City wins best deed award in biodiversity competition
The 550-year-old City of Espoo in Southern Finland was awarded the 2009 award for biodiversity by the Minister of the Environment, Paula Lehtomäki. To celebrate its 550th anniversary, the City has decided to protect a 550-hectares forested area which covers three per cent of the total area of Espoo.
The growing involvement of local authorities in the management and conservation of biodiversity is once more recognized by the result of the 2009 Countdown 2010 competition in Finland. Although the loss of biodiversity is a global concern, the role of local actors is fundamental to ensure tangible measures are taken.
Minister Paula Lehtomäki underlined that “If a city in the densely-populated Southern Finland can do this, it surely is an inspiration for other municipalities in Finland to strive for similar solutions”, said Lehtomäki. “The protection decision is an innovative and concrete way of combining decision-making, human needs and environmental issues”.
The jury consisting of representatives of the IUCN Finnish National Committee emphasised the importance of protecting forests in Southern Finland where the share of protected areas is lower than in other parts of the country. The decision by the City of Espoo leaves an immeasurable, priceless and everlasting legacy for future generations that can be enjoyed by the present generation.
The Countdown 2010 competition is organized in Finland every two years by IUCN Finnish National Committee. The first competition was held during Finland’s EU Presidency in autumn 2006. The successful natural landscaping of a former dump and landfill site stood out as the clear winner of the 2007 Countdown competition.
