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275508
Considerable expansions of nature reserve area
statistikk
2016-12-21T08:00:00.000Z
Nature and the environment;Svalbard
en
arealvern, Protected areas, national parks, nature reserves, landscape preservation areas, conservation, biotope protection, cultural monuments, Cultural Heritage Act, Nature Diversity Act, Svalbard Environmental Protection ActArea , Nature and the environment, Nature and the environment, Svalbard
false
The statistics describe number and size to protected areas by Nature Diversity Act, Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, and Act of Jan Mayen. The protected areas are divided into 4 categories: National parks, Nature reserves, Landscape protection areas and other protections.

Protected areas, 2014-2015

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Considerable expansions of nature reserve area

Both the number and size of nature reserve areas had å considerable increase in 2015. Approximately 240 km2 was protected in 2015, distributed by new or expansions of existing nature reserve area. As much as 58 new nature reserve areas were established, all on the mainland.

Statistics by area. Areas protected - Nature Diversity Act, Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and the Act of Jan Mayen, 31.December12Published 21 December 2016
2015
The main land12Svalbard og Jan Mayen1
Protected area (km²)Number of protected areasProtected area (km²)Number of protected areas
1Jan Mayen consist of one nature reserves of 375 km2
2Mainland of Norway including islands, but excluding Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Total55 172.562 86639 875.6730
National parks31 284.923714 369.447
Nature reserves6 254.512 16425 492.5022
Landscape protected areas17 245.711980.000
Other protections387.4246713.731

Source: Statistics Norway

The total number of protected areas in Norway now exceeds 2 896, covering more than 95 048 km2 of the land area - equivalent to 25 per cent. Protected areas on the mainland made up 17 per cent, and on Svalbard as much as 65 per cent of the land area. On Jan Mayen, almost 99 per cent of the land area is protected. 

More nature reserve areas

Nature reserves make up more than 31 700 km2 or 8 per cent of the total area in Norway. During 2015, there were 58 new conservations of nature reserves, mostly in counties inland, which results in an increase of approximately 240 km2. Nature reserves on the mainland make up a total of about 6 300 km2, and cover approximately 2 per cent of the area. On Svalbard, the nature reserves cover more than 25 100 km2, and form up to 41 per cent of the group of islands. The most frequently occurring category of conservation form is nature reserve on Svalbard. Jan Mayen has only one nature reserve, although it covers as much as 99 per cent of the land area. 

Expansion of national parks

Overall, national parks increased by approximately 5 km2 in 2015. The expansion was in Blåfjella-Skjækerfjella/Låarte-Skæhkere National Park in North-Trøndelag. 

Of the total protected areas, the national parks make up the largest area, with 45 700 km2, At the end of 2015, the national parks made up 12 per cent of the total area of Norway, and 10 per cent of the land area on the mainland. 

Norway has 44 national parks; 37 on the mainland and 7 on Svalbard. Divided between almost 31 300 km2 on the mainland and approximately 14 400 km2 on Svalbard.