Finland - Overview

Remark:

Please note that this country profile has been prepared by the Secretariat on the basis of information provided in the NBSAP and national reports, but has not been reviewed by the Party concerned.

Status and Trends of Biodiversity

Overview

Finland’s total area, including territorial waters of the Baltic Sea, is some 420,000 km2. The terrestrial surface covers 73% of the total area, whereas inland waters cover 8% and marine waters cover 19%. Most of Finland belongs to the boreal coniferous forest zone. There are approximately 44,000 known species that regularly occur in Finland... More »

Number and Extent of Protected Areas

The strictly protected forest area is 0.8 million hectares, which is 4.1% of the total forest area.

Percentage of Forest Cover

The total area of forest habitats on mineral soils in Finland is just under 15 million ha, which represents 49% of the country’s land area. Most of the peatlands, which cover 20% of total area, are also forested.

National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan

Major features of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

The NBSAP sets out 124 measures related to the preservation, management and sustainable use of biodiversity, to be implemented by 2005. The National priorities and measures include the review of current legislation and necessary reforms, the incorporation of biodiversity into the daily routine of administration, trade, industry and all economic activities, the maintenance and use of biodiversity at the local and regional level, the presence of in-situ and ex-situ conservation, the regulation of non-native species and genetically modified organisms, the ownership of and access to genetic material and the protection of the status of indigenous people... More »

Implementation of the Convention

Measures Taken to Achieve the 2010 Target

Several measures have been taken to achieve the 2010 target, such as the creation of the Natura 2000 network, the establishment of the Forestry and Agriculture Genetic Resources Board, and the creation of the FIBRE research project to assess the viability, biodiversity and conservation prospects of small populations such as dragonflies, sticky catchly (Lychnis viscaria) and hunting spiders (Lycosa sp... More »

Initiatives in Protected Areas

In 1996, the Finnish government’s ministerial economic policy committee approved a nature conservation funding programme for 1996-2007, with money earmarked for the implementation of conservation programmes, land acquisition for the State, and compensation for landowners. In 2003 the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) launched a study to evaluate the status of Finnish biotopes, which will result in a Red list of Finland’s threatened biotopes, due to be published in 2007... More »

Initiatives for Article 8(j)

The indigenous Sami Parliament is a member in the Finnish National Biodiversity Committee and its monitoring group. Financial support is provided for reporting on national measures and for cooperation with the SCBD according to the Artic report 2005. Finland co-finances the GEF´s ECORA-project, whose aim is to apply the ecosystem approach to conserve biodiversity in three model areas inhabited by indigenous peoples in Russian Arctic... More »

National Contacts

Full details of national contacts »

Convention on Biological Diversity

Ms. Marina von Weissenberg	CBD Primary NFP, SBSTTA NFP
His Excellency Kaarlo Arnold M. Murto	CBD Secondary NFP
Mr. Jukka-Pekka Jäppinen	CHM NFP
Ms. Eija Kemppainen	GSPC NFP
Mr. Kari Lahti	Protected Areas NFP
Dr. Katileena Lohtander-Buckbee	ICNP ABS NFP (ONLY)
Dr. Leif Schulman	GTI NFP, GSPC NFP

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Ms. Kirsi Törmäkangas	BCH NFP
Mrs. Pirkko Kivelä	Cartagena Protocol Primary NFP