ACIDIFICATION IN NORWAY THE NORWEGIAN MONITORING PROGRAM FOR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTED AIR-POLLUTANTS

Man-made emissions of sulphur and nitrogen in Europe is acidifying the precipitation in Norway. Extensive research activities in the seventi es (the SNSF-project) clearly showed that acidification has a strong i mpact on the environment in Southern Norway. In order to further evalu ate the cause-effect relationships and changes over time, a monitoring programme covering deposition, surface- and groundwater, soil, fish p opulations and invertebrates was initiated by the Norwegian Ministry o f Environment. Intensive studies are performed in all regions of Norwa y by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), the Norwegian In stitute for Water Research (NIVA), the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), the Norwegian Forest Research Institute (NISK), Geolo gical Survey of Norway (NGU) and the University of Bergen (UiB). The N orwegian Pollution Control Authority (SET) is responsible for the over all co-ordination of the programme and the funding of air and water mo nitoring, while the Directorate for Nature Management (DN) is funding the monitoring of fish and invertebrates.