A joint programme involving five ELY areas with the aim of achieving the rural, environmental and climate goals in the Finnish Lake District

MDI, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Institute Finland, implemented a process for the development of the Finnish Lake District’s Rural Environment and Climate Programme which supports the selection of rural development priorities for ELY Centres in the Finnish Lake District for the programme period 2021–2027. The ELY Centres of North Karelia, North Savo, Central Finland, Southeast Finland and South Savo were involved in the preparation of the programme. The joint programme of the five ELY Centres supports the intensification of cooperation between rural and environmental actors across provincial borders.

The programme focuses on the Vuoksi and Kymijoki river basins which cover about a quarter of Finland’s agricultural land and more than half of Finland’s inland waterways. Waterways are at the heart of the programme in many ways. The programme will also examine the maintenance and promotion of biodiversity, the objectives and measures relating to carbon sequestration and the effects of the climate and the conditions for profitable economic activity and rural life. The broad subject matter is reflected in the cross-administrative and enabling nature of the programme.

The recent Environment and Climate Programme lists concrete measures for the following objectives:

• The water status of the Finnish Lake District will remain good or at least improve to a good level
• The Finnish Lake District will become carbon neutral
• The biodiversity of the Finnish Lake District will be maintained or increased
• Responsible and profitable business and sustainable living will increase