Roads and power lines contribute to reducing areas of relatively undisturbed countryside.
45 per cent of areas without major infrastructure
Approximately 146 000 square kilometres or 45 per cent of Norway’s area (excluding Svalbard and Jan Mayen) was per January 2003 defined as areas without major infrastructure development. Due to encroachment of various kinds, 640 square kilometres of these areas were lost between 1998 and 2003.
A large part of the remaining wilderness-like areas are high mountains, glaciers and unproductive land.
The counties of South-eastern and Southern Norway have lost the largest proportion of areas without major infrastructure development in the period 1988-2003, but the largest areas have been lost to the counties of Nordland, Nord-Trøndelag, Sør-Trøndelag and Sogn og Fjordane.
Regional overview of remaining areas without major infrastructure development, and loss of areas between 1988 and 2003
|
Region |
Total land area*
|
Remaining areas, January 2003 |
Loss 1998 - 2003 |
Loss 1988-2003 |
| km2 |
km2 |
% |
km2 |
% |
km2 |
% |
|
Southern and central Norway |
211069 |
70848 |
33,6 |
470 |
0.7 |
3215 |
4.3 |
|
Northern
Norway |
112985 |
75123 |
66,5 |
168 |
0.2 |
1527 |
2.0 |
|
Total |
324054 |
145971 |
45.0 |
638 |
0.4 |
4742 |
3.1 |
* Not including Svalbard and Jan Mayen
About 12 per cent of Norway is wilderness-like
Around 1900 approximately 50 per cent of Norway could be termed wilderness-like, which means more than five kilometres away from major infrastructure development. By January 2003, only about 11.7 per cent of the wilderness-like areas remained.
Regional overview of wilderness-like areas
|
Region |
Wilderness-like areas per 2003
|
Loss of wilderness-
like areas
1998-2003 |
Loss of wilderness-
like areas 1988-2003 |
|
km2 |
% |
km2 |
% |
km2 |
% |
|
Southern and central Norway |
10651 |
5.0 |
67 |
0.6 |
520 |
4.7 |
|
Northern Norway |
27275 |
24.1 |
236 |
0.9 |
1213 |
4.3 |
|
Total |
37926 |
11.7 |
303 |
0.8 |
1733 |
4.4 |
Figures in square kilometres (km2) and per cent (%)
Road construction and energy production important factors
In Norway, few areas remain that have not been affected by humans. Human influence on nature and the environment changes over time, as does our experience of nature and its abundance.
Causes for loss of wilderness-like areas
Mapping shows that the most important reasons for the reduction of wilderness-like areas in the period 1988-2003 was:
• Road construction
• Water course abstraction, energy production and energy distribution
Particularly forestry, with its road development, is responsible for dividing wilderness-like areas.
Planning and Building Act principal means
The Planning and Building Act and other acts, such as the forestry act, will be the most important tool in regulating the use of areas to reduce further loss of wilderness-like areas.
Various political documents have stated that pristine areas must be preserved. The most important arguments for protecting such areas for the future are that they are part of our natural heritage, important for our national identity, provide good opportunities for outdoor recreation, provide habitats for species that need large areas, and are important for ecological research, monitoring and education.
Mapping of wilderness-like areas
For the years 1988, 1994, 1998 and 2003 areas more than one kilometre away from major infrastructure development were mapped. These maps are an important tool in following up political targets on area management, but it also gives a good overview of where the encroachment happens locally and regionally and who is responsible for the intervention.
Status for wilderness-like areas will be mapped again in 2008.