Modelling the impact assessment of simultaneous wind power projects.

The aim of the MONIARVIO research project is to develop a model and operating method that will enable better assessment of the combined impact of multiple simultaneous wind power projects on reindeer herding. The project aims to make the combined impacts on reindeer herding measurable and monitorable in order to improve project plans and preserve the operating conditions for reindeer herding. The task is to make reindeer herders' local knowledge of pastures, critical areas, and migration routes clearly available to impact assessors. Particular emphasis is placed on how the cumulative impacts of multiple wind power projects can be assessed as a whole. The model to be created will serve as both a practical tool and a theoretical framework for systematically identifying and assessing cumulative impacts on reindeer herding.

The study are is Lohijärvi and Palojärvi reindeer herding cooperatives. The assessment model is being developed by examining wind power projects currently underway in these cooperatives. The model is being developed by the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Finnish Environment Institute in cooperation with the reindeer herding cooperatives and consulting companies involved in the environmental impact assessment and planning of wind power projects. The aim of the collaboration is to create a functional and practical model for assessing the impacts of reindeer husbandry.