Iceland relies heavily on renewable energy sources like geothermal and hydropower for electricity production. While population growth is not an issue currently, tourism is increasing rapidly and could stress infrastructure and natural resources if not managed properly. Iceland also has a large carbon and water footprint due to imports, exports, and industrial activities. The country is taking steps to increase recycling and enforce regulations to protect water quality and manage sustainable development. Climate change poses risks to glaciers and other natural attractions that support the economy.

1. ICELAND
By: Salea Mika, Bonni Nessen, Michelle Patsfield, Sheldon Penrose,
Nancy Ramirez, and Todd Rhoads
The land of lush greenery, active volcanoes, and frozen tundras is one of the world’s most eco-friendly countries.
otoCredit:DerrickBrutel

2. Source: Population Data via United Nations WPP
How does this issue impact
this country?
The majestic country of Iceland has a total
land area of 38,707 square miles and is
sparsely populated due to the diversity of
the landscape(Iceland Population LIVE,
2017).
ICELAND’S
1955 - 157,642
2017 - 336,186
2050 -390,071
POPULATION GROWTH
Growing Population

3. Since “Iceland is one of the least densely populated
countries in the world, with an overall population
density of 7 per square mile” (encyclopedia.com), the
prediction of steady growth is currently not a concern
for environmentalists.
Even though the country’s population growth is not an
issue, however, there is a cause for concern with the
growth of tourism. “The number of tourist visiting per
year will soon amount to three times the country’s
population” (Iceland Country Briefing, 2015).
Photo Source: Greyline.is
What concerns are there about
population growth?
ICELAND’S
2020 Population- 343,228
Tourist Population- 1,029,684
Growing Tourist Population

4. How are they dealing
with population
growth?
“Comprehensive plans such as
co-ordination with policies for
land use, infrastructure
development and nature
conservation” (Environmental
Performance Iceland, 2014, pg.
13) are being implemented to
help preserve the land from
excessive over-use by tourists.
Photo Source: Scandinavian Travel

5. GROWTH
Is this country living sustainably?
SUSTAINABILITY
● Nearly 100% of electricity consumed in Iceland comes
from renewable energy.
● 9 /10 houses are heated with geothermal energy
● Has tremendous wind power potential, which remains
virtually untapped
● Homes are largely powered by green hydro and geothermal
sources except for transportation (Iceland’s Sustainable
Energy Story: A Model for the World, 2013, pgs 40-45).
Photo Source: Getty Images

6. Photo Credit: Bjorn Pretzel
Iceland had the world’s largest ecological footprint.
The country does extremely well in terms of
geothermal power usage, but imports and exports out
of the country leave an enormous carbon footprint.
The Icelanders have an average footprint of up to
12.7 hectares. In comparison, Saudi Arabia has a
footprint of 9.46 hectares per person, the United
States 9.42, and many developing countries have an
average footprint well within the sustainable 2.1
hectares (Iceland’s Leaves Enormous Environmental
Footprint Ecological Footprint, 2017).
What is their ecological footprint?

7. How are they dealing with this
issue?
Recycling is what the Icelanders are doing to
reduce their footprint. There are 74
municipalities in the country and each one is
responsible for their own waste disposal.
Recycling and composting have increased
from 13% to 61% between the years of
1995 and 2008 (Iceland Leaves Enormous
Environmental Footprint, 2017).

9. What water issues does this country
face?
WATER
● Water pollution from fertilizer runoff.
● Inadequate wastewater treatment.
● Very low soluble minerals in fresh water.
(Iceland Environment-Current Issues, 2017)
Photo Source: Culture Trip

10. What is their
water footprint?
Total water footprint: 590
million m3/year
● Internal: 11 %
● External: 89 %
Water footprint per
capita: 5,800 litre/day
(National Water Footprint
Explorer, 2017)
Photo Source: Iceland Photos That Will Blow Your Mind

11. ● Surface water: 98 % from lakes, rivers, and glaciers.
● Ground water: 14 % (Water Availability for Iceland).
PhotoSource:IcelandPhotosThatWillBlowYourMind
What are their water resources?

12. How are they dealing with water
issues?
● Iceland does not treat or practice residual disinfection
of groundwater.
● They use preventive management and strong water
catchment protections to keep water safe.
● Iceland started preventive management of water supply
as a legal requirement in 1995.
● Iceland has incorporated European water directives into
the Icelandic regulatory environment:
○ 2001, Drinking Water Directive through updated
Icelandic Drinking Water Regulation and in
○ 2012, Water Framework Directive (Keeping
Iceland’s Water Safe at the National Level, 2015).
Photo Source: Iceland Photos That Will Blow Your Mind

13. What energy issues does this
country face?
ENERGY
● Iceland has increased its carbon emissions in
recent years due to increased heavy industry
(Hafstað, 2017).
● Besides its hydrocarbon use in vehicles, Iceland’s
energy comes from 100% renewable resources
(What are the sources of energy used in
Iceland?).
Photo Credit: Gretar Ivarsson

14. ● Virtually 100% of Iceland’s
electricity comes from renewable
sources of hydropower and
geothermal sources (Energy Data,
2016).
● Most Icelandic homes are heated
by natural geothermal energy as
shown in the graph on the left
(Thermal Systems).
Where is their energy
coming from?

15. ● Iceland has a carbon footprint of 6.06 metric tons/capita (CO2
Emissions).
● Most of these emissions come from heavy industry which has
increased due to low and stable electricity prices (Hafstað,
2017).
● This increase in industry has caused Iceland’s coal usage to
double since 1993 (Hafstað, 2017).
What is their
carbon
footprint?
PhotoCredit:VilhelmGunnarsson

16. Do they import or export fossil
fuels?
Do they have these?
Iceland doesn’t have fossil fuels, but they are
actively exploring their continental shelf for
hydrocarbons (Oil and Gas Exploration).
●
According to ORKUSTSTOFNUN (The Icelandic
Energy Authority): “All petroleum-derived fuels
currently used in Iceland are imported” (Fuels).
Photo Credit: Alice Whale

17. How are they dealing with
energy issues?
● Most Icelandic homes are heated by
natural geothermal energy (Thermal
Systems).
● Virtually 100% of Iceland’s electricity
comes from renewable sources of
hydropower and geothermal sources
(Energy Data, 2016).
● Iceland is a leader in hydrogen-
powered vehicle research and
development due to its high use of
petroleum for its cars (Veal, 2017).

18. GLOBALIZATION
What are the implications of globalization
for this country?
General Globalization throughout the world has caused damage to
Iceland. Because of Globalization all over the world, temperatures
even in the North Pole have risen causing Glaciers to melt.
Conservation is important to Iceland in keeping and helping
maintain their resources. It is a country where they have done their
best to keep the environment's natural resources a priority (Effects
of Globalization in Iceland, 2015, and Environment 2017).
Photo Source: http://xcatlin.com/

19. Photocredit:PaulvanRiel/HH
What is their economy like?
Iceland is like any other country with ups and
downs in the economy. In 2008, the economy
fell due to their 3 largest banks which extended
loans to other countries. When global markets
closed, there were not enough reserves to cover
withdrawals causing the banks to fail. After the
fall, the government brought in new management
and monitored “financial safety nets" (Index of
Economic Freedom, 2017 and Failing Banks
winning Economy; the Truth About Iceland's
Recovery, 2015) .

20. What are the future
prospects for this country?
There are several different variables that affect
the future prospects of Iceland. Due to the
water shortage, an increase in cost of energy,
and the continued melting of glaciers, the
economy, environment, and those living and
going to visit there will be affected. It is
predicted that the number of tourists visiting
Iceland overall with continue to grow rapidly.
This will help to boost Iceland’s economy and
provide more jobs for those living and working
in Iceland (What Climate Change Could Mean
For The Future Of Iceland Tourism, 2016).
PhotoCredit:DennisvandeWater

21. The increase of tourism and quality of the economy will
not have a major impact on environmental issues.
Tourism is not a direct cause of global climate change
that is happening in Iceland. However, some of the main
tourist attractions involving glaciers, hiking, and ice
caves will eventually decline in availability due to its
effects (What Climate Change Could Mean For The
Future Of Iceland Tourism, 2016).
What impacts do or will they have on
environmental issues, such as global
climate change?

22. WORKS CITED
● Ástvaldsson, J. P. (2017, October 15). In Focus: Iceland Leaves Enormous Environmental Footprint. Retrieved December 06, 2017, from
http://icelandreview.com/news/2017/10/15/focus-iceland-leaves-enormous-environmental-footprint
● Baldwin, P. (2014, November). Environmental Globalization in Iceland. Retrieved from Iceland's Hotspot:
https://icelandhotspot.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/environmental-globalization-in-iceland/
● Carissa. (2015, 3 31). Retrieved from http://cleonardiceland.weebly.com/blog/effects-of-globalization-in-iceland
● CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita). (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2017, from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC?end=2014&start=1960&type=points&view=map
● Energy Data. (2016, June 27). Retrieved December 06, 2017, from https://askjaenergy.com/iceland-introduction/energy-data/
● Environment. (2017, January 17). Retrieved from Iceland is: http://www.iceland.is/the-big-picture/nature-environment/environment/
● Fuels. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2017, from http://www.nea.is/fuels/
● Gardarsson , S. (2015, February 17). Keeping Iceland’s Water Safe at the National Level [Web log post]. Retrieved December 4, 2017, from
http://blog.waterdiplomacy.org/2015/02/keeping-icelands-water-safe-at-the-national-level/
● Hafstað, V. (2017, January 05). Iceland's Image Blackened by Coal. Retrieved December 06, 2017, from
http://icelandreview.com/news/2017/01/05/icelands-image-blackened-coal

23. WORKS CITED II
● Heritage Foundation. (2017). Retrieved from 2017 Index of Economic Freedom: http://www.heritage.org/index/country/iceland
● Iceland. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2017 from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/places/germany-scandinavia-and-central-europe/scandinavian-political-geography/iceland
● Iceland country briefing - The European environment - state and outlook 2015. ( 2017, September 27). Retrieved December 02, 2017 from
https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer-2015/countries/iceland
● Iceland Environment - current issues. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2017, from http://www.indexmundi.com/iceland/environment_current_issues.html
● Iceland Photos That Will Blow Your Mind - The Planet D. (2016, December 27). Retrieved December 04, 2017, from
https://theplanetd.com/iceland-photos-mind-blowing-beauty/
● Iceland Population (LIVE). (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2017, from http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/iceland-population/
● Logadóttir, H. H. (2013). Iceland’s sustainable energy story: A model for the world? UN Chronicle,52(3), 40-45. doi:10.18356/639208ee-en
● Lomas, A. (2015, November 5). Exploring Iceland. Retrieved from http://alomasiceland.weebly.com/blog/globalization-in-iceland
● Matsangon, E. (2015, September 15). Failing Banks winning Economy; the Truth about Iceland's recovery. Retrieved from World Finance:
https://www.worldfinance.com/infrastructure-investment/government-policy/failing-banks-winning-economy-the-truth-about-icelands-recovery

24. WORKS CITED III
● National water footprint explorer. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2017, from
http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/national-water-footprint-explorer/
● Oil and Gas Exploration. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2017, from http://www.nea.is/oil-and-gas-exploration/
● OECD Environmental Performance Iceland 2014 [Review]. (2014). pg.13
● Thermal Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2017, from http://me1065.wikidot.com/energy-in-iceland
● Vargas, N. (2016, November 28). What Climate Change Could Mean For The Future Of Iceland Tourism. Retrieved December 06, 2017, from
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/iceland/articles/what-climate-change-could-mean-for-the-future-of-iceland-tourism/
● Veal, L. (2017, April 14). Hydrogen, Iceland and the Future of Transport. Retrieved December 06, 2017, from
https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/sustainability/affordable-clean-energy/1074-hydrogen-iceland-and-the-future-of-transport
● Water Availability for Iceland. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2017, from https://www.greenfacts.org/en/water-resources/figtableboxes/aquastat82.htm
● What are the sources of energy used in Iceland? | National Energy Authority of Iceland. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2017, from
http://www.nea.is/the-national-energy-authority/energy-statistics/primary-energy/sources-of-energy/