This investigation was conducted on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SWaM) with the aim of analysing the conditions and possible organisational forms for a national competence centre for restoration in coastal waters and the marine environment, and whether it should be coordinated with a comparable centre for restoration in freshwater.
The assignment is part of the government's mandate to SWaM to strengthen aquatic restoration and further develop the coordination of measures for coastal and catchment areas. The background to this is that Sweden faces considerable challenges in its efforts to achieve national environmental objectives and meet the requirements of EU directives and the new restoration regulation. Improved knowledge provision, coordination and support for those who plan and implement measures are considered to be central in order to increase efficiency and improve the conditions for restoration.
The investigation is based on interviews with a broad spectrum of actors in marine restoration, an initial investigation on a national competence centre for water management carried out in 2023, an inventory of existing activities and resources, and a workshop on the investigation's proposals.
Most people believe that a national competence centre would be an important complement to the support that is currently available. The needs highlighted in interviews and discussions include, among other things, consolidated and enhanced practical support for those implementing measures, networks and meeting places for the exchange of experience and coordination between different actors, improved access to existing and new knowledge, access to expert advice and skills development. It is clear that the knowledge gap for measures in the marine environment is significantly greater than for freshwater. In light of the needs that have emerged, the report presents three different proposals for a national centre of expertise for measures in the marine environment. Proposals A and C can easily be adapted to also include support for work in freshwater, while Proposal B focuses mainly on addressing the knowledge gap in the marine environment.
- Proposal A involves establishing a new independent competence centre, focusing on implementation support, exchange of experience and skills development. This option creates a new independent actor with strong connection to local needs, but at the same time involves risks linked to weaker legitimacy, limited research links and challenges associated with starting up a completely new organisation.
- Proposal B is a knowledge network based on collaboration between researchers at different universities, focusing on expert support, follow-up and generating new knowledge about measures in the marine environment. The proposal provides a strong research foundation, but has limited ability to meet the need for practical and operational implementation support.
- Proposal C involves establishing a competence centre as a collaborative organisation between SWaM, county administrative boards, universities and water organisations (or equivalent). The proposed centre offers broad expertise, strong links to water management work and a regional presence through three nodes adapted to the country's marine areas. This proposal is probably the most resource-intensive, but is also considered to have the best potential to meet the full range of identified needs.
The investigation's overall analysis shows that Proposal C best meets the requirements for longterm thinking, a holistic perspective and the capacity to support both marine and freshwater restoration. Proposals A and B offer important strengths in specific areas and can be combined or form steps in a gradual build-up to something larger. Regardless of what the next step looks like, the investigation considers it important to prioritise the completion of SWaM's web resource, the Restoration Portal, and to make material and experiences from the LEVA project available in order to meet the most urgent needs. These measures can be implemented relatively quickly and help to strengthen the action work pending a formal decision on, and establishment of, a competence centre.
A key issue for implementation is funding. The investigation considers that long-term basic government funding is necessary to ensure stability, continuity and quality. Basic funding is needed to cover the establishment of the organisation, central functions such as the website, communication and core activities. In addition, project funds, course fees and other income can be important supplements for expanding the activities.
The investigation concludes that there is a great need for support in the planning, implementation and follow-up of marine conservation measures. A national competence centre of excellence is considered to be able to meet many of these needs and enable the scaling up, coordination and streamlining of restoration in Swedish marine areas. The investigation recommends a joint competence centre for marine and freshwater restoration in order to cover all water management needs in Sweden.