Bergen, Norway
City population: 259360
Duration: 2008 – 2015
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Other
Last updated: October 2021

Haukåsvassdraget is a vulnerable watercourse threatened by urban development and water run-offs from agriculture. The intervention included local use of surface water based on principles such as retention and infiltration, retaining and using the natural watercourses. The plan involved restoring the meandering river courses, ponds and pools and safeguarding the rich biodiversity and the landscape qualities linked to the Haukås watercourse and adjacent marshlands. The Haukås marshland park, combined with modern local handling of surface water, aims to prevent flooding in the development areas at Haukås and to improve the aesthetics of the area. (Ref. 1)

Haukås 1
Source: https://naturvernforbundet.no/hordaland/hordaland/nyheter/naturgledetur-elvemuslingen-mot-strommen-byens-eldste-innbygger-article33856-1485.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
  • Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Focus

Ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Project objectives

The NBS’s goals were to: - Protect the biological diversity connected to the landscape of the Haukås marshlands and adjacent wetlands. (Ref. 3) - Ensure that the area was suitable for recreation, outdoor life, and physical activity. (Ref. 3) - Promote the preservation of cultural heritage along the watercourse. (Ref. 3) - Obtain a "good ecological status" for the Haukås Marshlands by 2015. (Ref. 3) - Maintain water balance within the capacity of the catchment (Ref. 4, 5) - Recover water quality within the catchment so that it had appropriate living conditions for regional flora and fauna (Ref. 4, 5) - Incorporate a physically natural design for the waterways (Ref. 4, 5) - Stop the supply of sewage and runoff from agriculture (Ref. 4, 5)

Implementation activities

- Opened up waterways for stormwater management (Ref. 3) - Establishment of a wetland park, including retention and water-cleaning ponds. (Ref. 3) - Establishment of fishing ladder by Hylkjestemma. (Ref. 3) - Restored habitat for river mussel (Ref. 3) - Mapped sources of pollutants and stopped sources of pollutants harmful for the environment (Ref. 4,5) - Prepared plan for water management in the waterway (Ref. 4,5) - Avoided harmful activities within a 20 m buffer zone of the waterway (Ref. 4,5) - Mapped out suitable areas for outdoor life and physical activity (Ref. 3) - Mapped cultural heritage along the watercourse (Ref. 4,5) - Establishment of an activity area set out for recreation and outdoor activities around the Haukås waterway. (Ref. 3)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The City of Bergen is the main initiator for this project. (Ref. 1,3) The initiative was also connected to the EU project MARE, focusing on climate adaptation and flood risk reduction (Ref. 8). Funds were set aside by the Green Agency and the Water and Sewerage Authority. (Ref. 3)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (European Flooding Directive (Ref. 1,8))
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Management Plan of the Waterways in Bergen (City of Bergen 2007), (Ref. 6))

Financing

Total cost

€500,000 - €2,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • EU funds
  • Public national budget
  • Public local authority budget
  • Unknown

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

No

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. City of Bergen (2010). Water and the life of the city. [Document provided].
2. City of Bergen (2008). Cities of the Future - Cities with the lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions and a good urban environment. [Document provided].
3. City of Bergen (2006). Haukås Marshland Park. Submission to Regulation Plan/Haukås våtmarkspark. Framlegg til Reguleringsplan. Åsane, gnr 199 bnr 10 m.fl., Haukås. Plannummer: 18490000. Urban Development Bergen/Byutvikling Bergen. [Document provided].
4. City of Bergen (2006). The Haukås Waterways. Future development and holistic stormwater management/Haukåsvassdraget. Fremtidig utbygging og helhetlig overvannshåndtering. Bergen kommune/COWI 2006. [Not available in 2020].
5. The Government of Norway (2007). The Haukås Marshlands - Challenges and opportunities/Haukåsvassdraget - utfordringer og muligheter. [Document provided].
6. City of Bergen (2007) Management plan of the waterways of Bergen/Forvaltningsplan - Vassdragene i Bergen. Available at: Source link. [Accessed: 16 October 2020].
7. City of Bergen (2016). Climate and Energy Action plan for Bergen/Klima- og Energihandlingsplan for Bergen. Behandlet av Byråd 26. [Document provided].
8. Bjordal, H. (2016). Restoration of Haukås marshlands. National Water Environment Conference Trondheim/Restaurering av Haukåsvassdraget. Nasjonal vannmiljøkonferanse Trondheim 2. Bergen kommune. [Not available in 2020].
9. Restoring Europe’s Rivers. (2020). Case study: Nursery habitat for the freshwater pearl mussel in Haukåsvassdraget. Wiki page. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 17 October 2020].
Haukås 2
Source: https://www.bergen.kommune.no/omkommunen/planer-i-kommunen/informasjon-om-enkeltplaner/byradsavd-for-klima-miljo-og-byutvikling/forvaltningsplan-for-vassdrag