International Contact Forum on Habitat Conservation in the Barents Region (HCF) is one of the key nature conservation activities of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council’s Working Group on Environment and its Subgroup on Nature and Water.

Habitat Contact Forum is an arena for co-operation on habitat conservation issues in the Barents Region including adjacent marine areas. The aim is to achieve increased focus on: proper management of existing protected areas, the need for additional protected areas and other measures relevant for habitat conservation.

The conference is organized every second year and it gathers representatives from management authorities, scientific institutions (including students) and civil society (NGOs) from all over the Barents region. In September 2022, it will take place in Norrbotten, Sweden, and will include presentations, discussions, excursions, new contacts and cooperation!

A pre-webinar to the HBC is taking place digitally on 28 April 2022. The event will provide a taste of the topics to be discussed in more depth during HCF in September.

The theme of the webinar is synergies between nature conservation and climate change adaption and mitigation.

More information: Ellinor Allwood, County Administrative Board of Norrbotten