Combining Social and Ecological Sustainability in the Nordic Forest Periphery

• Published in: Sociologia Ruralis
• Main Author: Rannikko, Pertti
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1999
• Subjects: karelian
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00115; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2F1467-9523.00115; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1467-9523.00115

The growth of environmental consciousness has set challenges to the development of remote rural areas dependent on the exploitation of forest and other natural resources. The ecological modernization perspective seems to be leading to a simple disregard for the problems of societal development in these areas. The northern forests are considered to be the ‘lungs of Europe’ and a storehouse of biodiversity. The perspective of sustainable development attaches greater attention to the incomes of the local residents and functionality of communities. The article stresses that social sustainability must be taken seriously in contemplating the use of natural resources in remote rural areas and in resolving environmental problems. The empirical subject of the article is the North Karelian Biosphere Reserve. There is an appraisal of ways of using natural resources on the reserve, which are both conducive to maintaining employment and ecologically friendly. Utilization of natural resources as well as the strengthening of conservation interests have been significant supra‐local actors. Thus, is it important that biosphere reserve operations attract actors from various regional levels.