Researchers Katharina Heinrich and Paula Tulppo from the Arctic Centre. Photo: Pihla Mensonen.

The TRANSNATURE project includes four case studies about transboundary cooperation between Spain and Portugal, Italy and Slovenia, Netherland and Belgium, and Finland, Sweden and Norway. Three other partner institutions are The Institute for Comparative Federalism at Eurac Research in Italy (lead institution), The Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain and Ghent University in Belgium.

Researchers of the Arctic Centre, Katharina Heinrich, Paula Tulppo, Sanna Kopra and Nuccio Mazzullo, participate in the project with the case study Baltic to Barents. Among the partner institutions, this case study gives the project an interdisciplinary research focus. Baltic to Barents includes anthropology, administrative science and legal science. The governance aspect is the main lens that is used in this case study.

Bringing stakeholder’s voice to the forefront

The region for Baltic to Barents includes the River Tornionjoki river basin between Finland and Sweden, Háldi Transboundary Area between Finland and Norway and Pasvik-Inari Park between the eastern border of Finland and Norway.

“All these examples have different ecological features, but the cultural and social values and the value of nature itself are similar”, Heinrich explains.

“We look at the governance mechanisms in these areas, how they are working and how people see governance mechanisms related to biodiversity conservation. We are having interviews with different stakeholders, who are involved in governance mechanisms in these areas”, Tulppo continues.


Researchers of the project in Tarragona.

Some preliminary findings have already been made. Even though these regions are different and there is a geographic disconnection to some extent, there are a lot of similarities in how people think about nature.

The researchers have noticed that no matter which side of the border people are, they seem to have similar understanding of what are the challenges but also what the good things about transboundary collaboration are. People on the ground really value these collaborations and think it is very needed for the sake of conservation of biodiversity.

The collaboration is easier because these regions have a common environment, and they work under the same international agreements.

“There might be some differences in the governance structures, but I think they are functioning quite similarly at the local level. The goals for biodiversity conservation are the same in each country”, says Heinrich.

According to the researchers, the project shows how geopolitical topics influence the relationship between countries. Nature is not restricted by borders as they are created by humans.

“This is why it is very important that transboundary collaboration for the conservation of biodiversity really works. The collaboration seems to work at least in our case, but it is good to look at it ever now and then to see how it could be embowered and what could be done differently”, Tulppo adds.


Funding of the project:
Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership under the 2021-2022 BiodivProtect joint call for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission (GA N°101052342) and with the funding organizations, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen - South Tyrol, the Academy of Finland, the Agenda Estatal de Investigación, and the Research Foundation Flanders.

Timeline for the project: 1/2023-2/2026


More information:
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland

Katharina Heinrich, Junior Researcher
katharina.heinrich@ulapland.fi

Paula Tulppo, Researcher
paula.tulppo@ulapland.fi

Nuccio Mazzullo, Senior Researcher
nuccio.mazzullo@ulapland.fi

Sanna Kopra, Research Professor and Team Leader
sanna.kopra@ulapland.fi