Areas where critical loads are exceeded
Critical loads are used to define the amount of pollution different ecosystems can absorb without damage to the natural environment. In Norway, the area where critical loads are exceeded has decreased since 1980.
In 1980 critical loads were exceeded in 30 percent of the total area. During the period 2002-2005, the area was reduced to 11 percent. Similar figures for 2012-2016 were 7 per cent. The map below shows the reductions in areas where critical loads were exceeded in Norway from 1978 to 2016. New figures will be published in 2022.
