The Nordic-Baltic Regional Assessment of Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution 1980 - 2000

The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution of 1979 has now been operative for 25 years. The Nordic countries have always been very active in this international work. A main component of the convention is EMEP, the joint European Measurement and Evaluation Programme for transboundary air pollution. The other main component of the Convention is the internationally agreed reductions of emissions of harmful air pollutants across the whole of Europe. This report contains an overview of the development in regional air quality during the two decades 1980 - 2000 in the Nordic-Baltic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania as a result of measures implemented under the Convention. The report is organised in two parts. In the Thematic Assessments the developments of air and precipitation concentrations and depositions across the entire Nordic-Baltic region are presented. Regional similarities and differences are highlighted and related to the changes in pollutant emissions and long-range transboundary air pollution over the past two decades. These themes are presented in more detail in the seven National Assessment Reports for rural air quality in the four Nordic and three Baltic countries. All the national reports touch upon the topics of emissions, the quality of air and precipitation, and the development with time of concentrations and depositions. The reports also highlight both improvements with respect to the atmospheric environment as well as remaining problems and challenges that face the individual countries.