Pilot projects: Regional area accounting Regional nature accounting.
This project is an initiative to strengthen sustainable land management and build a solid knowledge base for Lofoten.
The project is a collaboration between the Lofoten municipalities, the State Governor of Nordland, Nordland County Municipality, NVE and the Norwegian Environment Agency, with funding of NOK 7.7 million plus personal contributions from the municipalities.
The project, presented at the Lofoten Council meeting in Røst on June 7, 2023, aims to solve several challenges related to land management. Many municipalities lack knowledge about their available land reserves for development needs, important natural values and the connection between them, as well as resources to update the municipality's land use plan and meet increasing demands for content.
Land use accounting can solve these challenges by collecting and obtaining knowledge about the areas and how we manage them. This can include descriptions of greenhouse gas emissions and removals, green infrastructure, ecosystems, ecosystem condition, ecosystem services, or topics such as areas at particular risk.
The project is divided into three sub-projects:
"Knowledge base regional land management" focuses on building the knowledge base, conducting workshops and implementing the findings."Regional land accounting in planning work in Lofoten" aims to develop a methodology, implement it and hold workshops."Pre-project regional nature accounting - pilot Lofoten" aims to rig a main project through mapping of existing and ongoing work and knowledge base, choice of methodology and participation.
Going forward, the project will also consider possible new projects, including EcoPlan Co-creating ecosystem condition accounts in spatial planning for no net loss (NINA), CoastSupport Supporting ecosystem-based management of coastal ecosystems and their services (Institute of Marine Research), and an innovation project for the public sector (Lofoten Council). There will also be collaboration agreements with project partners and stakeholders, mapping of existing knowledge base, procurement of knowledge base (including NiN mapping), and workshops focusing on the ocean and coastal zone.