Two thirds of Norway’s coast is accessible to the public

Norway TodayPicture from Bærum city.Photo Norway Today Media

A third of the Norwegian coastal zone is affected by human activity, but there are large regional differences. The coastal zone along the Oslo Fjord is least accessible.

 

The part of the coastal zone that is considered as not accessible to the public includes mainly areas affected by buildings, but also agricultural land, roads and train lines. In order to protect the coastal zone and to reduce pressure on land resources due to construction, the government issued new planning guidelines in 2011.

The coastal zone along the Oslo Fjord, which includes the counties Akershus, Oslo and Buskerud, is least accessible in Norway. Only 30 per cent is open to the public, and about 60 per cent is affected by buildings. Here we also see the largest decrease in accessible coastal zone in recent years.

The coastal zone in Southern Norway is less affected by human activity than the Oslo Fjord area, but pressure on land resources due to construction is still high. Nearly half of the coastal zone is considered accessible, but about a third is affected by buildings.

By comparison, the west coast and the North of Norway has less pressure on land resources due to construction activity. Along the west coast, about 75 per cent of the coastal zone is accessible. However, nearly a third of this is considered too steep for outdoor activity.

 

Source: SSB / Norway Today