Norway: Better stewardship of the coast

Better stewardship of the coast

The fragile beauty of the coast of Agder in Norway is better protected now, while also keeping the coastal landscapes open to tourists. Ideas from Spain and Italy showed the local communities how to improve the stewardship of their coastal heritage.

The project ‘Management of heritage in coastal landscapes’ (HERICOAST) tackles the challenges to cultural heritage in maritime and fluvial regions. Eight partners from six countries have worked together on solutions to better balance the use of the coastal landscapes with their preservation. The Agder County Council developed the project with its European partners to improve the public management of the coastal heritage of two counties and several municipalities in Norway. The Council looked for new ideas on how to engage all the key stakeholders in the management of these heritage assets, which are under intense pressure from recreational development.

243,211

ERDF The Council initiated a project ‘Ports as destinations’, inspired by practices from Spain, to improve collaboration among all the different institutions involved in managing Agder’s coastal heritage. Thanks also to a good practice from Italy, the ‘Ports as destinations’ has now developed into a three-year project bringing together the local communities and public authorities on the Agder coast. They received local funding of 243,210 euros to support their conservation and development activities.

The environment along the coast of Agder, with its fragile biodiversity and highly attractive landscapes, is now being preserved for the future.

Images © Kåre Kristiansen - Agder County Council

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