This report, commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM), represents an effort to advance the implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) in the Nordic region. It has been guided by the urgent need to address societal challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, through nature-focused strategies. An overarching aim of the project has been to uncover strategies for fostering impactful and sustainable NBS initiatives in the Nordics.
The report compiles insights from eight pioneering pilot projects funded by the NCM, each providing insights into the practical application of NBS within diverse Nordic contexts. We studied these NBS pilot projects while they were underway, in the period February 2022 to November 2023.
Our approach has been to capture experiences, learn and synthesize, rather than to evaluate the pilot projects. The insights and findings of the report are based on the contributions of the project leaders and other project contacts. Through interviews and workshops with the pilot project leaders and contact persons, we have compiled insights from the NBS projects as they unfold. Given that the projects are still ongoing, we strongly recommend that the capturing of these experiences continues, including monitoring of effects and post-evaluation of the projects.
We see this report as a contribution to future NBS discussions and research, aiming to enhance their effective implementation. Lessons from the national NBS pilot projects are relevant beyond the immediate practical application; they are relevant for strengthening the role of NBS as an integral part of the environmental policies in the Nordics.
The project report is written by Line Barkved, Caroline Enge, and Ingvild Skumlien Furuseth from the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), and Leonard Sandin from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks go to the pilot project leaders and contacts for their willingness and openness to share insights and learnings with us during interviews and workshops over the course of the study: Rikke Edberg (renosyd, Denmark), Jannik Seslef (Assens municipality, Denmark), Troels Kærgaard Bjerre (VandCenter Syd, Denmark), Kolbrún í Haraldsstovu (The National Museum/Tjóðsavnið, Faroe Islands), Antti Karppinen (Metsähallitus' Wildlife Service of Finland), Magnus Göransson (Research Consultant, Iceland), Hjörtur Þorbjörnsson (Reykjavík Botanic Garden, Iceland), Anja Celine Winger (NIBIO, Norway), Dominika Krzeminska (NIBIO, Norway), Zeynep Cetecioglu Gurol (KTH, Sweden), Ece Kendir Cakmak (KTH, Sweden), Thomas Hjelm (Utö Initiative, Sweden), Robert Cederlund (Utö Initiative, Sweden), Ann Nedergård (Ålands Vatten, Åland).
We thank the Programme Coordinator Jóna Ólavsdóttir (The Faroese EPA, Umhvørvisstovan) and the Steering Group of the NBS program of the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM), Jan Petter Huberth Hansen (The Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet), Norway), Anki Weibull (The Swedish EPA (Naturvårdsverket), Sweden), Anna Planke (Ministry of Climate and Environment, Norway), Bo Storrank (Ministry of the Environment, Finland), Eva Juul Jensen (The Danish EPA (Miljøstyrelsen), Denmark), Irene Lindblad (Ministry of Climate and Environment, Norway), Kolbrún í Haraldsstovu (The National Museum/Tjóðsavnið, Faroe Islands) Lise Lykke Steffensen (NordGen), Lotta Manninen (Ministry of the Environment, Finland), Marie Karlberg (NMRS) and Salome Hallfredsdottir (Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate, Iceland) for their comments and feedback towards the final report. We also thank those who have contributed to the quality control and review of the report, Isabel Seifert-Dähnn (NIVA), Tessa Bahiga Bargmann (NINA), Joanna Lynn Kemp (NIVA) and Sindre Langaas (NIVA). All feedback has helped shape the final version of the report.