BERÄKNING AV KOSTNADER FÖR MINSKAD KVÄVEBELASTNING PÅ EGENTLIGA ÖSTERSJÖN / Costs of reducing nitrogen loads to Baltic Proper
Sweden has implemented measures for reducing nitrogen loads to the Baltic Sea since the beginning of 1980s with an aim of doing this in a cost effective way. Cost effective nitrogen reduction is defined as minimum cost for achieving prespecified nitrogen reductions. The costs of measures are then determined by the cost at the location of the nitrogen source and also by their impact on the load reduction target. Although methods for estimating costs at the sources are well developed within economics, calculations of impacts on the nitrogen load target imposes much more of a challenge for such complex ecosystems as the Baltic Sea. The purpose or this paper is to present how simple input-output analysis can be useful for impact analyses on one of the basins of the Baltic Sea, the Baltic Proper. The results indicate a significant interdependence between the marine basins. This implies that a cost effective solution of a nitrogen load reduction to Baltic Proper requires calculations and compariosons of costs and impacts over the entire Baltic Sea drainage basin