Managing nutrient fluxes and pollution in the Baltic: an interdisciplinarysimulation study

This interdisciplinary paper reports the results of a study into the costs and benefits of eutrophication reduction in the Baltic Sea. A large multidi sciplinary team of natural and social scientists estimated nutrient loading s and pathways within the entire Baltic drainage basin, together with the c osts of a range of abatement options and strategies. The abatement cost res ults were compared with clean-up benefits on a basin-wide scale, in order t o explore the potential for international agreements among the countries wh ich border the Baltic. Most countries would seem to gain net economic benef its from the simulated 50% nitrogen and phosphorus reduction policy. (C) 19 99 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.