On this page you can find information on the following topics:
The natural environment and land use
The pressure on areas of natural environment is increasing, both globally and in Norway. Such areas include any open countryside where people may roam freely and that are not affected by infrastructure development or other forms of disturbance.
The amount of relatively undisturbed countryside is gradually decreasing and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find areas that are so pristine that they are worth preserving unchanged. People's growing interest in visiting and experiencing more or less undisturbed areas means that national parks, nature reserves and other areas that are already protected are under increasing pressure.
Most of Norway, about 85 %, is not legally protected. This means that to maintain a healthy environment with viable populations of animals and plants, it is of paramount importance to manage the "ordinary", unprotected countryside properly.
Areas without major infrastructure development
Areas without major infrastructure development include all areas at least 1 kilometre away from major infrastructure development. Norway is generally viewed as having relatively large areas of undisturbed countryside, which are an important part of the Norwegian identity and natural heritage. However, we have been losing more and more of this heritage through piecemeal development, particularly in the past 40 to 50 years.
The counties of Southeastern and Southern Norway have lost the largest proportion of areas without major infrastructure development in the period 1988 - 1998, but the largest areas have been lost in the counties of Nordland, Hedmark, Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. Agriculture, forestry and hydro-electricity production have been responsible for most of the loss of unspoilt countryside.
Around 1900 approximately 50 per cent of Norway could be termed wilderness-like, which means more than 5 kilometres away from major infrastructure developments. By January 2003, only approximately 11.7 per cent of the wilderness-like areas remained.
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.
National parks
The Norwegian landscape is impressive and varied. There are still areas where the development of animal and plant life is governed by Natures own laws and many of these areas will lose their special qualities if we do not protect them properly. It is important that a representative selection of all kinds of natural environments are protected for the future.
In 1962 Norway began creating national parks with the purpose of protecting every type of environment from the coast to the mountains.
In the national parks we want to safeguard the rich diversity of Norways natural heritage, for Natures sake as well as our own. Future generations have the right to enjoy undisturbed countryside and future scientists must be able to study natural activity in areas undisturbed by man. Several of the national parks are important recreational areas and are visited by many tourists from both home and abroad.
Everyone has the right of free access in the open countryside – including the national parks – and the right to enjoy nature. Care must be shown at all times so that animals and plants are not disturbed or harmed. Several national parks have arrangements for outdoor pursuits with a network of marked paths and trails and overnight accommodation in either staffed lodges or self-service cabins.
Visitors can travel on their own or take part in tours arranged every year by the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (Den norske turistforening) or local organisations. In vulnerable areas where it is desirable to limit the impact of visitors, paths and accommodation are minimal. General regulations concerning free access and special regulations concerning preservation in the individual parks may limit what is allowed.
National parks are particularly important for species that need relatively large and undisturbed areas to survive, such as wild reindeer, predators and birds of prey. Many of these are at great risk from human intervention and some are even threatened with extinction. Hunting and the collecting of birds eggs have led to the reduction in the numbers of several kinds of birds of prey, while roads, railways and building development have reduced the area available to wild reindeer and severed their migration paths. Norway has an international responsibility to look after endangered species and their habitats.
Norways national parks are first and foremost mountain areas. Nearly 85 % of the total area of the national parks are mountains. It is here that we find those areas that are least affected by human activities. The mountain landscape varies from endless gently rolling high plateaux to sharp peaks, ravines and glaciers.
In several of the national parks you will find National park centres. A National Park Centre is a facility which the environmental authorities have authorised to manage a national park and provide information about its natural history and cultural heritage.
- Read more about the Norway's National Parks and National Park Centres(temporarily unable due to maintenance)
Norwegian
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