Multifunctional Wetlands and Stakeholder Engagement: Lessons from Sweden

This research paper analyzes the implementation of wetland construction and restoration in Sweden's agricultural landscapes. While Sweden aimed to add 12,000 hectares of wetlands between 2000 and 2010, it only achieved 60% of this target. The study identifies that a narrow focus on nutrient retention, combined with insufficient financial compensation for farmers, complex water legislation, and conflicting agency goals, has hindered progress. It argues for a shift toward 'multifunctional wetlands' that provide diverse ecosystem services—such as flood control and irrigation—and recommends a river basin approach to project management to increase stakeholder engagement and ecological effectiveness.

• Sweden failed to meet its national target for wetland expansion between 2000 and 2010, achieving only 60% of the goal to add 12,000 hectares of wetlands in the agricultural landscape.
• While the primary goal of wetland construction in Sweden has been nutrient retention (nitrogen and phosphorus) and biodiversity, wetlands offer a broader range of multifunctional benefits. These include flood risk reduction, irrigation reservoirs, recreation, landscape improvement, fishing and hunting opportunities, and biomass production for biogas.
• Financial support for wetlands is primarily provided through the EU-financed Rural Development Programme (RDP), which offers investment support up to €22,000/ha and annual maintenance support between €165 and €550/ha. Other funding sources include the Marine Environment Grant, municipalities, and NGOs.
• Wetland implementation in Sweden occurs at four levels: individual farmers, organized farmers, municipalities, and County Administrative Boards (CABs). Initiatives led by organized farmers and municipality-led projects using a river basin approach have shown the highest potential for large-scale success, whereas individual farmer initiatives are often weak and scattered.
• Several governance and regulatory barriers hinder progress, including complex water legislation and old drainage permits that require consensus from all members of a drainage project. Additionally, conflicts exist between different national goals, such as the tension between wetland creation and the protection of specific biotopes or fishing interests (e.g., predator fish impacting salmon species).
• Financial incentives are often insufficient to convince farmers to convert productive cropland into wetlands, as RDP payments frequently fail to cover the full loss of income. This is exacerbated by the reduction of agri-environmental payment contracts from 20 years down to 5 years, which increases economic risk for landowners.
• The current regulatory framework limits the multifunctionality of wetlands because financial support is often tied strictly to nutrient retention. For example, CABs typically reduce financial support if a wetland is intended for use as an irrigation reservoir.
• Key enabling factors for successful implementation include the prioritization of wetlands across multiple authorities, collaboration between diverse stakeholders, and the existence of a strong knowledge base provided by agri-environmental advisors through the 'Focus on Nutrients' initiative.
• To improve large-scale implementation, the study recommends adopting a water basin approach, involving actors who maintain long-term local relationships with farmers, and shifting the focus from narrow nutrient retention to a broader recognition of ecosystem services and natural buffers.

APA

Andersson, K. (2012). Multifunctional Wetlands and Stakeholder Engagement: Lessons from Sweden. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/sei-wp-2012-08-sweden-wetlands.pdf

Chicago

Andersson, Kim. Multifunctional Wetlands and Stakeholder Engagement: Lessons from Sweden. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/sei-wp-2012-08-sweden-wetlands.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Andersson |first1=Kim |title=Multifunctional Wetlands and Stakeholder Engagement: Lessons from Sweden |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=December 2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/sei-wp-2012-08-sweden-wetlands.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{andersson2012multifunctional, author = {Andersson, Kim}, title = {{Multifunctional Wetlands and Stakeholder Engagement: Lessons from Sweden}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/sei-wp-2012-08-sweden-wetlands.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }