Follow-up of parts of the Swedish outdoor life policy
2021/22:RFR9
The follow-up is aimed at four measurable goals within the Riksdag’s outdoor policy, namely the right of public access (allemansrätt), access to nature for outdoor life, attractive nature close to urban areas and rich outdoor life in school. There is a consensus among the relevant authorities, including the County Administrative Boards, and the outdoor organizations that the outdoor policy goals fulfill an important function. At the same time, the follow-up confirms some shortcomings: • The goals, including the goal specifications, are perceived as too imprecise and partially overlapping. • There is a lack of a so-called base level to start from when following up on the goals and these are also not timed. • The statistics need to be improved, i.a. not all targets can be followed up. • Several of the authorities could cooperate and work more actively when it comes to the implementation of the outdoor life policy. Outdoor habits have changed to a relatively limited extent in comparison with the corresponding survey in 2018. It is also clear from the follow-up that the ongoing pandemic and the restrictions that have been in effect from time to time have affected the ability to practice various outdoor activities. Almost four-fifths of the municipalities state that during the pandemic there has been a large increase in the number of visitors to the municipality's nature and outdoor areas, e.g. nature reserves and trails, including an increase in first-time visitors. The number of members has increased in many outdoor organizations. There is a concern that exploitation pressure risks creating problems with regard to access to nature close to urban areas, not least in the larger cities in Sweden. The lack of data also makes it difficult to follow how development pressure is developing. A problem that is clear in this follow-up is the weak governance regarding the goal of outdoor life in school. It is problematic that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and not the school authorities are responsible for the case, as the agency has no guidance or supervisory authority when it comes to schools. Another shortcoming is that the school authorities, i.e. The Swedish National Agency for Education and the School Inspectorate do not have assignments in either the authority's instruction or regulation letter that applies to work with outdoor life in school or requirements for cooperation with other authorities in the matter.
Publication type:
project report
Publication language:
Swedish
Publication date:
2022-04
Publication URL:
https://data.riksdagen.se/fil/BCCF8784-8AD5-49AE-9962-C0DB2F52A3BD
Institute:
Evaluation and Research Secretariat (ERS) of the Swedish Riksdag (ERS)
Country:
Sweden

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