The development and management of infrastructure needs to be done in collaboration with nature - and go hand in hand with the Sami villages' ability to conduct reindeer herding. On behalf of the Swedish Transport Administration, Ecogain has therefore investigated how the Swedish Transport Administration can improve the fencing system along the E4 through Västerbotten and Norrbotten counties.
- We have worked in close and good cooperation with Sami villages, hunting and wildlife management stakeholders and the Swedish Transport Administration to find sustainable solutions that benefit reindeer herding, biodiversity and infrastructure. Together we have really been able to create an overall picture of the route and a clear way forward," says Åsa Karlberg, project manager at Ecogain.
Important knowledge base to support sustainable decisions
The result of the study is detailed proposals for passages and measures on fences and gates that will create conditions for both good accessibility and sustainable reindeer husbandry.
- The measures proposed by the study are necessary to enable long-term sustainable reindeer husbandry, limit the barrier effects for reindeer and wildlife and to improve accessibility and traffic safety on the E4. "The study has provided an important knowledge base and a better picture of what measures are needed," explains Nina Rovala, project manager for the study at Trafikverket Nord.
Read the report in full
The study has been ongoing for 1.5 years and covers a distance of about 45 miles - from Nordmaling in the south to Haparanda in the north. You can read the report Study: E4 - fences and passages for reindeer and wildlife on the Swedish Transport Administration's website.
