Discover the achievements of the 2014-2020 NPA projects

Seven years of cooperation between people, communities, and organisations across thousands of kilometres made a difference in the Northern Periphery and Arctic regions.

Browse the NPA map of results to discover our stories of cooperation. Pick a dot from the map and scroll down to read  about people who have met similar minded colleagues and together found solutions for their shared challenges.

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Citizens join sustainable coastal planning

Piloting participative coastal and marine planning processes in the Westfjords

The Westfjords are a remote part of Iceland. Approximately 6.000 people live in small communities across the peninsula. Once primarily reliant on small-scale fisheries and aquaculture, today the Westfjord witness a growing influx of cruise tourists. The rise in cruise ship arrivals has drawn the interest of various industries to the area, prompting local authorities to enforce coastal and marine planning. Their goal is to promote sustainable utilization of the fjords while safeguarding vulnerable ecological zones.

The COAST project helped to facilitate the discussion around the ongoing coastal and marine planning process by interviewing relevant experts such as planning staff, industry representatives, researchers, and local citizens. Approximately 45 people attended the local public workshop and discussed the future development of the area in line with the UN Sustainable development goals. This event served also as a way of engaging the community with coastal and marine planning. As a result, Westfjord Sustainability Action Plan was developed.

Karen Rau

University Centre of the Westfjords

I am pleased that there is a focus on sparsely populated coastal areas, as often issues impacting remote settlements go unaddressed. The COAST project has made tremendous efforts to incorporate a multi-phase plan to include stakeholders from all levels, including the general public, to provide relevant, informative workshops. These workshops open the dialogue for input from those background voices about the areas of impact. The project then offers a toolkit for future utilization.