PROMAS
The Pasvik River flows in Finland, Norway and Russia, from Lake Inari to the Barents Sea. Grense Jakobselv runs along the border between Norway and Russia, to the Barents Sea. Both rivers are located in the extensive Pasvik river catchment area, where, for example, Lake Inari is an important nature destination, and the rivers in Norway and Finland are important fishing destinations. This area and its nature cannot be taken care of without co-operation between the three countries. This is especially true for water bodies, and industry in the region has also set its own challenges for air quality, soil and plants.
In the video below, Tiia Kalske from the Finnmark County Governor’s offive, and Natalia Polikarpova from Pasvik State Nature Reserve, have a boat trip in river Paatsjoki, and discuss the project and the area.
Samarbeider om naturvern langs Pasvikelva from Statsforvalter Troms og Finnmark on Vimeo.
The overall objective of this project has been to sustain and improve the state of the environment within Pasvik and Grense Jakobselv cross-border river basins, to the benefit of local people, and to increase the viability of the local economy.
The project has facilitated a planning process resulting in a new, joint Multi-Use Plan for Pasvik and Grense Jakobselv river areas. The planning process has involved regional authorities and the municipalities of Pechenga (Russia), Sør-Varanger (Norway) and Inari (Finland), local enterprises and industry, hydropower companies, research- and monitoring institutions, non- governmental organisations (NGO’s) as well as other representatives of the local population in the area. The target groups turned out to be very motivated.
It is a substantial achievement to write and agree on a text of total 66 pages, along with a total of 48 measures, taking into account that 39 institutions from three different countries have been involved.
The plan is available on the website of the Lead Partner: Multi-use Plan of Pasvik and Grense Jakobselv river basins
The plan includes a Programme of Measures (PoM) for the years 2021-2030. The PoM includes trilateral goals and measures within the following planning topics:
1) Industrial pollution
2) Water regulations
3) Waste water (sewage) from households
4) Ecological enlightenment, environmental information and citizen science
5) Land fills
6) Gold panning
7) Forestry
8) Tourism- environmental effects
9) Nature protection
10) Pink salmon
11) Changes to the river environment: erosion control structures and canalization
The new plan is meant to be a tool for the joint, environmental management of the transboundary catchments within a time span until year 2030. The plan also gives recommendations for future monitoring of the environmental status in the border area, and guidelines for follow-up of the PoM.
Project: Cross-border dialogue and Multi-Use Planning in the Pasvik and Grense Jakobselv catchments (Multi-Use Plan)
Lead Partner: The Office of the Finnmark County Governor, Vadsø
Other Partners:
- Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment in Lapland, Rovaniemi
- Pasvik State Nature Reserve, Nikel
Project information in KEEP database