The changing perception of the wetlands in and around Kristianstad, Sweden: from Waterlogged areas toward a future Water Kingdom, Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve.

Abstract

Kristianstads Vattenrike (The Rich Wetlands of Kristianstad/Water Kingdom) is a 35-km-long wetland area surrounded by cultivated landscape in the south of Sweden. The project area covers some more than 100,000 hectares and includes the lower catchment areas of River Helge å and the coastal areas of the bay Hanöbukten, a part of the Baltic Sea. The River Helge å flows from upstream forests through agricultural land, lowland lakes, and wetlands and passes straight through the town of Kristianstad, which is the regional capital. An MAB candidate office is now in the process of completing the application form to become a biosphere reserve according to the UNESCO-MAB concept, but in the past the wetlands often were seen as waterlogged areas, especially in the 19th century.