Forests cover vast areas of these landscapes and are vital not only for local economies but also for the social and cultural fabric of the region. They provide multiple benefits, including supporting biodiversity, supplying raw materials, and delivering essential ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, which helps mitigate climate change on a global scale.
As climate change accelerates, forests in the Nordic and Baltic countries are becoming increasingly vulnerable to rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, pests, pathogens, and biodiversity loss. Beyond the economic value of forest products— which can replace non-renewable resources through the sustainable and circular use of wood-based materials— the social importance of forests is also growing. However, managing these forests presents challenges. It requires balancing the provision of ecosystem services and public access while also halting biodiversity decline and ensuring economic viability for forest owners.
Forest management involves a complex balancing act: delivering ecosystem services, safeguarding biodiversity, supporting equitable public access, and remaining economically sustainable for forest owners. Recognizing this, the Joint Nordic-Baltic Initiative on Sustainable Futures of Forests emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach—one that integrates environmental sustainability, economic growth, and the protection of forests as vital social and cultural assets.
The call for proposals 'Sustainable Futures of Forests' is being announced as a collaboration between the Research Council of Finland; Formas – the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning; the Research Council of Norway; the Estonian Research Council; the Latvian Council of Science; the Research Council of Lithuania; and NordForsk.
Call Committee
- Anne-Christine Ritschkoff, chair
- Margit Suuroja, Estonian Research Council
- Harri Hautala, Research Council of Finland
- Lisa Westholm, FORMAS
- Lubova Tihomirova, Latvian Council of Science
- Rune Groven, Research Council of Norway
- Laura Kostelnickienė, Research Council of Lithuania
Funding partners
Research Council of Norway
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Research Council of Finland
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Estonian Research Council
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Research Council of Lithuania
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Research Council of Latvia
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NordForsk
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