Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB)

Reserves for sustainable development The main resources of western • Nature. An international recognized landscape which includes a protected coast by a wide archipelago, fjords and high mountains. A great climatic and ecologic gradient from the ocean to the mountains. Many traditional culture landscapes are still in production. • Water. has an oceanic climate and receive the major part of rain within the country. Norway is the 6th largest hydro power producer globally and the largest in Europe. • Fish. Western Norway has large resources of pelagic fish. Norway is the largest aquaculture producer in Europe. The next largest export income of the country. • Oil. A large European producer of oil and gas. Biosphere reserve of Nordhordland

Resource profile from the oil field Troll on the continental shelf through the coast- and fiord landscape to the top of the alpine area of the mountains of Stølsheimen 1300 m.o.h. Representative of the resources and landscapes of the coastal Western Norway The outer coastal area Heathlands at the coast

• MAB Fjord-, forest and valleys

• MAB Summer farms in Stølsheimen 2010 Alpine landscape 1300moh How coastal Norway cope with challenges

• Oil drilling versus fishing. • Aquaculture versus fish diseases, genetic change, escapes, pollution. • Development of the coastal zone versus protection. • Hydro power development versus nature and culture conservation. • The consequences of industrialism for changing the population’s identity and traditional use of their resources. How Nordhordland try to produce greener energy

• Hydro power production within the mountains produce all energy for the city of and suburbs (400 000). • The oil refinery at Mongstad is Norway’s largest refinery. Connected to the refinery is an advanced test centre for Carbon capture and storage (TCM). Great development through 40years • Untill1970 Nordhordland was regarded as a region with less resources than most other regions in the county of . • The oil refinery at Mongstad started 1974, and sold oil for 15 billion € in 2007. • An «explosive» improvement of the infrastructure of Nordhordland. • An area of migration, many new companies and places of employment. • Difficult public regional economy and private rise to wealth.

The loser: Farming: abandonment of farms, the landscapes become overgrown. The coastal heathlands Æ forest

Lynghei 1971 2005 Nordhordland meet UNESCO’s demands for protected areas

The steep farm Havrå at Osterøy is protected. Nordhordland is rich in traditional buildings within all landscape types, and the traditional culture landscape is well maintained in many areas. Several museums are important information channels and disseminators of the tradi- tional society and cultural life. There are two large protected areas: The landscape preservation area Stølsheimen (377 km2) and a new marine preservation area Lurefjorden and Lindåsosane (74 km2). In addition a series smaller areas scattered around within the different landscape types. The role of BergenUniversity within MAB • Within all MAB reserves the universities play an active role by research, teaching and dissemination to support the work of the local society to lead the progress towards a more sustainable direction. • Nordhordland is a very interesting research area for a wide range of subjects and prblems for discussion – from

research on CO2-pollution, via marine and terrestrial biology to society changes and juridical research on the management of the natural resources. • Bergen university will cooperate with the region of Nordhordland by the development of an application to UNESCO and by increasing the activity of research, teaching and dissemination within the Biosphere reserve.