtse aluse statistikale ja andmebaasidele selles piirkonnas. Price: 541 Estonian kroons/approx EUR 35

This is the final report of the project "Visitor Monitoring Methods in the Nordic and Baltic Countries". The goal of the project was to develop visitor monitoring methodologies for Nordic and Baltic land management agencies, the work of which is related to visitor management in protected and recreational areas. The report provides an overview of the visitor monitoring methods and guidelines currently available, including state-of-the-art reports and case studies from the Nordic and Baltic countries. The report concludes that there are certain common variables related to monitoring outdoor recreation that are important to all the Nordic and Baltic countries and that could be standardized. Therefore, the project group continues its work in order to produce recommendations for a common visitor monitoring methodology in protected and recreational areas in the Nordic and Baltic Countries. These recommendations will be published in the form of a Nordic-Baltic manual on visitor monitoring practices.

This report addresses changes in population size in five species of diving ducks breeding and wintering in the Baltic Sea. Declines in breeding Greater Scaup, Eider and Velvet Scoters on the Baltic coast are verified. Long-tailed Ducks and Eiders have declined in winter. Breeding Eiders have declined in Norway. Monitoring programs in all Nordic countries are partly inadequate for detecting changes in numbers of birds both in winter and during breeding, but large-scale trends appear reliable. The reasons for the declines observed are largely unknown. For breeding Eiders in the northern part of the Baltic Sea a change in predation regimes on the breeding islands may be important. If the negative trends are to be stopped, a deeper understanding of the drivers involved and better knowledge about the ecological status of the Baltic Sea food webs utilized by the diving ducks are needed.

Prosjektet er forankret i Miljøhandlingsprogrammet 2005 - 2008" der "Miljø og sundhed" var tema. Kap.1.3 "Folkesundhed og naturopplevelse" hadde mål om å analysere sammenhengene mellom friluftsliv og folkesundhed og kap. 3.3 hadde mål om å sikre det tradisjonelle nordiske friluftsliv. Norge lanserte prosjektet  i 2006 for å følge opp programmet på disse punktene. Formålet var å etablere en plattform for arbeidet med friluftsliv og psykisk helsevern. En ville se nærmere på de sammenhenger og utfordringer som knytter seg til menneskets aktivitet i og møte med natur og de psykiske virkningene av dette. Siktemålet var å få fram nordisk kunnskap om de positive helsevirkningene - både forebyggende og terapeutisk. Plattformen har fem elementer: 1) Faglig nettverk. 2) Forskersamarbeid. 3) Tematisk hjemmeside (www.friskinaturen.org). 4 a) Nordisk konferanse sept.-07 i Asker, Norge og   4 b) Konferanserapport (Juni-08.) 5) Prosjektrapport "Naturopplevelse, friluftsliv og vår psykiske helse." (1. juni 2009). Prosjektleder har vært Espen Koksvik fra MD-N og prosjektet ble avsluttet 15. mai 2009.

Urban green and blue areas offer multiple ecosystem services, that support urban resilience and contribute to the well-being and quality of life of urban dwellers. But urban development poses a risk of losing urban ecosystems and their services to inhabitants. Hence, urban green spaces need to be integrated into urban planning and decision making in a systematic way. Urban ecosystem accounting (EA) provides a framework for quantifying changes in the extent and the condition of urban ecosystems and for assessing change in the ecosystem service supply and use over time. As a result, EA provides an information system that can support municipal planning and policy. This report describes a few pilots carried out in Finland and Norway and proposes a draft roadmap for future urban ecosystem accounting in Nordic cities.

The forests of Fennoscandia have been in human use for many purposes for centuries, and through the last decades industrialized and cultivated in a manner that can change their ecological function with respect to biodiversity at species and ecosystem levels. In Northwest Russia we can still find large, indigenous forests where human impact is low. They represent the last intact western taiga ecosystems of high value for biodiversity preservation in Russia and Fennoscandia as reservoirs and source habitats for future dispersal of taiga species. The Conference and Workshop in Steinkjer 2007 focused on these matters, but also the ecological importance of these forests for rural culture, socio-economic importance, industrial values and how protection and sustainable societies could go hand in hand. Many of the presentations given at the conference and workshop are here presented together with the Summary and Closing Statement worked out at the end of the sessions. The presentations cover many aspects from ecology, history and culture, conservation and management strategies, inventory tools for defining habitats of specific value to biodiversity, as well as implementation of environmental issues into the forestry laws and certification and educational tools for developing sustainable societies in a broad scale.

SKUL (Sosial bæredyktighet ved kulturminner/miljøer) er et prosjekt hvor hovedformålet har vært en kunnskapsinnhenting om sosial velferd og kulturmiljøer i Norden. Prosjektet har vært finansiert av Nordisk Ministerråd og har løpt gjennom 2022. Formålet har vært å gjennomføre en kunnskapsinnsamling om kulturmiljøers innvirkning på sosial velferd – et av FNs bærekraftsmål. Blant annet har man gjennom prosjektet ønsket å undersøke om kulturmiljøer har innvirkning på barn, unges og ny- tilflyttedes velferd, samt om kulturmiljøer er viktig for folks trivsel og valg av bosted, for å nevne noen faktorer som inngår i velferdsbegrepet. Prosjektet har undersøkt foregått i Norge, Sverige, Danmark og på Færøyene. 

De nordiske befolkningers mulighed for at dyrke et sundt og oplevelsesrigt friluftsliv er et væsentligt tema i den moderne samfundsudvikling. Private arealer rummer rige muligheder for udeliv. Nærværende rapport sætter fokus på samspillet mellem friluftsudøverne og jordejerne. Foråret 2007 mødtes jordejere, friluftsfolk, myndighedsrepræsentanter og forskere fra de nordiske lande for at diskutere og dele erfaringer om friluftsliv på private arealer nu og i fremtiden. Deltagerne bragte aktuelle emner på dagsorden, heriblandt "allemandsretten" byudvikling, kommercialisering og fremtidige forskningsopgaver. Denne rapport indeholder udsagn, anbefalinger samt gode praksiseksempler, som deltagerne bragte frem på møderne. I rapporten findes også 7 aktuelle indlæg om friluftsliv og samspillet med jordejerne. Med nærværende rapport ønsker de 60 bidragydere at opfordre til intens og vedvarende dialog om, hvordan vi bedst tilgodeser de forskellige interesser i vores rige nordiske natur.

Finding and using indicators that are most suited for tracking progress, raising awareness and supporting analysis is a challenge. Indicators need to be used in appropriate contexts and should ideally be fit-for-purpose. For example, indicators which are best used for awareness-raising cannot be used for monitoring policy goals. This report presents a short review of different indicators typically encountered by environmental policy makers. General advice is provided regarding their uses. In the second part of the report, an overview of the environmental-economic accounting work of the Nordic statistical institutes is presented. Lessons learned from the development of these accounts as well as ideas for future work are described. These types of environmental accounts provide a framework for developing information about the connections between the economy and the environment. The study was commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers and conducted by the national statistical agencies in the Nordic countries, led by Statistics Norway and Statistics Sweden.

The aim of the COPE-project is to develop children's engagement and ability to act upon issues such as health, nature management, environmental problems and space for outdoor life. Important issues included in this guide are children's right to healthy living, experience nature and outdoor life, a clean environment that does not harm their health, developing of competences so that they can take care of their own and others' health, participation, democracy and empowerment. The teaching ideas presented here have been piloted with success in 42 schools and after-school activity centres in nine Nordic and Baltic countries during 2005 and 2006. The guide is useful to teachers in primary and secondary schools and activity centres, by health staff in local communities, institutions for pre-service and in-service training, local authorities (for example in town planning), nature interpreters etc.

Proceedings from the workshop at Roskilde Vandrehjem, Denmark, 14-15 May 2008 The Nordic countries have a common goal to halt the decline in biological diversity by 2010. Changes in the spatial structure of habitats are a major pressure on biological diversity. Spatial indicators can help to describe the development of biological diversity and hence evaluate the 2010-target. At a workshop held in May 2008, approaches and available data for the application of spatial indicators in the Nordic countries were discussed. It was agreed that spatial indicators are useful descriptors for biological diversity. However, indicators must be based on specific knowledge on species' requirements in terms of quality and spatial structure of habitats. Furthermore, applied map-data must contain information, which reflects these requirements. To strengthen the integration of spatial indicators in Nordic nature monitoring, critical research needs were identified. Existing approaches and available map-data need to be evaluated critically. In order to uncover opportunities, limitations and needed actions for a meaningful application of spatial indicators, specific example-studies need to be elaborated. These research activities are crucial for scientifically qualified and sound recommendations for the future design of nature monitoring in the Nordic countries.

This report represents an awareness of the need to address the interlinkages between the various dimensions of ecosystem restoration. The aim is to contribute towards identifying and presenting relevant multifunctional case stories and their tools, methods, and guidelines. Overall, the projects were successful at implementing synergetic adaptation and increased resilience. Climate mitigation, stakeholder involvement, and socio-economic benefits are represented in the case studies, but compared to biodiversity, they represent areas of improvement. With this catalogue it is our hope that the cases and guidelines may inspire and stimulate practical projects and support policy making towards many new restoration projects in the Nordic region.

Cultural ecosystem services in the form of experiences derived from landscapes are potentially important, but often overlooked. Given the large and unprecedented landscape changes many of the Nordic countries are undergoing, there is a need to find ways of including people’s preferences and the value of landscape impacts in policy assessments and decision-making processes. The project aim has been to synthesize knowledge about the magnitude and value of landscape experiences, and investigate current practices and examples of how landscape impacts are incorporated (or not) in policy assessments and decision-making contexts in the Nordics. The literature demonstrates potentially high unaccounted welfare loss from landscape change. We find clear weaknesses in current practices, that a second phase will try to address. The project was carried out by Vista Analysis in Oslo and Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University from 2014–15.