Protected areas

A protected area is an area protected by the Nature Conservation Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and the Jan Mayen Act. Since 2006 areas protected according to the Wildlife act and the Act relating to Salmonids and Fresh-water Fish are also included.

The variables are number and area of protected areas according to delineations in protected area maps and administrative boundaries.

For 2008 areas protected under the Cultural Heritage Act are also included.

Since 2014: areas protected according to the Cultural Heritage Act are not included in the statistics.

From 2018: Statistics expanded to include protected sea areas, protected through the Nature Conservation Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and the Jan Mayen Act. Sea area is defined as all "salt water" (not land or freshwater)  within Norway's territotorial waters  

Standard classification of protected areas:

• National parks, protected by the Nature Conservation Act.
• Landscape protection areas, protected by the Nature Conservation Act.
• Nature reserves, protected by the Nature Conservation Act.
• Other protected areas, consists of flora and fauna protection areas (biotop protections) by the Nature Conservation Act. Since 2006 nature relics with an area protection and biotops protected by the Act relating to Salmonids and Fresh-water Fish and the Wildlife Act have also been included.

Since 2008, areas protected under the Cultural Heritage Act are also included, and are made up of: Archaeological monuments and sites Security zones Cultural environments Listed buildings.

Since 2014: areas protected according to the Cultural Heritage Act are not included in the statistics.

From 2018: Statistics expanded to include protected sea areas, protected through the Nature Conservation Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and the Jan Mayen Act.

Name: Protected areas
Topic: Nature and the environment

Division for Housing, Property, Spatial and Agricultural Statistics

Counties, whole country

Annual

None. The statistics are reported to the Europeiske miljøbyrået (EEA) by the Norwegian Environment Agency after the indikator "Nationally designated protected areas".

Stored by The Norwegian Mapping and Cadastre Authority and the Directorate for Nature Management .

The statistics are related to the Nature Conservation Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and the Jan Mayen Act. The objective of the statistics is to monitor the status and changes of protected natural areas.

Since 2008 the statistics are also related to the Cultural Heritage Act

Since 2014: areas protected according to the Cultural Heritage Act are not included in the statistics.

From 2018: Statistics expanded to include protected sea areas, protected through the Nature Conservation Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and the Jan Mayen Act.

The statistics are mainly used by the public sector as well as for research purposes.

Not relevant

The statistics are related to 00.00.20 Regional.

The Statistics Act of 16 June 1989 § 3.2

Not relevant

The statistics comprise all protected areas pursuant to the Nature Conservation Act, the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act and the Jan Mayen Act.

Since 2006 areas protected according to the Wildlife act and the Act relating to Salmonids and Fresh-water Fish are included.

From 2008 : areas protected according to the Cultural Heritage Act are included.

From 2014: areas protected according to the Cultural Heritage Act are no longer included in the statistics.

From 2018: Statistics expanded to include protected sea areas. 

Map database for protected natural areas from the Directorate for Nature Management (DN) . Map database from the National Mapping Authority.

For 2007 a map database from DN on areas without major infrastructure development, 2003, was also used.

Map database for protected natural areas from the Directorate for Cultural Heritage

Since 2014: areas protected according to the Cultural Heritage Act are not included in the statistics.

From 2018: Statistics expanded to include protected sea areas. 

Full count

Full count based on maps

Control and revision routines related to management and maintenance carried out by The Norwegian Mapping and Cadastre Authority , The Directorate for Nature Management and The Directorate for Cultural Heritage

Based on GIS (Geographical Information System)

Overlay between geo maps of protected areas, Norway's coast line and municipalities. The resulting geo map was used to calculate sum protected area of different types in different municipalities, counties and in total.

Some protected areas belong to several of the five possible protection categories. Total protected area (6th category "All Protection purposes") is therefore smaller than sum protected area for the five categories. .

Not relevant

Not relevant

The statistics from 2002 onwards are based on digital maps and methods. The statistics prior to 2002 are based on manual methods and registers and may therefore be less accurate. The statistics are, however, comparable over time and space.

Numbers for the counties can be found in the StatBank. Summation of the area numbers may cause some discrepancies due to rounding off. Some areas are located in more than one county. Thus the sum of the number in the counties is higher than the total number.

Errors and inaccuracies may occur during the maintenance of map data, or be a result of differences in the accuracy of map data.

Not relevant