The Charter of Järvi-Finland was signed

The idea of ​​a common charter for Lake Finland's water bodies came from the technical director of the city of Mikkeli Jouni Riihelän thoughts.

- The will to maintain the quality of the water area and develop vitality have been unifying issues, Riihelä states.

The charter is the first of its kind. Geographically, the area stretches from Nurme to Lappeenranta and from Pielavede to Kitee. All the municipalities and cities of the region, as well as the four regional federations and the ELY center were invited to sign the charter.

─ From the point of view of utilizing vitality, the field of actors in the future will be much wider than this initial group of signatories. Many other participants will be challenged and wanted later, continues Imatra's director of urban development Topiantti Ääks.

In addition to the signing ceremony, the Finnish Lakeland Forum, an international congress based on popularizing the science, research and applications of water expertise and responsible tourism, was also established. It will be an annual two-day event in the Saimaa region. In the coming years, the region's universities, universities of applied sciences and companies will play a central role in building the seminar program and speaker roster.

On behalf of Imatra, the charter was signed by the mayor Kai Roslakka. The chief of staff of the Ministry of the Environment brought the greetings of the government to the event Hannele Pokka.

In his greeting, Pokka highlighted the special features of the unique environment of the Saimaa and Vuoksi lake basins, such as the Saimaan norpa and the Saimaa lake salmon. The head of the office considered the commitment to the charter and its wide acceptance as a unique process in the Finnish municipal field.

 Geopark behind the same goal

Topiantti Äikäs, who works as Imatra's director of urban development and chairman of Saimaa Geopark ry, also spoke at the event. In his speech, Äikäs reviewed both the Saimaa Geopark process and the role of nature tourism companies as internationalizers of the Saimaa region.

─ The background of the Saimaa Geopark is the goal of the previous generations of decision-makers and developers to get southern Saimaa either a large-scale nature reserve or even a UNESCO world heritage site. These goals have not been realized for various reasons - the most significant reason for this has been issues regarding land ownership.

International Geoparks are parallel to UNESCO world heritage sites and biosphere reserves. There are seven world heritage sites and two biosphere reserves in Finland. There is one Unesco Global Geopark destination in Finland, in Rokua in North Ostrobothnia, and the Saimaa region is a candidate for the second Unesco Global Geopark destination area.

According to UNESCO's definition, Geoparks are unified geographical areas with internationally significant geological value and in which comprehensive attention is paid to protection, sustainability and educational values.

The goal of Saimaa Geopark is to support the region's tourism, business activities, internationality, teaching and research. This work is done by emphasizing the geological and cultural special features of the area and taking care of a sustainable way of working for the best of the environment.

─ The preparatory work prior to the Järvi-Finland charter, the coordination of different points of view, the definition of the area and the refinement of the final charter text are the result of good cooperation for the benefit of eastern Finland and the Vuoksi lake basin. Saimaa Geopark is helping to realize this goal - now and in the future. Ääks states.

More information about the Järvi-Suomen Charter and Saimaa Geopark activities:
Topiantti Äikäs, 020 617 2204, topiantti.earlyimatra.fi (topiantti[dot]aikas[at]imatra[dot]fi)