Brian Barton
Finland has been rated among the world's leading countries for environmental protection standards, with highly effective environmental administration and legislation. However, Finland's small and shallow bodies of water are sensitive to pollution, and the state of the Baltic Sea, for example, has deteriorated so much that it may never revert to its natural condition. To combat this, Finland has implemented a Water Stewardship Action Plan for 2023-2025, with outline plans and ambitions for scaling up action until 2030. The plan includes goals such as improving water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, as well as reducing agricultural nutrient releases and improving sewage networks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Goal | To improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials |
| Timeframe | 2023-2025, with outline plans and ambitions for scaling up action until 2030 |
| Action Plan | Finnish Water Way - International Water Strategy of Finland |
| Water Stewardship Action Plan | Prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems, minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas, improve water quality, and increase water-use efficiency |
| Water Protection Enhancement Programme | Reduce nutrients and harmful emissions, rehabilitate watercourses, and increase research and development efforts |
| Water Quality | Excellent or good across 80% of Finland's lakes, but small and shallow bodies of water are sensitive to pollution |
| Challenges | Ageing water and sewage networks, groundwater areas with traces of harmful substances, high levels of material and energy consumption, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, large ecological footprint, agricultural pollution, and eutrophication |
| Strengths | Highly effective environmental administration and legislation, consideration of environmental protection in all sectors of society, good quality groundwater, and improved water quality near industrial facilities |
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What You'll Learn
Finland's Water Stewardship Action Plan 2023-2025
Finland has been rated among the world's leading countries for its environmental protection standards. Its strengths include highly effective environmental administration and legislation, and its consideration of environmental protection in all sectors of society. However, Finland still faces challenges when it comes to water pollution, particularly in small and shallow bodies of water that are sensitive to pollution.
Finland's Water Stewardship Action Plan for 2023-2025 aims to address these challenges and improve water stewardship in the country. The plan was developed by Finnish ministries with the support of the Finnish Environment Institute Syke and includes a detailed water accounting, footprint, and water risk analysis of priority sectors and trade partner countries. It also outlines a Theory of Change, detailing how Finland will reach its water stewardship targets, and lists a variety of actions to be taken by Finnish ministries and partners.
The plan places a strong emphasis on actors and networks outside the traditional water sector, highlighting their water risks and opportunities. It also constitutes a strong business case for companies to act and engage on water issues. The plan bridges Finland's international water footprint with that of producing countries and trade partners, highlighting priority themes and areas for possible joint action.
Finland's Water Stewardship Action Plan for 2023-2025 includes the following goals and actions:
- By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
- Reduce agricultural nutrient releases and improve water quality, paying special attention to the needs of vulnerable groups such as women and girls.
- Improve water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.
- Address the impacts of ocean acidification through enhanced scientific cooperation.
- Strengthen the resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems and take action for their restoration, including the conservation of at least 10% of coastal and marine areas.
- Effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and destructive fishing practices to restore fish stocks.
- Improve sanitation and hygiene, paying special attention to vulnerable groups, and end open defecation.
- Reduce pollution, eliminate dumping, and minimize the release of hazardous chemicals and materials.
- Halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase recycling and safe reuse.
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Reducing agricultural pollution
Finland has been rated among the world's leading countries in many international comparisons of environmental protection standards. Its strengths include highly effective environmental administration and legislation, and the ways environmental protection is considered in all sectors of society. Finland's Water Stewardship Action Plan 2023-2025 outlines a variety of actions to be taken by Finnish ministries and partners in the coming years.
Finland's soils are naturally vulnerable to acidification, as they only contain low concentrations of calcium to buffer the acidifying effects of sulphur and nitrogen compounds deposited in the soils from airborne pollution. Thanks to various international environmental agreements and the development of cleaner fuels and emission cleaning technologies, acidifying emissions have declined steeply around Europe. Finland's own atmospheric sulphur and nitrogen emissions are today just 25% and 60% of their levels in 1990.
Finland has acknowledged that improvements need to be made to reduce agricultural nutrient releases. Significant loads of pollutants enter water bodies in runoff from farmland, managed forests, or peat mining sites; in wastewater from municipal wastewater treatment plants, industrial facilities, or livestock facilities; and in effluent from fish farms.
Finland reported facing challenges with the ageing of their water and sewage networks, resulting in some groundwater areas having traces of harmful substances and overall deteriorated water quality. The country has also updated its national goals for the Protocol on Water and Health up to 2030, highlighting that the goals must be achieved or maintained to prevent illnesses caused by water.
At the beginning of 2019, Finland’s Ministry of Environment launched the Water Protection Enhancement Programme, which will run until 2023 and aims to combat the issues by reducing nutrients and harmful emissions, rehabilitating watercourses, and increasing research and development efforts.
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Improving water quality by reducing pollution
Finland has implemented several measures to improve water quality by reducing pollution. The country has rich water resources, with an estimated 21,000m3 of renewable freshwater reserves per inhabitant, far above the threshold for water poverty. However, it faces challenges due to pollution from various sources, including agricultural runoff, industrial facilities, and livestock operations.
Firstly, Finland has recognised the need to reduce agricultural nutrient releases. Agricultural production is a significant source of water pollution in Finland, causing nutrient overgrowth in lakes and rivers. By addressing this issue, Finland can improve water quality and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. This includes implementing better practices and regulations to minimise the release of nutrients and other pollutants into water bodies.
Secondly, Finland has taken steps to protect and restore its marine and coastal ecosystems. The country aims to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution, especially from land-based activities such as marine debris and nutrient pollution. By strengthening the resilience of these ecosystems and taking restorative actions, Finland can maintain the health and productivity of its oceans. This includes initiatives such as ending overfishing, combating illegal fishing practices, and restoring fish stocks.
Thirdly, Finland is working to enhance its water protection measures. The Ministry of Environment launched the Water Protection Enhancement Programme, which aims to reduce nutrients and harmful emissions, rehabilitate watercourses, and increase research and development efforts. The country has also updated its national goals for the Protocol on Water and Health up to 2030, emphasising the prevention of waterborne illnesses. Additionally, Finland has developed a Water Stewardship Action Plan for 2023-2025, which includes a detailed analysis of water accounting, footprints, and risks, along with actions to be taken by various ministries and partners.
Moreover, Finland is addressing the issue of diffuse pollution sources, such as farmland, managed forests, and scattered rural settlements. While pollutant loads from industry, municipal wastewater treatment plants, and fish farms have been effectively reduced, diffuse sources remain challenging to control. By implementing targeted measures and regulations, Finland can reduce the impact of these diffuse sources on water quality.
Finally, Finland is committed to reducing acidifying emissions, which are particularly harmful to aquatic species and vulnerable ecosystems like the forests and inland waters of northern Finland. Through international environmental agreements, the development of cleaner fuels, and emission-cleaning technologies, Finland has made significant progress in reducing acidifying emissions. This ongoing effort is crucial for preserving the delicate balance of Finland's natural environments.
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Preventing and reducing marine pollution
Finland has taken several steps to prevent and reduce marine pollution, recognising the importance of environmental protection and the challenges posed by water pollution. The country has implemented various measures to address this issue, as outlined in Finland's Water Stewardship Action Plan 2023-2025.
Firstly, Finland has prioritised the reduction of nutrient pollution, especially from land-based activities such as agriculture. This is a significant issue for the country, as agricultural production contributes to nutrient overgrowth in lakes and rivers. To combat this, Finland has emphasised the responsibility of farmers and other individuals to keep pollutants out of waterways. Additionally, the country has committed to reducing agricultural nutrient releases and considering water sanitation issues in climate change preparations.
Secondly, Finland is actively working to protect and restore its marine and coastal ecosystems. This includes strengthening the resilience of these ecosystems and taking action for their restoration, with a specific focus on conserving migratory fish stocks and their pathways. Finland has also expressed its commitment to ending overfishing and destructive fishing practices, as well as regulating harvesting to restore fish stocks.
Thirdly, Finland is addressing the impacts of ocean acidification. The country has acknowledged the threat it poses to shellfish, coral, and other marine life, and is enhancing scientific cooperation to minimise and address this issue. Finland has also made significant progress in reducing acidifying emissions, with atmospheric sulphur and nitrogen emissions now only a fraction of what they were in 1990.
Moreover, Finland is committed to improving water quality and access to sanitation. The country aims to achieve adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030, paying special attention to the needs of vulnerable groups. This includes improving water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimising the release of hazardous chemicals and materials. Finland is also working on reducing untreated wastewater and increasing recycling and safe reuse.
In addition to these measures, Finland has developed a Water Protection Enhancement Programme, launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Environment. This programme aims to reduce nutrients and harmful emissions, rehabilitate watercourses, and increase research and development efforts. The country also updated its national goals for the Protocol on Water and Health up to 2030, emphasising the importance of preventing waterborne illnesses.
Overall, Finland is taking a comprehensive approach to preventing and reducing marine pollution, with a strong cross-sectoral emphasis. By bridging international collaborations and highlighting priority themes, Finland is actively working towards enhancing water protection and stewardship.
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Water Protection Enhancement Programme
Finland has implemented several measures to prevent water pollution and protect its water resources. One notable initiative is the Water Protection Enhancement Programme, launched by the Ministry of Environment in 2019. This programme, with a timeline up to 2023, aims to address water-related issues by reducing nutrients and harmful emissions, rehabilitating watercourses, and increasing research and development efforts.
The Water Protection Enhancement Programme is a comprehensive approach to enhance water protection in Finland. Here are the key components of the programme:
- Reducing Nutrients and Harmful Emissions: The programme focuses on reducing the release of nutrients and harmful substances into water bodies. This includes addressing agricultural nutrient runoff, which is a significant contributor to water pollution in Finland. By implementing measures such as improved farming practices and wastewater treatment, the programme aims to minimize the impact of agricultural activities on water quality.
- Rehabilitation of Watercourses: Finland is working on rehabilitating and restoring its watercourses, including rivers, streams, and canals. This involves removing obstacles, such as outdated dams, to improve water flow and connectivity. These efforts are particularly important for migratory fish species, as Finland has been working to restore pathways for fish to address the recent extinction of migratory fish stocks.
- Research and Development: The programme emphasizes the importance of research and development in water protection. This includes studying the impact of climate change on water resources and developing innovative solutions to enhance water quality. By increasing investment in R&D, Finland aims to identify effective measures to protect its water resources and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
- Collaboration and Policy Development: The Water Protection Enhancement Programme encourages collaboration between different ministries and partners. By working together, various sectors can contribute to water stewardship and ensure that water protection is considered in all areas of society. Additionally, the programme involves updating national goals and policies related to water and health, with a focus on preventing water-borne illnesses.
- Water Footprint and Risk Analysis: Finland has conducted a detailed water accounting and footprint analysis to understand its water usage and potential risks. This analysis helps identify priority areas for action and enables the development of targeted strategies to reduce water pollution.
- International Cooperation: Finland recognizes the importance of international cooperation in water protection. By engaging with producing countries and trade partners, Finland can address shared water challenges and promote sustainable water usage globally. This includes sharing its experiences and best practices with other nations.
The Water Protection Enhancement Programme demonstrates Finland's commitment to safeguarding its water resources and addressing the issues related to water pollution. By implementing a range of measures and engaging various stakeholders, Finland is taking a proactive approach to ensure the sustainability and quality of its water environment.
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Frequently asked questions
Water quality is classified as excellent or good across 80% of the total area of Finland's lakes. However, Finland's small and shallow bodies of water are sensitive to pollution, and environmental protection must be enhanced. Finland's strengths include highly effective environmental administration and legislation, and the ways environmental protection is considered in all sectors of society.
Finland has implemented the Water Stewardship Action Plan for 2023-2025, which aims to improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials. The plan also focuses on reducing untreated wastewater and increasing recycling and safe reuse. Additionally, Finland's Ministry of Environment launched the Water Protection Enhancement Programme, which will run until 2023, aiming to reduce nutrients and harmful emissions, rehabilitate watercourses, and increase research and development.
Finland faces challenges such as agricultural nutrient releases, groundwater contamination, and the need to consider water issues in climate change preparations. By 2030, Finland aims to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, improve water quality by reducing pollution, and substantially increase water-use efficiency.
