Business-oriented action plan for Sudden Large-scale Forest Damages
The Interreg Aurora funded project SLFD – Business-oriented action plan for Sudden Large-scale Forest Damages project addresses climate change and the increasing risk of sudden, large-scale forest damage in the Interreg Aurora programme area. Increasing storms, droughts, fires, pests and pathogens threaten forest ecosystems, forest-based livelihoods and regional economies.
The aim of the SLFD project is to improve preparedness for extensive and sudden forest damage through cross-border cooperation between between Finland and Sweden. The project focuses especially on situations where large-scale forest damage has already occurred. In this context, large-scale forest damage refers to an event that disrupts timber markets at the regional level. In other words, the project does not focus on managing damage within a single forest property or a limited number of holdings; rather, the damage must have broader impacts on forestry.
The target group within the project is authorities, research organizations, and forestry sector stakeholders work together while taking ecological, social, and economic sustainability into account. The cooperation will result in a joint action plans in Finnish and in Swedish for managing and responding to large-scale forest damage. The project will develop sustainable forest management models and value chains while strengthening cross-border cooperation and sustainable development across the Interreg Aurora programme area in Finland and Sweden (Merenkurkun alue, Kvarken region). Cross-border collaboration is an essential part of the project. In addition, consulting forestry practitioners and other stakeholders is an important part in the preparing of the preparedness plans.
Contact
Risto Lauhanen, Project manager, Seinäjoen Ammattikorkeakoulu, risto.lauhanen@seamk.fi
Kari Laasasenaho, Deputy project manager, Seinäjoen Ammattikorkeakoulu, kari.laasasenaho@seamk.fi
