Building a Biosphere Reserve

in North Karelia, Finland

Dr. Timo J. Hokkanen

Centre of Economic Development, Transport and

the Environment for North Karelia/

North Karelia Biosphere Reserve

Scotland 20.5.2010

Contents North Karelia and North Karelia BR Research and development projects

Steering committee and BR strategy Future projects – extensive approach Role of the BR

Questions asked

How you engage with public agencies? How you engage with communities? How you manage the landscapes? How regional strategy has been

developed? Where the biosphere reserve fits in? The long term view?

North Karelia and NK BR

Living in the North

Karelia,Eastern Finland

Ice ages

North Karelia-province

Total area 2 158 400 ha

Forests 1 045 000 ha 48 %

Total area 2 158 400 ha

Forested Mires 406 000 ha19%

Forest

Forest, mires and lakesTotal area 2 158 400 ha

Natural Mires 406 000 ha

6 %

Forest

For.Mire

6 %

Total area 2 158 400 ha

Inland waters 382 000 ha

For.Mire

Forest18 %

Nat.mire

Total area 2 158 400 haOther 198 400 ha

Forest

Forestedmire

Nat.mire

Inland waters

9 %

North Karelia

Joensuu

RUSSIA

North Karelia

Forestry, metal industry, hi-tech Forest research

University of Eastern Finland (13 000) European Forest Institute Finnish Forest Research Institute

Bioenergy: 65 % of energy consumption

North KareliaBR

Joensuu

Lieksa

Ilomantsi

NK biosphere reserve

Established 1992, extended 2009 Total area: 790 745 ha Population: 21 000 Core areas: 24 953 ha Buffer zone: 22 779 ha Main activities

forestry, tourism, services

KALEVALA – the national epic of Finland

Slash and burn agriculture

Taiga forest

Patvinsuo National Park

Photo: www.vastavalo.fi

Forest, mires and lakes

Photo: Markku Tano

Koli National Park

Sonkaja Village

””Biosphere ReservesBiosphere Reserves – – Connecting Connecting

peoplepeople””

Numerous background projects Forestry, planning and protection Forest grazing of cattle New rural livelihoods Nature and culture tourism Restoration and building of cultural milieus Restoration of springs Large carnivores Ticks Giant hogweed

1. Forest studies

Extensive entities High-quality research Forests important: economy,

biodiversity, recreation Joensuu is a forestry centre in boreal

zone Co-operation with Russia

UAV at Mekrijärvi Research Station

Hand launch Flies on its ownImages in 20 minutes

(Lopatin, Kolström, Hokkanen 2009, manuscript) webserver: mekri.joensuu.fi/gap_karelia

Continuity of old growth forests in the border area between Finland and Russia

Natural connectivity at the border

The width of the forest corridors at the border between Russia and Finland (border bertween Louhskiy and Suojarvkiy rayons)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

6964694,749 7114643,272 7254471,838 7372197,786

Louskiy rayon Suojarvskiy rayon

Fo

rest

co

rrid

or

wid

th,

m

• In Russia: large untouched ecosystems should be protected

• In Finland: need to create corridors connecting Russian and Finnish forests

Joint plan?

Development? Protection? Costs? Time?

Local targets Studies in local history Using traditional methods Employing local people Co-operation with a school and local

activists Developing tourism

2. Restoring cultural mileus and 2. Restoring cultural mileus and traditional landscapestraditional landscapes

1939

1923

Aaron Piha 1997

Aaron piha 2003

Sonkaja chapel

3. Ticks and Giant hogweed

Border area Research and environmental

awareness Health Value of land Extensive co-operation

Ixodes persulcatus

Ixodes-species & tickborne encephalitis Distribution

Climate change Environmental

change

A bit escaped

Burns…

Photos: Michigan Dept Agriculture

Biosphere

reserve

Creating BR strategy

Background projects Leading = creating significancies

BR needs to create and point out significancies which promote sustainable development

Building a school

What is a school needed for? Background > planning > building > teaching >

producing learning and wisdom

Building a school

Building a Biosphere Reserve What is a BR needed for? Background > planning > ”building” > working >

producing …

Involvement in BR projects

Project

Local Regional National Inter-national

Forestry Administration Researchers, Administration

Researchers, Administration

Researchers, Administration

Cultural

milieus

Workers,

Teachers

Administration

Researchers, Administration

Ticks Local people,

Researchers, Administration

Researchers, Administration

Researchers,

Businesses

Researchers

Giant

hogweed

Local people,

Administration, Businesses

Researchers, Administration

Researchers, Administration

Researchers

Level

Involvement spheres

International UNESCO International actors (e.g., EU), businesses

National National MaB committee National structures, businesses, administration

Regional BR committee; administration institutions; businesses

Local All local structures and involved people

Number of involved people

Ingredients of a biosphere reserve: From knowledge to change

Information/”knowledge” Research

Information + context => Awareness Info dissemination

Awareness + resources + commitment => activity Work

Activity + continuity => change Monitoring

Role of BR in projects

Project

Local Regional National Inter-national

Forestry Communicator Initiator,

Actor

Communicator,

Connector

Initiator,

Communicator

Connector

Cultural

milieus

Initiator,

Facilitator,

Connector,

Communicator

Actor

Initiator, communicator, connector

Ticks Initiator,

Facilitator,

Communicator,

Actor

Initiator, communicator, connector

Researchers, Connector, Communicator,

Actor

Giant

hogweed

Initiator,

Facilitator,

Communicator,

Actor

Initiator,

onnector, Communicator,

Actor

Connector, Communicator

Connector, Communicator,

Actor

Level

Delineation 1992 350 000 ha 14 500 ha core

areas 1900 inhabitants

Delineation 2008 791 000 ha 25 000 ha core areas 22 000 ha buffer zones 21 000 inhabitants

Tuupovaara

Ilomantsi

Lieksa

Part of Joensuu City included

BR Extension 2008

North Karelia BR Steering Committee (2008-2011)

Prof. Paavo Pelkonen (chair) Univ.Eeastern Finland,

forestry Prof. Taneli Kolström UEF, Mekrijärvi Res. Station Mayor Markku Lappalainen Ilomantsi municipality City clerc Jari Horttanainen Joensuu city City clerc Matti Taponen Lieksa city Park Superintendent Kyösti Tuhkalainen Metsähallitus CEO Tiina Tolvanen NK Chamber of Commerce Prof. Ari Lehtinen UEF, geography Planning director Risto Poutiainen NK Regional Council Leading researcher Raimo Heikkilä Finnish Env. Instutute, Joensuu Prof. Erkki Sutinen UEF, computer science CEO Markku Litja Karelia-Expert OY (tourism)

Co-ordinator Timo J. Hokkanen (secretary)

Centre of Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for

North Karelia

Regional development priorities taken into account

Funding Minimal funds earmarked for

environment compared with those for development

Influence - also in environmental issues Better sitting at the tables where the

decisions are being done

North Karelia BR mission statement

North Karelia biosphere reserve activities aim at creating regional sustainable development solutions for good economy and environment

BR main task: facilitationSustainable development

Conservation

Support, training etc

Strategy

BR main ”windows” Energy Tourism Environmental awareness

Extensive co-operation Benefits

”Bioenergy window” Energy important for all human activities in

the area Bioenergy has great influence on local life

but also direct global influences Bioenergy is easily understandable by

everyone Bioenergy is economically important and

politically ”hot” Local and regional background strong Environmental aspects not at all easy

”Tourism window”

Nature and culture tourism is considered to grow in importance and volume

Nature and culture tourism makes use of all environments and important culture objects

Tourism and energy use are tightly coupled

Easy to find local and regional support

Landscapes

Significance of landscapes Economy Ecology Communities Culture

Traditional landscapes

Awareness = key to change

Information/”knowledge” Research

Information + context => Awareness Info dissemination

Awareness + resources + commitment => activity Work

Activity + continuity => change Monitoring

Leadership

Projects and future

Clear priorities Ambitious goals Visibility Results required ”Think globally, act locally!”

RoK-FOR 2010 - 2013 Sustainable forestry providing bioenenergy, sustainable construction and biobased products

EU FP7 - 1.8 M €EU FP7 - 1.8 M € Large consortium – regions in focusLarge consortium – regions in focus

ROK-FOR consortium

Forest Research CentreJastrebarsko

Centre for Development, Transport and the Environmentfor North Karelia

Centre Tecnologic Forestal de Catalunya

Albert-Ludwigs-UniversitaetFreiburg

EFI Atlantic

RoK-FOR ObjectivesRoK-FOR Objectives Target areas: sustainable forestry > bioenergy, Target areas: sustainable forestry > bioenergy,

biobased products and sustainable biobased products and sustainable construction construction

Actions: We will identify and start strong trans-Actions: We will identify and start strong trans-national and inter-regional co-operation national and inter-regional co-operation between research-driven, forestry-based between research-driven, forestry-based clustersclusters

ResultsResults Joint action planJoint action plan New joint actions during the second half of the New joint actions during the second half of the

projectproject Increased innovativeness and competitiveness with Increased innovativeness and competitiveness with

help of the metaclusterhelp of the metacluster

•geology•bedrock, ice age

•biodiversity values•indigenous species•ecological corridor

•cultural heritage

•transboundary co-operation

GREEN BELT OF FENNOSCANDIA

Naturereserves

Research units Climate change Environmental

change Sustainable

development practices

Research and development

Koli Guiding and Culture Centre International sustainable development model

for Biosphere Reserves?

~ 40 M € investment

Koli Sustainable Development Platform

K o l i Culturum

National Park

Koli Village

Sustainable Development

In Centre

North Kareliaprovince

National &International

Contacts

Green Belt ofFennoscandia

MaB programme

TechnologyProgramme

BR Partnership organisations and enterprises Dynamic approach

Sustainable development Commitment for future

Co-operation between partners Background: Sustainable Development

Network for North Karelia

Questions asked

How you engage with public agencies? How you engage with communities? How you manage the landscape and

the type of landscapes you have? How regional strategy has been

developed? Where the biosphere reserve fits in? The long term view?

Rosa acicularis – Carelian rose