In Southern Finland, eight Rotary clubs from District 1420 are strengthening their collaboration with the Vantaa River and Helsinki Region Water Protection Association. The goal is to reduce the nutrient load in the Vantaa River’s catchment area.
A collaborative meeting to secure funding for delaying surface runoff into the river was held in April in Klaukkala, Nurmijärvi.
Widespread Impact
The Vantaa River watershed has an annual phosphorus load of approximately 60 tons and a nitrogen load of about 1,200 tons. The yearly variation in load is significant, and the overall load has decreased by about 10% since 1995, partly due to reductions in point-source pollution and improvements in farming practices. Although many protective measures have been implemented in the area, the effectiveness of these measures has been weakened by rising average temperatures and increased rainfall.
Over one million people live in the Vantaa River’s catchment area. The cities and municipalities in the area include Helsinki, Vantaa, Tuusula, Nurmijärvi, Hyvinkää, Riihimäki, Hausjärvi, Loppi, Mäntsälä, Vihti, Järvenpää, Kerava, Sipoo, and Espoo.
Project Initiated and Funding Search Underway
On April 21, 2025, the catchment area’s Rotary clubs gathered to plan cooperation with the Vantaa River and Helsinki Region Water Protection Association. The meeting was convened by the Nurmijärvi-Klaukkala Rotary Club and included the eight Rotary clubs from the catchment area: Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, Nurmijärvi, Nurmijärvi-Klaukkala, Tikkurila, Tuusula, Vantaa-Myyrmäki, and Riihimäki.
“Protecting the Baltic Sea is one of the key development priorities for our district’s Rotary clubs, and this is a concrete way for us Rotarians to promote the well-being of our region’s nature and residents, while also contributing to the protection of the Baltic Sea,” says Riitta Vaasjoki, President of the Nurmijärvi-Klaukkala Rotary Club.
“The idea is to start with actions in the Lepsämä River sub-catchment area, a tributary of the Vantaa River. Measures in the Keravanjoki area are currently in the preliminary study phase. The project can easily be expanded in the future based on needs and the interest of Rotary clubs,” President Vaasjoki adds.
The goal at Lepsämänjoki is to build water retention structures in small tributaries flowing into the river, which would help delay runoff during heavy rains. This would reduce flooding on the low-lying fields along the main channel and thus decrease the amount of soil and nutrients being washed into the river. At the same time, it would promote the reproduction of brown trout, which thrive in Lepsämänjoki, and make cultivation along the river easier.
The project sparked great interest, and some clubs have already committed to funding. The other clubs present will return to the matter after discussing it internally. The fundraising is being coordinated by the Nurmijärvi-Klaukkala Rotary Club.
A Multi-Year Collaborative Project
The initiative will become a multi-year collaboration project with the Vantaa River and Helsinki Region Water Protection Association (VHVSY). The goal for 2025 is to raise seed funding (20%) for a project funding application to build water retention pockets in the Lepsämänjoki catchment area. VHVSY will apply for the remaining funding through the EU’s rural development program. Currently, over €2,000 in seed money has been raised, and total project funding has already surpassed the €10,000 milestone.
International Rotary Background
Rotary International and the UN have signed a cooperation agreement that draws attention to the protection of local waterways through the “Adopt a River” initiative. Hannele Kauranne, active in the Rotary cooperation network for Baltic Sea countries, came up with the idea of focusing on the Vantaa River catchment areas together with local Rotary clubs. She is also the Baltic Sea and environmental coordinator at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki.
Text: Jaripekka Turtiainen and Hilkka Gehör
Photo: Hilkka Gehör
More information:
- Paula Luodeslampi, Water Specialist, Vantaa River and Helsinki Region Water Protection Association: paula.luodeslampi@vantaanjoki.fi
- Riitta Vaasjoki, President, Nurmijärvi-Klaukkala Rotary Club: rvaasjoki@gmail.com
- Jukka Packalén, President, Järvenpää Rotary Club: jukka.packalen@outlook.com
- Marjo Kekkonen, President Elect, Hyvinkää Rotary Club: marjo.kekkonen@kekkonenvuorento.fi
- Hannele Kauranne: hannele.kauranne@gmail.com
- https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-unep-partnership
