Nature protection and biodiversity - Drivers and pressures (Iceland)

The main driving forces are connected to the changes in social, demographic and economic developments. Demographic development may be regarded as a primary driving force, whose effects are, translated through related land-use changes, urbanisation, agriculture, industrial developments and the energy industry.

Ecosystem and habitat degradation by reduced woodland, soil erosion and draining of wetlands by dredging are inherited drivers from past generations in Iceland. Drivers of today are 1) Drivers connected to transport, constructions and utilisation of energy and marine resources, 2) Global drivers as Climate Change, Long-range Transported Contaminants and 3) Drivers connected to red‑listed species and of invasive alien species (1).

References

(1) Biodiversity. Report in Icelandic. http://www.umhverfisraduneyti.is/media/PDF_skrar/liffjolbreytni.pdf