A NETwork to promote tools and practice on Cumulative Impact Assessment for REINdeer and reindeer husbandry in Fennoscandia (ReinCIAnet)
Coordinator: Bernardo Brandão Niebuhr, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA),
ReinCIAnet connects researchers, reindeer herders and other actors across Norway, Sweden and Finland to improve how the cumulative impacts of other land-use and climate change on reindeer and reindeer husbandry are understood, assessed and communicated.
By bringing scientific approaches and scientists into dialogue with Sámi traditional knowledge holders, the network aims to develop relevant tools strengthening the knowledge base for impact assessment and land-use planning across Fennoscandia.
About the network
Reindeer husbandry depends on access to connected seasonal grazing areas. Across Fennoscandia, these landscapes are increasingly affected by climate change and expanding forestry, mining, energy production, transport, tourism and other infrastructure. Impact assessments and land-use planning often only consider one project or sector at a time, leaving the combined effects of several land uses on reindeer and herding practices often overlooked.
ReinCIAnet brings together researchers, reindeer herders and other experts from Norway, Sweden and Finland to improve how these combined effects, the cumulative impacts, are understood, assessed, and communicated. The network connects ecological and social-science research with Sámi traditional knowledge and local and experiential knowledge. The long-term aim is to build lasting Nordic collaboration around shared concepts, data and practical tools, with the experiences and priorities of reindeer husbandry at its core.
Between 2025 and 2027, ReinCIAnet is organising in-person workshops, online meetings and webinars. The activities build on knowledge and tools developed through the OneImpact, GreenPlan, and BAVIS projects, as well as on projects and experiences of the networks’ participants. They examine existing approaches to cumulative impact assessment, identify data and research needs, and strengthen collaboration across countries and knowledge systems.
During 2026–2027, the network will also support meetings in which researchers and reindeer herders review models and maps developed in collaboration. These models describe pasture quality, barriers to reindeer movement, landscape connectivity and the combined pressures from different forms of land use.
First publication from the network
The network’s first publication is the report Towards understanding and managing cumulative impacts in Sápmi: approaches & collaboration – Workshop report with focus on spatial data, reindeer and reindeer herding.
The report grew out of a workshop organised by NINA and the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) in Oslo in 2025, with support from BAVIS and NKJ through ReinCIAnet. It explains key concepts, methods and data needs for cumulative impact assessment and presents six practical case studies from Norway, Sweden and Finland.
The report highlights the need for stronger cross-border collaboration, better integration of data, meaningful inclusion of scientific and Sámi traditional knowledge, and ethical guidelines on Indigenous and Sámi data governance. Summaries are provided in English, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Northern Sámi.
Read the report: Towards understanding and managing cumulative impacts in Sápmi.
ReinCIAnet is led by Norwegian institute of nature research (NINA) in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), with contributions from the University of Oslo, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), and reindeer herders and Sámi advocates across the region.
If you are interested in the network, please get in touch with Bernardo Brandão Niebuhr bernardo.brandao(a)nina.no, Anna Skarin anna.skarin(a)slu.se, or Kari Oinonen kari.oinonen(a)syke.fi.