The HELCOM Copenhagen Declaration: A Regional Environmental Approach for Safer Shipping

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-395
Author(s):  
Peter Ehlers ◽  
Anne Christine Brusendorff
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Environmental Risks ◽  
Maritime Transportation ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Maritime Safety ◽  
The Past ◽  
Maritime Traffic ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
Helsinki Commission ◽  
The Baltic

AbstractPrevention of pollution from maritime traffic has been a major item for the Baltic Sea States since the beginning of their environmental co-operation in the 1970s. To ensure maritime safety in the Baltic Sea region, which is well-known for its narrow straits, shallow depths and archipelago areas, the Helsinki Commission has decided on a great number of measures during the past 20 years. In the last decade maritime transportation has been growing steadily, reflecting the intensified cooperation in the Baltic Sea region and a prospering economy which also leads to growing environmental risks. This was manifested again on 29 March 2001 with the Baltic Carrier accident. The Helsinki Commission promptly reacted by holding an extraordinary meeting on the request of the Danish Government on 10 September 2001 in Copenhagen. At the meeting, the Contracting Parties, represented through the ministers responsible for maritime transportation and the environment, and a representative from the EC agreed on a package of measures, further described below.

scholarly journals Sea Level Dynamics and Coastal Erosion in the Baltic Sea Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Weisse ◽  
Inga Dailidiene ◽  
Birgit Hünicke ◽  
Kimmo Kahma ◽  
Kristine Madsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
The Past ◽  
Coastline Change ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. There are a large number of geophysical processes affecting sea level dynamics and coastal erosion in the Baltic Sea region. These processes operate on a large range of spatial and temporal scales and are observed in many other coastal regions worldwide. Together with the outstanding number of long data records, this makes the Baltic Sea a unique laboratory for advancing our knowledge on interactions between processes steering sea level and erosion in a climate change context. Processes contributing to sea level dynamics and coastal erosion in the Baltic Sea include the still ongoing visco-elastic response of the Earth to the last deglaciation, contributions from global and North Atlantic mean sea level changes, or from wind waves affecting erosion and sediment transport along the subsiding southern Baltic Sea coast. Other examples are storm surges, seiches, or meteotsunamis contributing primarily to sea level extremes. All such processes have undergone considerable variations and changes in the past. For example, over the past about 50 years, the Baltic absolute (geocentric) mean sea level rose at a rate slightly larger than the global average. In the northern parts, due to vertical land movements, relative sea level decreased. Sea level extremes are strongly linked to variability and changes in the large-scale atmospheric circulation. Patterns and mechanisms contributing to erosion and accretion strongly depend on hydrodynamic conditions and their variability. For large parts of the sedimentary shores of the Baltic Sea, the wave climate and the angle at which the waves approach the nearshore are the dominant factors, and coastline changes are highly sensitive to even small variations in these driving forces. Consequently, processes contributing to Baltic sea level dynamics and coastline change are expected to vary and to change in the future leaving their imprint on future Baltic sea level and coastline change and variability. Because of the large number of contributing processes, their relevance for understanding global figures, and the outstanding data availability, we argue that global sea level research and research on coastline changes may greatly benefit from research undertaken in the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Foreword: Tatars in Finland in the Transnational Context of the Baltic Sea Region

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Sabira Stahlberg ◽  
Sebastian Cwiklinksi
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Past ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
New Research ◽  
The University

The Tatar diaspora in Finland has attracted researchers for over a century, but studies traditionallyfocus on topics such as origins and general Tatar history, religion, identity or language. One of themost important aspects of research on Tatars both historically and today, however, is the transnationalcontext. Migrating from villages in Nizhny Novgorod province, often via the Russian capitalSaint Petersburg at the end of the nineteenth century, the forming Tatar diaspora communities inthe Baltic Sea region maintained, developed and extended their previous networks and also creatednew connections over national borders despite periods of political difficulties. New research aboutTatars in the Baltic Sea region – with the focal point of the Tatars in Finland and their connectionschiefly in Estonia, Russia and Sweden – was presented during a seminar called Tatars in Finland inthe Transnational Context of the Baltic Sea Region at the University of Helsinki in October 2018.Scholars from Finland, Sweden, Russia, Estonia and Hungary spoke about the past and present ofthe diaspora. A result of the seminar, this special issue of Studia Orientalia Electronica is dedicatedto new research on Tatars in a transnational context.

scholarly journals Sea level dynamics and coastal erosion in the Baltic Sea region

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 871-898
Author(s):  
Ralf Weisse ◽  
Inga Dailidienė ◽  
Birgit Hünicke ◽  
Kimmo Kahma ◽  
Kristine Madsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Mean Sea Level ◽  
The Past ◽  
Coastline Change ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. There are a large number of geophysical processes affecting sea level dynamics and coastal erosion in the Baltic Sea region. These processes operate on a large range of spatial and temporal scales and are observed in many other coastal regions worldwide. This, along with the outstanding number of long data records, makes the Baltic Sea a unique laboratory for advancing our knowledge on interactions between processes steering sea level and erosion in a climate change context. Processes contributing to sea level dynamics and coastal erosion in the Baltic Sea include the still ongoing viscoelastic response of the Earth to the last deglaciation, contributions from global and North Atlantic mean sea level changes, or contributions from wind waves affecting erosion and sediment transport along the subsiding southern Baltic Sea coast. Other examples are storm surges, seiches, or meteotsunamis which primarily contribute to sea level extremes. Such processes have undergone considerable variation and change in the past. For example, over approximately the past 50 years, the Baltic absolute (geocentric) mean sea level has risen at a rate slightly larger than the global average. In the northern parts of the Baltic Sea, due to vertical land movements, relative mean sea level has decreased. Sea level extremes are strongly linked to variability and changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation. The patterns and mechanisms contributing to erosion and accretion strongly depend on hydrodynamic conditions and their variability. For large parts of the sedimentary shores of the Baltic Sea, the wave climate and the angle at which the waves approach the nearshore region are the dominant factors, and coastline changes are highly sensitive to even small variations in these driving forces. Consequently, processes contributing to Baltic sea level dynamics and coastline change are expected to vary and to change in the future, leaving their imprint on future Baltic sea level and coastline change and variability. Because of the large number of contributing processes, their relevance for understanding global figures, and the outstanding data availability, global sea level research and research on coastline changes may greatly benefit from research undertaken in the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Cultural types and the perception of current environmental risks by local communities of the Baltic Sea region

Baltic Region ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-107
Author(s):  
Efim S. Fidrya
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Environmental Risks ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Structural Organisation ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Relationship

This work presents findings from research into the relationship between the structural organisation and cultural attitudes of local communities in the Baltic Sea region and the way they perceive environmental risks. The response of the Kaliningrad community to the development of a local potassium and magnesium salt mine is used as an illustration. The article deals with how local communities perceive the image of risks formed and reproduced via various communication channels. The structural context and the context of communication are taken into account. Another focus is on how this perception is affected by the type of community members’ cultural attitudes (according to Mary Douglas’s grid/group model). The space of categorical variables obtained through multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) aids in clustering the cases (respondents) as well as in testing theoretical assumptions for compliance with the findings. The communicative practices characteristic of all the clusters (classes of cases) are examined; the relationship between the structural organisation of groups, their cultural attitudes, their perception of environmental risks, and the performance of environmental agencies are explored. An evaluation of the comparative efficiency of different ways and means of risk communication with the identified groups is made. It is concluded that the proposed model is methodologically promising and there is a need for differentiated risk-communication strategies.

Tracing the SW border of the Svecofennian Domain in the Baltic Sea region: evidence from petrology and geochronology from a granodioritic migmatite

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgenia Salin ◽  
Jeremy Woodard ◽  
Krister Sundblad
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Short Distance ◽  
Sedimentary Cover ◽  
Crystalline Basement ◽  
Drill Core ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
Drill Site ◽  
Southwestern Margin ◽  
The Baltic

AbstractGeological investigations of a part of the crystalline basement in the Baltic Sea have been performed on a drill core collected from the depth of 1092–1093 m beneath the Phanerozoic sedimentary cover offshore the Latvian/Lithuanian border. The sample was analyzed for geochemistry and dated with the SIMS U–Pb zircon method. Inherited zircon cores from this migmatized granodioritic orthogneiss have an age of 1854 ± 15 Ma. Its chemical composition and age are correlated with the oldest generation of granitoids of the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt (TIB), which occur along the southwestern margin of the Svecofennian Domain in the Fennoscandian Shield and beneath the Phanerozoic sedimentary cover on southern Gotland and in northwestern Lithuania. It is suggested that the southwestern border of the Svecofennian Domain is located at a short distance to the SW of the investigated drill site. The majority of the zircon population shows that migmatization occurred at 1812 ± 5 Ma, with possible evidence of disturbance during the Sveconorwegian orogeny.

scholarly journals Variation of growth and phenology traits in poplars planted in clonal trials in Northern Europe—implications for breeding

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anneli Adler ◽  
Almir Karacic ◽  
Ann-Christin Rönnberg Wästljung ◽  
Ulf Johansson ◽  
Kaspars Liepins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Populus Trichocarpa ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Volume Index ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Bud Burst ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
European Climate ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic

AbstractThe increased demand for wood to replace oil-based products with renewable products has lifted focus to the Baltic Sea region where the environment is favorable for woody biomass growth. The aim of this study was to estimate broad-sense heritabilities and genotype-by-environment (G×E) interactions in growth and phenology traits in six climatically different regions in Sweden and the Baltics. We tested the hypothesis that both bud burst and bud set have a significant effect on the early growth of selected poplar clones in Northern Europe. Provenance hybrids of Populus trichocarpa adapted to the Northern European climate were compared to reference clones with adaptation to the Central European climate. The volume index of stemwood was under low to medium genetic control with heritabilities from 0.22 to 0.75. Heritabilities for phenology traits varied between 0.31 and 0.91. Locally chosen elite clones were identified. G×E interactions were analyzed using pairwise comparisons of the trials. Three different breeding zones for poplars between the latitudes of 55° N and 60° N in the Baltic Sea Region were outlined. The studied provenance hybrids with origin from North America offer a great possibility to broaden the area with commercial poplar plantations in Northern Europe and further improve the collection of commercial clones to match local climates. We conclude that phenology is an important selection criterion after growth.

scholarly journals Boosting urban health and well-being through cross-sectoral cooperation

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Liinamo ◽  
K Matinheikki-Kokko ◽  
I Gobina ◽  
A Villeruša
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract In the future, health promotion would require developed strategies that lead to stronger cross-sectoral cooperation. Cross-sectoral cooperation enables the integration of fragmented resources and competencies, which benefit service solutions for urban health. Healthy Boost “Urban Labs for Better Health for All in the Baltic Sea Region”, funded by the EU Interreg Baltic Sea Region -program, aims to develop the Model for cross-sectoral cooperation, which will be tested in the cities of the Baltic Sea Region during 2020-21. The self-assessment tool for cross-sectoral cooperation was developed, and the self-assessment among the nine cities in seven countries from the Baltic Sea Region was conducted in 2019. The results indicated to what extent the staff (n = 329) in the cities have recognized the cross-sectoral cooperation for health and wellbeing as strategically crucial in their policies, communication, and in the design of their organizational functions. The daily practices were evaluated in terms of how systematically cities have implemented cross-sector actions for health and wellbeing. The biggest challenges for cooperating across sectors for the cities were coordination and systematic identification of the community needs for health promotion. The cooperative actions were less systematic than expected in the strategic approach. The variation among respondents' assessments was high within the cities that lead to a conclusion about existing gaps in coordination, communication, and leadership of cross-sectoral work within the cities. The Likert type self-assessment measurement was statistically reliable in both strategic and operational dimensions of cooperation. Key messages Evaluation and measurements are needed to identify cross-sectoral actions to health and well-being. The evidence-based Model developed in the Healthy Boost project will guide partners towards systematic cross-sectoral cooperation processes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document