It is becoming more and more difficult to find undisturbed areas of natural habitat. There was a drastic reduction of the total extent of large continuous tracts of land without infrastructure development during the 20th century, and many areas have shrunk or been lost. In 1900, about 48 per cent of the total land surface of Norway was wilderness-like. By 2003, this had dropped to less than 12 per cent. We have lost so much of some types of habitats, such as lowland raised bogs, river deltas, calcareous forests and sand dunes, that they are now considered to be endangered.

Protected areas in mainland Norway

Almost 15 per cent of mainland Norway is now protected under the Nature Conservation Act, and a large proportion of this consists of mountainous areas. A number of other habitat types, such as coastal and marine habitats, are not yet adequately represented. An area of only about 2 700 km2 of Norway’s marine waters is currently designated as protected under the Nature Conservation Act. Norway has an international responsibility to safeguard a representative selection of fjord and coastal areas of types that are not found anywhere else in the world. None of the national parks includes the skerries off the coast, and fjords are very poorly represented.

Protected areas in Svalbard

Much more of Svalbard than of mainland Norway is protected, including large marine areas. Protected areas in Svalbard were originally established under the 1925 Svalbard Act. When the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act entered into force on 1 July 2002, the existing protection orders were amended somewhat. All national parks and nature reserves in Svalbard are now protected under the new act. In all, 65 per cent of the area of the islands is protected, together with about 75 per cent of the territorial waters out to the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit. The newest national park, Indre Wijdefjorden, was established in 2005.

Continued fragmentation and development of areas of natural habitat will have a negative impact on biological diversity. Important types of habitats are in danger of disappearing altogether. Future generations may have more restricted opportunities for sustainable use of biological diversity and for experiencing Norway’s natural riches than we do today.

General social trends and driving forces such as population growth, rising consumption, technological developments and trade are increasing the pressure on the natural environment. Large areas without infrastructure development are becoming fragmented, and important habitats for plants and animals are being built on, cultivated, drained or logged. Agriculture, forestry, tourism and road construction are some of the activities that change the natural environment most radically.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) encourages all countries to set aside at least 15 per cent of all types of habitats as protected areas. If Norway’s current conservation plans are implemented by 2010, more than 15 per cent of mainland Norway will be protected under the Nature Conservation Act.  

Current protection plans

• When the nationwide national park plan is fully implemented, the 15 per cent protection level will be achieved for mountain habitats, and a better selection of fjord and coastal areas will be protected.
• In 2003, the Storting gave its support to efforts to expand protection of forested areas. A long-term programme to encourage landowners to protect areas of forest on a voluntary basis is in progress. The first part of a protection plan for forests belonging to the state-owned enterprise Statskog was adopted in 2005. As a result, about 1.7 per cent of Norway’s area of productive forest is now protected.
• Implementation of the county protection plans for mires, wetlands, deciduous broad-leaved forests, rich deciduous forests and important coastal sites for seabirds will result in the protection of more coastal and lowland areas. The plan is to complete implementation of the county protection plans in 2007 and the national park plan by 2010.
• The Storting has approved proposals to draw up a marine protection plan. This work will be divided into two phases. Work on the first phase began in 2001.  
  

Some protected areas need active management to maintain their conservation value. There is an urgent need for management plans and funding for management measures.

Protection important, but we must do more

It is important to protect areas under the Nature Conservation Act as a way of maintaining viable populations of plants and animals, but this alone is not enough. Even when all the current conservation plans have been implemented, some habitat types will not be adequately represented, and most of the country will not be protected under the terms of the Nature Conservation Act. The way we treat and manage the rest of the “ordinary” countryside will therefore be of vital importance for the maintenance of biological diversity.