Green planning as a way of overcoming environmental challenges 

Name of the Biosphere Reserve: Biosfärområde Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka       

Main goal/​purpose: A conference enhancing the importance of green municipal planning in sustainable land-use. Promoting the need of healthy ecosystems as a way of working with the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and declining public health. Collaboration between stakeholders and municipalities are a crucial part as nature does not conform to administrative borders. The biosphere reserve and its networks and local knowledge was an important part in the planning and execution of the conference. 

Target groups: Municipalities and other stakeholders working with sustainable land- use. 

Stakeholders involved: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Lycksele municipality, The county administrative board of Västerbotten, The biosphere reserve Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka  

Project period: Planning the conference: 08 – 11/2023, Conference: 12/2023 

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has developed a guide for municipal green planning. The conference was held in a total of 5 areas in Sweden, most of them connected to a biosphere reserve as they contribute with important networks and local knowledge.

The conference was a way of spreading knowledge of the guide but also general information about nature-based planning and mapping of green spaces. Another important part of the project was to establish local networks as a way of working together with green spaces and environmental challenges. 

The municipalities made important new connections to other municipalities, the county administrative board and other important stakeholders. 

Afterwards, follow- up meetings were held to keep discussions active and to form new networks.

The network provided by the MAB and the networks created in the process was one of the main goals.