Land use - Why care? (Norway)

Nearly 80 per cent of the population lives in urban settlements where population density is over 1000 times the national average. The productive agricultural and forest areas surrounding densely built-up areas are therefore under considerable pressure. But land use is changing in many sparsely settled areas too, as a result of road construction, the building of vacation homes, the construction of power lines, and so on.

Land is a limited resource, and the way land is used is important in terms of economic and environmental effects. It also affects people’s lives. Changes in land use result in changes in the cultural landscape and the local environment. This may impact on human health and the quality of life, as well as the productivity and ecological qualities of the natural environment. Changes in land-use is the single greatest threat to biological diversity.