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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
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Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
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Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
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Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
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Programmes and Projects
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Status
Poverty is not an issue of major concern in Iceland. Unemployment is low and the whole population has access to primary health care and education.
Challenges
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Capacity-building, Education, Training
and Awareness-raising
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Information
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Research and Technologies
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Research and Technologies
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Financing
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Cooperation
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This information was provided by the Government of Iceland to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: January 1998.
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No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Iceland to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: January 1997.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The Ministries mainly responsible for health and environment in Iceland are the Ministry of Health and Social Security and the Ministry of the Environment.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
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Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
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Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
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Programmes and Projects
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Status
The age structure in Iceland is relatively young compared to the other Nordic countries: nearly 25% of the population is under the age of 15, and only 11% is over the age of 65. Iceland also has a slightly higher birth rate than the other Nordic countries.
The public health care service is extensive and modern in Iceland. The so-called "cultural diseases" which relate to modern lifestyle have taken the place of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, smallpox and leprosy. The most serious diseases currently are cardio-vascular diseases, cancer and consequences of accidents.
In Iceland every citizen has equal access to health care services. These services include the following: primary health care, preventive health care, prenatal care for expectant mothers, child health care, health care in primary schools, social services for the handicapped, secondary screening (screening programmes for the cervical and breast cancer, cardiovascular surveys), dental care, and treatment for alcohol and drug abusers and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV infection and AIDS.
Public health has also been improved by various environmental measures taken during recent years, e.g. by stopping the use of CFCs and halons, by strengthening pollution control regulations on motor vehicle emissions, by improving waste management, and by improving the quality of freshwater supplies.
In the future, more emphasis will be put on environmental health. Preparations for a national health programme based on the WHO Health for All by the Year 2000 Programme have already begun on the basis of the Ministry of Health and Social Security proposal in 1991.
Challenges
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Capacity-building, Education, Training
and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
No information is available
This information was provided by the Government of Iceland to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: January 1997.
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To access the Health for All On-Line Database (WHO): Europe and CIS countries, click here:
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
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Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
One of the priorities of the Ministry of Education National Strategy on Education is environmental education. Since 1993, Iceland has had an Act requiring the Government to provide information about the environment. To fulfill this requirement, the Ministry of the Environment must publish an environmental report every year. The Government also produces educational material on environment to schools.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
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Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
When planning educational material and curricula, the Government usually consults major group representatives.
Programmes and Projects
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Status
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Challenges
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Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
In Iceland, training teachers is considered to be the most important means to integrate sustainable development into education. Developing teaching material is also important. Audiovisual material is used only occasionally.
The Ministry of Education issues national curricula guidelines to primary, secondary and vocational schools. The curricula at primary schools are being revised to address, e.g. sustainable development. Measures are being taken to revise the curricula of both secondary and vocational schools where this issue will also be addressed.
The schools in Iceland also carry out several projects dealing with local environmental problems. The Icelandic media has reported about the best projects.
Information
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Research and Technologies
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Financing
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Cooperation
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This information was provided by the Government of Iceland to the 5th and 6th Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: April 1998.
Click here to access Iceland's Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The National Physical Planning Agency, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, is responsible for land-use planning and building regulations. The Civil Defence Committee deals with the issues concerning natural disasters, and it works closely with voluntary rescue teams and volcanology, seismology and meteorology experts.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The Environmental Impact Assessment Act (63/1993) calls for adequate consultation with the general public before any major projects with adverse environmental effects can be approved and it is an integral part of all decision-making concerning physical planning as well as road construction and hydro development projects. The Physical Planning Act is being revised to strengthen environmental considerations in the administration of physical planning and to improve land-use planning at the national level.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
In Iceland, land-use and land-use planning, building and construction activities are subject to environmental, health and safety standards defined in physical planning and building regulations. Development in physical planning and enforcement of building regulations have been satisfactory in urban areas, but further measures are needed in the rural areas where land-use practices have changed drastically in recent years. The National Physical Planning Agency is responsible for the design of district land-use plans for rural communities. The plans cover issues such as urban development, nature conservation, highland areas, agriculture, development of infrastructure and energy efficiency, tourism, recreation and employment.
In 1994, Iceland was planning a new regional development policy which would move services from the central government to local authorities. This would help to prevent depopulation of rural areas and increased urbanization in the area around Reykjavik by generating new employment opportunities to meet the changes arising from structural changes in agriculture and fisheries.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
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Programmes and Projects
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Electricity from public utilities is available for transportation systems and infrastructure services in communities and 99.99% of the population. However, several laws and regulations are being amended to improve the environmental infrastructure, i.e. solid waste management, freshwater, and pollution control .
In Iceland, weather conditions can be extremely violent, and the island is geologically very active, with a high rate of volcanic and earthquake activity. Snow avalanches are also common. The programmes monitoring and giving out warnings about potential disasters serve also land-use planning and human settlement planning. Work is being done to link these programmes with the Geographic Information System currently under preparation. By the end of the century, Iceland will also produce digital base-maps for the whole country. The Civil Defence Committee charged with public disaster protection has put much effort to the rescue training in case of natural disaster.
Challenges
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Capacity-building, Education, Training
and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
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Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
Iceland participated in the Habitat II process. Furthermore, there is an extensive co-operation within the Nordic Council of Ministers on human settlement issues.
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This information was provided by the Government of Iceland to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: January 1997.
Click here to access "Best Practices for Human Settlements: Western Europe"
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