FRESHABIT – Healing the Kingdom of Water

Natural and cultural values of waters as well as recreational opportunities they offer form the basis of our water heritage. Preserving this water heritage requires the co-operation across the boundaries set by the people. Current and past human activities, including agriculture and forestry, peat extraction, the channelization for timber floating, and damming of waterways have reduced the diversity of aquatic habitats and caused eutrophication. Since, in most cases, the deterioration of ecosystems is due to a range of interacting background factors, reversing the trend will require comprehensive measures in catchment areas and water systems as well.

The exceptionally long-term Freshabit LIFE IP project, which will last almost seven years, accommodates a wide variety of practical measures and involves the creation of common practices across the organisational levels of a range of actors. The coordinating beneficiary is Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland.