Forests are vital for our environment and economy, especially in the Nordic and Baltic countries. However, they face increasing pressure from climate change and competing land uses. The RE-FOREST project brings together experts from Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, and Norway to tackle these challenges. Our goal is to improve our understanding of how forest management affects water resources and to find sustainable solutions for the future. We will use a powerful computer model called SWAT+ to simulate forest growth, water flow, and pollution levels at stand and catchment scales. By enhancing this model and creating detailed scenarios for each country, we aim to provide practical tools for decision-makers.
RE-FOREST will:
- Develop a better version of the SWAT+ model to accurately represent Nordic-Baltic forests.
- Create country-specific models to explore the impacts of different forest management strategies on water resources under present and future climate conditions
- Make all our data and findings openly available to everyone.
- Publish our research in top scientific journals.
- Organize workshops and training for young scientists.
- Share our results with the public through conferences, social media, and local events.
The expected impact of this project will be the following:
- Our work will contribute to protecting aquatic and forest ecosystems under changing conditions.
- We'll provide tools for sustainable forest management in the face of climate change.
- Our research will inform European environmental policies.
- We'll strengthen collaboration among Nordic and Baltic researchers.
- We'll contribute to global knowledge on protecting water resources and forest conservation.
RE-FOREST is committed to ensuring that the Nordic and Baltic regions can enjoy the benefits of resilient forests and healthy waters for generations to come.
