Norway

Norway is not part of the EU, but as an EEA Member State adopts EU policies within certain domains (nature and energy is excepted, apart from water governance). The governance hierarchy include the national, regional and local level and generally rests on the principles of ministerial responsibility and local self-governance. The county governor (Statsforvalter) has an important role in following up national policies at the regional level.

Climate change is affecting Norway’s regions differently due to a very diverse geography with the world’s second longest coastline and high variations in precipitation between the coastal and inland regions. It also includes polar climate zones and the island of Svalbard. Norway’s strategy for climate adaptation is based on the principle that the actor responsible for a task or function that will be affected by climate change is responsible for adaptation. The different authorities responsible for sectors (such as environment, health and justice and preparedness) are thus required to assess risks and the need for measures within their sector. The Norwegian environment agency is responsible for coordinating these efforts. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) is the national authority responsible for preventing flood and landslides and mentions NBS in their guidance to flood protection. Local self-government is a strong principle in Norway, and the municipalities have a central role in climate adaptation and nature management.

The responsibility for land use planning lies at the regional and local levels in the county authority (fylkeskommune) and municipalities (kommune), authorized by the national Planning and Building Act. Conservation and protection of nature through protected areas are founded on the Nature Diversity Act which also provides provisions and principles for the sustainable management and use of ecosystems. While Norway does not implement EU policies on biodiversity, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is transposed into national legislation in the Water regulation (‘Vannforskriften’). This is an important tool for ensuring ecosystem-based and coordinated water management and provides opportunities for NBS as it requires the implementation of measures to reach targets for good ecological status of water bodies. To facilitate coordinated water management following the WFD and Water regulation, Norway is divided into several river basin districts. The river basin districts are administered by the county authority and provide water management plans and programmes of measures which are implemented locally in the river sub-basin districts with the municipalities in a central role. Norway also has large marine areas with marine management plans as strategies for ecosystem-based and sustainable management and use. While Norway has not adopted the Marine Spatial Planning Directive, an ecosystem-based management of marine ecosystems have been implemented through Ocean Management Plans in Norway. As only three per cent of Norway’s total area is arable land, soil conservation is a key principle in the agriculture policy. Norway is not part of the EU common agriculture policy, and agricultural subsidies and measures are negotiated between the state and central farmers’ unions, including a climate agreement. Different agri-environmental measures are promoted through regulations and funding schemes on regional and local level.

In 2018, Norway adopted a central government planning guideline for climate and energy planning and climate adaptation, founded on the Planning and Building Act. It which requires that conservation, restoration and NBS should be considered by the state, county authorities and municipalities in climate adaptation planning and justify why it has not been considered – if that is the case.

The NBS concept is becoming more familiar in Norway on all governance levels, and it is often mentioned in several recent white papers. Both the White Paper on climate change adaptation and the action plan on nature protection and biodiversity highlights the role of NBS and the authorities pledge to contribute to increased knowledge, tools and guidance on NBS. Knowledge about effects and costs related to use of NBS for flood and landslide protection is also a focus area in the white paper “A safer future – prepared for flood and landslides”.

The Biodiversity Act represents a comprehensive framework for the preservation and promotion of biological diversity in Norway. It emphasizes the integration of biodiversity considerations into all policies and decision-making processes, requiring collaboration among various sectors and levels of government. The legislation specifies that decisions affecting biodiversity must be based on knowledge and the precautionary principle.

The Norwegian Environment Agency administers several grant schemes related to climate adaptation and nature restoration that can support NBS, including grants for nature restoration and environmental measures for water bodies.

Christensen, T., Lægreid, O. M., & Lægreid, P. (2019). Administrative coordination capacity; does the wickedness of policy areas matter?. Policy and Society, 38(2), 237-254. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2019.1584147

Miljødirektoratet. (2024). Klimatilpasning 2024 – 2028: Strategi og handlingsplan for Miljødirektoratets resultatområder. Rapport, M-2682. https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/publikasjoner/2024/januar-2024/klimatilpasning-2024--2028/

Sander, G. (2023). European approaches support an essential definition of ecosystem-based management and demonstrate its implementation for the oceans. Ocean Development & International Law, 54(4), 421-447. https://doi.org/10.1080/00908320.2023.2301105