Articles, Papers and Speeches
Iceland
Article for Icelandic Newspaper - Non-Native Trees to Mitigate Climate Change? (Original here) - October 2021
Roger supports Iceland’s plans for the Highlands National Park and the new parks agency
Roger’s advice for establishing the brilliant idea of the Heart of Iceland National Park
- Some suggestions - August 2018
Roger criticises the outlandish ideas for an electricity cable from Iceland to Britain
Roger provides an environmental agenda for the Icelandic Government - Dec 2017
Roger calls for new environmental agency in Iceland
Roger reviews the state of nature in Iceland in a wide-ranging talk - Please watch on YouTube here - May 2016
Roger and Icelandic colleagues review progress on protected areas in Iceland - March 2016
Iceland Visit Report - July 2013
Iceland Soils Conference - Introductory speech, June 2012
Roger Crofts wins Icelandic Soil Conservation Medal - For his new book Healing the Land - Nov 2011
Healing the land - The story of land reclamation and soil conservation in Iceland - Order Form
Iceland - Helping A Friend in Need
Iceland - Developing Nature-based Tourism: Advice to President Grimsson
Iceland - Report of Visit July 2010 to Icelandic Minister of Environment
Thjorsarver Morganbladid - Article in Icelandic - 4 September 2010
Iceland's future environment: argues the case for a new approach to Iceland's natural resources and sets out a vision and an 8 point plan of action
Soil Conservation in Iceland - Celebrating a Century and Looking Forward - Powerpoint Presentation
September 2007
Iceland's Environment - Connecting the Pieces - A Geographer's Perspective - Bullet Point Speech
The Death of a Valley and Tarnishing of an Image - A New Way Forward Is Needed
Iceland is renowned worldwide for its natural environment. Born of ice and fire the environment excites all of the emotional senses, is awesome in its power and not easily tamed by even the greatest of modern human ingenuity. The Jokulsa a Dal is one of these natural features: a magnificent river rising under the depths of the Bruarjokull, part of Europe's largest ice cap the Vatnajokull, and reaching the sea at Heradsandur near Egilsstadir in eastern Iceland. On its journey it runs wild over flat ground near the glacier, cascades through terraces left as remnants of past glacial and fluvial history, gouges through a magnificent canyon, and creates the centrepiece of an intensively farmed heidi and dalur. The river carries vast quantities of debris: everything from the finest rock flour to huge boulders, and including the ubiquitous black sand. These attack the river bed and valley sides to create unbelievable shapes and patterns. The debris forms terraces for habitation and for farming past and present, and is the basis for construction materials along the humanly settled part of its course. At its mouth, along with its sister river the Lagarflot, the debris produces both a fertile plain for farmers, wildlife and tourists to enjoy and creates a barrier against the natural incursions of the sea.
Iceland's Environment - What Future? - Bullet Point Speech
Soil and Forestry Services - A New Land Care and Restoration Agency for Iceland
This paper responds to the request from Guðni Agustsson for advice on the merger of Lanðgraeðsla rikisins and Skograekt rikisins to form a new agency. Following setting out my credentials to contribute, the paper provides possible reasons for the merger; identifies ways of measuring success in the shorter and longer terms; discusses the remit of the agency and the tools required to carry out its functions; proposes a name; describes the culture required for success; discusses governance options; identifies structural options; and discusses delivery locations.
Landsvirikjun and Vatnajokull National Park
First, he fails to respond to my suggestions on financial contributions to the Vatnajokull National Park. When I asked both Landsvirkjun and Alcoa to put forward 2,000 million kroner over 20 years and an up front payment of 50 million kroner, I expected at least a considered response. The response by Landsvirkjun talked about small scale funding of local facilities and ignored the larger challenge. Alcoa could not even be bothered to respond. It is vital that both companies are pressed to do so, otherwise they are shirking their corporate social responsibilities to the people of Iceland.
From Durban to Iceland - Global and Local Issues - Bullet Point Speech
A New Future for Icelandic Agriculuture?
This paper considers the issues facing Icelandic agriculture internationally and internally and makes suggestions on future roles for farmers and the structures and incentives necessary to support it.
Promoting and Improving Iceland's Environment
Following a number of visits to Iceland and many discussions with colleagues and friends in the Ministries of Environment and of Agriculture and key government agencies dealing with the environment (Umhverfisstofnun) and land reclamation (Landgraedsla) and with the current and immediate past President's of Iceland, I have taken the liberty to set out some suggestions which I think would help to benefit Iceland’s environment. I do this because Iceland as a nation is not good at recognising and celebrating its successes. The nation tends to hide its light under a bushel, rather than recognise that it punches well above its weight for such a small country in a northerly latitude.
Promoting Iceland's Environment - Bullet Point Speech
Soil Conservation in Iceland - Connecting the Pieces - Powerpoint Presentation
Thjorsarver - Protecting a Unique Assest in Perpetuity
The people of Iceland face a great challenge. Thjorsarver poses a vital question: unique beauty and international renown or submergence beneath a fluctuating water surface for which there are alternate solutions?
Thjorsarver - Protecting a Unique Assest in Perpetuity (2)
This report provides an assessment of the importance of the Thjorsarver area of the central highlands of Iceland, comments on proposals for further hydro-electric power development, and makes suggestions for the improved protection and greater visitor access.
Thjorsarver - Protecting a Unique Assest in Perpetuity (3)
For many generations societies around the world have regarded wetlands as a nuisance. The following are widely held perceptions. They are the source of disease that can become endemic. They are a sink for pollution. And they are a barrier to the use of water resources for economic development and social advancement. As a result the proportion of the Earth’s surface covered by naturally functioning wetlands has reduced dramatically during the later twentieth century. Now many countries are faced with water crises and there are water wars between adjacent nation states.
Vatnajokull National Park - Bigger And Better For All
Proposals for the designation of a National Park for Europe’s largest ice cap are being developed in Iceland. A committee of the Althingi is working on the area to the north of the ice cap and a committee of local representatives is working on the ice cap and the area to the south. The ideas are at a formative stage and as a frequent visitor to Iceland and as Chair of the European Region of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas I set out below suggestions for further consideration before final decisions are made by the government and the Althingi.
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