Some Baltic Sea Region countries have adopted the restoration and construction of wetlands as an agri-environmental measure to help make agriculture more environmentally sustainable. Denmark, Finland and Sweden, for example, have actively promoted the creation of wetlands in the agricultural landscape. Yet despite great efforts to scale up wetlands construction, between 2000 and 2010, Sweden only managed to achieve 60% of its national target of adding 12,000 hectares of wetlands in the agricultural landscape (Environmental Objectives Portal 2012).
Furthermore, recent studies show that there are sub-national differences not only in terms of wetlands area added, but also in terms of...
In the agricultural plains of Sweden, up to 90% of the natural wetlands were drained over the last centuries to make room for highly productive agriculture. The Swedish government financially supported these drainage projects until the 1970s. At the same time there was a growing awareness of the value of wetlands. “Wildlife waters” (viltvatten) was the term used for constructed wetlands when they were first implemented in Sweden in the 1950s, mostly initiated and financed by private landowners. From then until the 1980s, the main purpose was to create wetlands for wildlife and game hunting. In the late 1970s and...
This section provides an overview of wetlands implementation in Sweden, describing financial support systems, implementation processes, key stakeholder groups, and applied implementation schemes for constructed and restored wetlands in the agricultural landscape. This description is based on the information provided by interviewees, which has been complemented by available literature.
The Swedish government is committed to reducing eutrophication in the Baltic Sea (Ministry of Environment 2011). In 1999 and 2005 the Swedish Parliament adopted 16 environmental quality objectives for different areas guiding the development of the National Environmental Policy.³ The environmental quality objectives linked to wetlands include:
Thriving wetlands: The ecological...
The evaluation of the success of wetland implementation in the agricultural landscape in Sweden, led by the Swedish Board of Agriculture and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SJV and NV), has focused on the number of hectares of wetlands added, the achieved reduction of nutrient leakage, and biodiversity enhancement, while other benefits are not generally considered or measured.
The former official national target for wetlands, for which the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency was responsible, was to establish or restore 12,000 ha of wetlands on agricultural lands between 2000 and 2010. This target was not achieved; only about 7,300 ha of wetland...
This section examines the key factors that have contributed to the adoption and advancement of wetland implementation in Sweden; the information is mainly based on the interviews. The examples presented show the diversity of opinions shared by stakeholders representing different interests and views linked to the role and function of wetlands.
Wetland implementation has been given political priority, with broad support for wetlands as an agri-environmental measure among both governmental authorities and NGOs. Evidence of this strong support includes:
Significant national budgets have been allocated for the restoration and construction of wetlands in the agricultural landscape for more than 20...
This section summarizes the key barriers and limitations to progress in wetland implementation in Sweden that were described by interviewees.
Employing the RDP as the main channel to finance wetlands in the agricultural landscape makes it difficult to coordinate the implementation of wetland projects, because RDP support is directed to individual landowners who take the initiative to restore or construct wetlands. It is especially difficult to achieve wetlands in priority locations where benefits can be optimized. Furthermore, RDP subsidies alone generally do not facilitate constant support and communication with farmers, which is needed to convey the benefits and advantages of...
This section synthesizes the findings of this study, including key lessons learned about potential ways to enhance the success of wetlands initiatives.
The Swedish state has historically supported the drainage of natural wetlands to increase agricultural land areas, and also the high input of chemical fertilizers to produce more and cheaper food. This resulted in ecological degradation, such as eutrophication. Restoring and constructing new wetland areas can help undo some of the damage. Moreover, wetlands also offer a wide range of ecosystem services, including nutrient retention, flood control, enhanced biodiversity, recreational opportunities, and cultural heritage and landscape improvement.
Sweden has...
