Iceland is a country whose natural  environment and wilderness wows me.This is a country that has  got a very small, open economy, built on plentiful and cheap renewable energy, the aluminum industry, tourism and fishing.Its people enjoy a high standard of living and a good environment,with excellent water quality, low air pollution and easy access to uncontaminated nature

Iceland prioritizes in environment conservation. This is a country that largely depends on natural resources and their sustainable management. Due to the fact the economy highly depends on fisheries and exports of seafood, the sustainable harvesting of marine resources is an economic as well as an environmental priority.

On the global agenda, Iceland has been a strong voice in the fight against the pollution of the oceans. Icelandic waters are among the cleanest in the world. Iceland has taken an active role in international fora on the issue of persistent organic pollutants.Nature conservation in general is of increasing concern. It has some of the few remaining large wilderness areas in Europe, and their natural features are in many ways unique.

Carbon, energy and resource efficiency of the economy

Iceland has a very low-carbon energy mix. Renewable energy sources accounted for 85% of total primary energy supply in 2012, far more than in any other OECD country. Imported fossil fuels make up the rest and are used primarily in transport and fishing.

Between 2000 and 2011, greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions increased by 14%, but remained within the limits of Iceland?s commitment under the Kyoto protocol. More than a third of GHG emissions come from industrial processes, mainly aluminium smelting,rather than fossil fuel-based energy production or consumption as in most countries. Emissions have declined since 2008 because of the recession

Natural assets.

Glaciers, rivers and lakes cover 13% of Iceland?s area, resulting in abundant freshwater supplies. Between this abundance and the small population, the wateruse intensity is among the lowest in the OECD.Less than 1% of the land area is artificially built, andagricultural land is scarce. Vegetation covers 60% ofthe land area. Forests cover only 0.3% of the total area.About 90% of the population lives in coastal areas,mainly in and around Reykjavík. National parks and reserves have been expanded:about 20% of the land area is under some form ofnature protection, among the highest shares in theOECD Nevertheless, several activities exert pressure onIceland?s biodiversity, including hydropower andgeothermal exploitation, urban sprawl and tourismdevelopment. About half the country suffers fromacute soil erosion, partly due to overgrazing.More than 290 species of flora and fauna arethreatened, including nearly 40% of the bird speciesnesting in Iceland (mainly seabirds) and 12% of thecountry?s moss species

Environmental quality of life.

Icelanders are very politically active. More than half the population is satisfied with the government?s efforts to preserve the environment. Iceland?s people are also generally more satisfied with water and air quality than in the OECD as a whole.Groundwater is of excellent quality and does not need treatment before consumption. Concentration of nutrients in rivers and lakes has historically been low, although the nitrogen and phosphorus balances,as well as pesticide sales, have increased in line with agricultural production. The share of the population connected to waste water treatment systems increased to 73% in 2011 (including individual treatment facilities), although most systems only provide primary treatment. This is among the lowest levels in the OECD, partly because the very low population density makes building extensive infrastructure unfeasible.Emissions of most air pollutants declined in the2000s and ambient air quality is generally good in the Reykjavik area. However, concentrations of small particulates continue to exceed the limit valuethe use of studded tyres, which wear away road asphalt, is a major factor.Emissions of sulphur oxides (SOX) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) have grown with increased geothermal exploitation, the largest source of sulphur emissions.

Concentrations of H2S in the Reykjavík area have often exceeded health guidelines and may have a long-term impact on health and the environment.

Environmental management.

Through a Policy framework.

Iceland has strengthened its environmental policy framework. It has several policy instruments that put a price on resource use and pollution, such as transferable fishing quotas and taxes on fuels and vehicles. The financial and economic crisis, however, reduced the resources available for investing in environmental protection and services.

Part of Iceland?s response to the crisis has been an increased emphasis on green growth. A 2011 parliamentary report contains 50 proposals to promote the transition towards a greener economy

Iceland adopted a comprehensive national strategy for sustainable development in 2002. This has stimulated several environmental policy initiatives, including on climate change, nature conservation and waste management. As a member of the European Economic Area, Iceland has largely aligned its environmental policies and legislation with those of the European Union. Progress in developing and implementing environmental legislation and policies slowed with the 2008 crisis. Public environmental expenditure dropped, particularly at the local level. Although the trend has recovered since, it remains below the pre-recession level.

Municipalities also greatly play a key role in environmental management, including land-use planning and environmental permitting. More than halving the number of municipalities has helped improve efficiency in providing water, waste and transport services. However, with several environment-related agencies and many small municipalities with differing administrative capacity, inconsistencies in how environmental measures are designed and enforced persist.

Environmental assessment and licensing rules that took effect in 2005 streamlined procedures and responsibilities. Yet they remain complex and slow, involving multiplenational and local authorities and overlapping requirements.

Through taxes and subsidies.

In the last 10 years, Iceland has introduced new environmentally related taxes, including a diesel tax, a

Carbon tax and a CO2-based vehicle tax. The recession caused a reduction in fossil fuel use and vehicle purchases,on which environmentally related taxes are calculated.Thus revenue fell to 2.2% of GDP, below the level in many other OECD countries (Figure 4). Iceland joined the European Emission Trading System (EU ETS) in 2007, though it has had a limited impact so far.

In 2010, Iceland introduced carbon tax, with a rate(about EUR 14 per tonne of CO2) reflecting the price of EU ETS emission allowances at the time. Unlike in most countries, the carbon tax is also applied to fuels used by fishing vessels.

Iceland?s carbon and energy tax rates on petrol, diesel and heating oil are generally below those of other Nordic countries. Raising the rates and applying them to more fuels,such as kerosene and coal, could help limit emissions of GHGs and other pollutants more cost-effectively. The energy tax on diesel should be raised to match that on petrol, as burning diesel generates more hazardous local air pollution.

Some subsidies and tax preferences provide environmentally harmful incentives. Agriculture support is above the OECD average measures that help maintain large numbers of grazing animals exacerbate soil erosion, which is a major problem in Iceland. Subsidies to sheep farmers are only partly conditional on meeting environmental performance standards. Other perverse incentives include the tax treatment of company cars and vehicle tax reductions on rental cars, which encourage rental companies to buy high-emission vehicles

Green innovation

Iceland is a relatively innovative country. Its innovation strategy to 2020 targets Eco-innovation as a key growth sector. In line with this, 3% of the public R&D budget was allocated to environment in 2011-13, among the highest shares in the OECD. Industry is the main funder of environment- and energy-related R&D, and there are several Eco-innovative companies in Iceland. However, while patenting activity in general has been on par with that in other OECD countries, there have been very few Icelandic patent claims in environmentally relevant sectors.

Recycling fund

All manufacturers and importers of the products subject to the Recycling Act(including cardboard, paper, plastic packaging, hay bale wrap, tyres, synthetic fishing gear, paints, batteries and motor vehicles) have to pay a fee proportion alto the amount of waste generated. The Recycling Fund, a state-owned fund set up in 2002, reimburses facilities which transport,recycle or dispose of such products. The fees are periodically adjusted to cover the costs of waste treatment and disposal. Asin other extended producer responsibility programmes, the Recycling Fund shifts these costs from the consumers of the products to their producers, encouraging them to make products easier to recycle or dispose of. The system helped increase recycling and recovery, although half of municipal wastestill goes to landfills.

Iceland was the first country in the world to set up a national deposit system for a wide range of containers. The collection company has about 60 return facilities across the country where people can get their deposit of ISK 15 per container paid back. Very good return ratios have been achieved in recent years: 87% in 2011 and 2012, ranging from82% for glass to 87% for plastic bottles and about 90% for aluminium.

Learning about nature in schools

The city of Reykjavík operates the Municipal Work School in the summer and the Nature School in the winter. Participating children and youth receive focused information about environmental concerns while learning to cultivate urban gardens. The Nature School also provides environmental training for teachers. Over 20 schools have been allocated adjacent areas to use as outdoor classrooms, encouraging students to learn while experiencing nature

Green public procurement

The 2009 Government Policy for Ecological Procurement was based on education and collaboration tools such as guidelines and workshops for public institutions. A survey showed that in 2012 about a third of government institutions were trying to green their operations. By early 2013, people from more than 140 public institutions, including some schools, had attended presentations or workshops on green procurement.The government adopted a new green procurement policy in 2013. It aimed at raising the proportion of tenders incorporating environmental criteria to 50% by 2016 and to promote Icelandic enterprises that offer eco-friendly options.

In conclusion therefore, despite the fact that Iceland is being challenged by a few environmental problems some of which include loss of vegetation by wind erosion, an energy intensive industrial structure, road transport which requires the importation of fossil fuels among others, there are various sound policy framework for environmental management and sustainable development, innovative policy approaches to managing natural resources, a long tradition of public participation in decision making among others have been highly considered and the country as a whole is not willing to settle for less. With this therefore, Iceland?s long term vision will be achieved. Ugandan government, physical planners, environmental authorities and non governmental agencies can borrow a leaf from Iceland.