Including Ecological Paths in Regional Planning, Northern Lapland, 2040
About this good practice
Regional Council of Lapland does regional land use planning for Lapland, indicating e.g. ecological corridors and the ecological network formed by them. Marking ecological corridors indicates the important movement connections of animals and species, causing the need for coordination with other land use. The regional land use plan guides e.g. municipalities to take into account in their more detailed planning the connections important for biodiversity.
Ecological paths are vital in enabling species to migrate to different areas and in diversifying the gene pools of animal populations. The paths are in a key role in climate change adaptation and not just for Lapland: the possibility for animal species to roam through Lapland also effects the gene pools in Sweden, Norway and Russia. Furthermore, the region of Northern Lapland is one of the most vulnerable to climate change as arctic areas are warming three times as fast as the globe on average.
Ecological corridors are also indicated in the regional and municipal planning in other Finnish provinces. However, Lapland is the only province that shares a land border with Sweden, Norway and Russia. For this reason, in Lapland, the continuity of cross-border ecological connections is vital, with special attention paid on the nature reserves in Norway and Russia.
In addition to benefits to biodiversity, ecological paths serve the recreational use of these natural areas. Furthermore, these areas serve in climate change mitigation.
Resources needed
Included in the work of the Regional Council of Lapland.
Evidence of success
There’ll be measurable results after the regional plan comes into effect .
Potential for learning or transfer
In our opinion this practice serves a great potential to all European planning – taking the ecological paths into account would help diversify populations in different regions and species to migrate to new areas and countries when the bigger picture is also taken into consideration. However, it should be kept in mind that this enables also alien species to migrate to new areas.
Central Europe is densely populated and very fragmented and therefore including ecological paths in planning is of utmost importance to enable better adaptation of species, more viable populations and finding of new habitats. At the same time some of these areas could serve recreational purposes, in climate change mitigation e.g. through reforestation and also aesthetic values.