Mitigating diffuse nitrogen losses in the Nordic-Baltic countries

Abstract

Concerns over deteriorating water quality in both freshwater and marine waters have initiated effortsto control diffuse nitrogen (N) losses in all Nordic-Baltic countries. The national strategies for combatingdiffuse nitrogen losses including selection of mitigation measures, areal extent of measures and incentivesfor farmers to use the measures differ between the Nordic-Baltic countries. Effects of legislation andother incentives to change agricultural practices and hence to reduce N losses from agriculture are firstobserved by monitoring close to the source of these losses. Consequently, all Nordic-Baltic countrieshave set up monitoring programmes including small agriculturally dominated catchments where inputs,outputs and loss of N are followed closely at plot, field and/or catchment scale. We explore the connectionbetween political decisions and regulations, provide an overview of measures and incentives used in theNordic-Baltic countries, and assess the effect of the measures based on data from national monitoringprogrammes.