Reduction of Baltic Sea nutrient inputs and allocation of abatement costs within the Baltic Sea catchment

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Fredrik Wulff
  • Christoph Humborg
  • Hans Estrup Andersen
  • Gitte Blicher-Mathiesen
  • Mikołaj Czajkowski
  • Katarina Elofsson
  • Anders Fonnesbech-Wulff
  • Hasler, Berit
  • Bongghi Hong
  • Viesturs Jansons
  • Carl Magnus Mörth
  • James C.R. Smart
  • Erik Smedberg
  • Per Stålnacke
  • Dennis P. Swaney
  • Hans Thodsen
  • Adam Was
  • Tomasz Zylicz

The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) requires tools to simulate effects and costs of various nutrient abatement strategies. Hierarchically connected databases and models of the entire catchment have been created to allow decision makers to view scenarios via the decision support system NEST. Increased intensity in agriculture in transient countries would result in increased nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea, particularly from Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia. Nutrient retentions are high, which means that the nutrient reduction goals of 135 000 tons N and 15 000 tons P, as formulated in the BSAP from 2007, correspond to a reduction in nutrient loadings to watersheds by 675 000 tons N and 158 000 tons P. A costminimization model was used to allocate nutrient reductions to measures and countries where the costs for reducing loads are low. The minimum annual cost to meet BSAP basin targets is estimated to 4.7 billion €.

Original languageEnglish
Book seriesAmbio
Volume43
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)11-25
Number of pages15
ISSN0044-7447
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2014
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Cost minimization, Management, Nitrogen, Nutrient reduction, Phosphorus, Retention

ID: 324692589