Finnish Lakeland Forum Mikkeli
We have inherited the magnificent Vuoksi water system. Clean water and lake nature provide us with vitality and well-being. Our lake region is only on loan to us, and it is our responsibility to safeguard its purity and biodiversity for future generations as well.
Finnish Lakeland Forum is a collaborative effort for the benefit of our clean lake region. Each year, the Forum brings together stakeholders from the field to promote the vitality of the region. As a foundation for this cooperation, the Finnish Lakeland Charter was signed in Mikkeli on World Environment Day, 5 June 2019.
FINNISH LAKELAND FORUM
Tue 9 June 2026
Mikkeli Music Institute
Shopping Centre Stella
Finnish Lakeland Forum is part of the wider Mikkeli Water Week event, which highlights the importance and opportunities of clean water from many different perspectives. mikkeliwaterweek.fi
Finnish Lakeland Forum seminar / expert morning session
Mikkeli Music Institute, Maaherrankatu 10, FI-50100 Mikkeli
The seminar promotes sustainable business and livelihoods that respect natural values. This time, the Finnish Lakeland Forum seminar will focus on international cooperation. The event will be held in English.
Welcome to the Finnish Lakeland Forum expert morning session at Mikkeli Music Institute. The event is free of charge, but registration is required by Sunday 31 May 2026. Register for the seminar here.
Finnish Lakeland Forum public lectures and free concert
Shopping Centre Stella, Hallituskatu 3–5, FI-50100 Mikkeli
This year, Finnish Lakeland Forum also aims to be more accessible to local residents. Therefore, after the expert morning session, Finnish Lakeland Forum will move to Shopping Centre Stella at 1:00 pm. The afternoon programme at the shopping centre will include public lectures, a free concert for local residents by the award-winning Folk Saimaa band, as well as other interesting side programme. Everyone is welcome to attend the afternoon programme without advance registration. This part of the programme will be in Finnish.
Finnish Lakeland Forum Seminar
Music Institute Hall, 9.00 am–11.30 am, Maaherrankatu 10
Registration and coffee from 8.30 am
Programme
Opening remarks
Jouni Riihelä, Deputy Mayor, City of Mikkeli
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
International cooperation, Water Sector Growth and Export Programme
Speeches by international guests
Water challenges and solutions from around the world
Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)
State of the Baltic Sea and microplastics, Outi Setälä, Team Leader
Panel discussion
Building blocks for cross-border cooperation
Closing remarks
Janne Kinnunen, Mayor, City of Mikkeli
Host: Matti Malinen, Secretary General, Mikkeli University Consortium
Lunch for pre-registered participants at Restaurant Pormestari
The seminar is open to everyone, but requires pre-registration by 31 May 2026. Register for the seminar here
Finnish Lakeland Forum Public Lectures and Free Concert
Stella Shopping Centre, Tähtitori Square, 1 pm–4 pm, Hallituskatu 3–5
Open to the public
Programme
Opening remarks
Heini Utunen, Regional Mayor, Regional Council of South Savo
Water Sector Business Award
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Musical performance
Jui-Hsin Ni
Flash talk 1: Microplastics and harmful substances in aquatic environments
Eveliina Repo, Professor, LUT University and Aki Mykkänen, Project Researcher, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk)
Flash talk 2: Rotary clubs working for clean water
Flash talk 3: Boating and its impacts on waterways
Topiantti Äikäs, Director of Land Use and Planning, City of Mikkeli
Musical performance
Jui-Hsin Ni
Panel discussion: Sustainable water-friendly lakeside living
Panelists:
Pia Alapeteri, sustainability advocate and second home owner from Pieksämäki
Santtu Hulkkonen, entrepreneur (Solved) and second home owner from Juva
Tuula Pihkala, Project Manager, Mikkeli Development Miksei Ltd
Topiantti Äikäs, Director of Land Use and Planning, City of Mikkeli
Moderator: Minttu Tamski
Closing remarks
Mikkeli City Board
Folk Saimaa – Free concert
Host: Minttu Tamski, Producer and Performer, Kaukasus Collective
The programme will be updated.
Welcome to Mikkeli, the capital of clean water!
Meet the speakers
Jouni Riihelä
Director of Urban Development, M.Sc. (Tech.)
City of Mikkeli
Jouni Riihelä, Director of Urban Development, serves as the head of the service area at the City of Mikkeli. The Lakeland Charter was created based on Jouni’s idea. Finnish Lakeland Forum was established in connection with the signing of the Charter, and the first FLF was held in Mikkeli on 5 June 2019. Jouni also serves as Chair of the Boards of the Saimaa Recreation Area Association and Saimaa UNESCO Global Geopark.
Sari Essayah
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
Sari Essayah has served as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry since June 2023. The Minister’s portfolio covers agriculture and forestry, including food policy, food safety and animal welfare, rural policy, commercial fishing, recreational fishing and game-related issues. In addition, the Minister is responsible for geospatial information matters such as land surveying.
Riku Rantala
Journalist and Non-fiction Author
Riku Rantala is a journalist, TV producer and non-fiction author who has travelled a couple of million kilometres around the world for his work. Together with Tunna Milonoff, he has created the Madventures, Docventures and Madventures Suomi series, as well as 11 non-fiction books. Their work has earned them all the major awards in the field, including the State Award for Public Information, the Suomen Kuvalehti Journalism Award, 11 Golden Venla awards and the Format-Finlandia award.
Seok-hee Hong
Director of Water Quality Improvement Division
Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea
Mr. Hong’s previous positions:
- Team Leader of National Funding Strategy Team, Budget Division of the Office of Planning & Coordination, Daegu Metropolitan City (2022)
- Director, Administrative Support Division, Seoul Headquarters of Daegu Metropolitan City (2019)
- Team Leader of Policy Promotion Team, Water Intake Source Relocation Project, Green Environment Bureau (2018)
- Deputy Director, Evaluation Division of the Office of Planning & Coordination, Daegu Metropolitan City (2018)
Eetu Karhunen
Senior Fisheries Specialist
Metsähallitus
Eetu Karhunen works as a Senior Fisheries Specialist in Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland. His responsibilities include matters related to the organisation of fishing in the Vuoksi main catchment area on state-managed waters, as well as cooperation with fisheries regions and fishery collectives.
Kati Pitkänen
Senior Researcher
SYKE
Kati Pitkänen is a Senior Researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute with extensive experience in the study of leisure living and multilocal living. Her research has focused in particular on leisure-related multilocality, interaction between urban and rural areas, recreational use of nature and its effects on well-being and health, as well as the social impacts of the circular economy.
Sanna Eerikäinen
Sustainability Ambassador
Savonlinna Travel Ltd
Sanna Eerikäinen is a professional in sustainable tourism, and for the past five years she has supported companies in developing tourism business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Sustainable water tourism became familiar to Sanna during her nearly twenty years in a family business that organised church boat experiences on Finnish and international waters. She has also served on the recreation, youth and events committee of the Finnish Canoeing and Rowing Federation.
Juha Kauppinen
PhD, Coordinator, Project Manager
City of Mikkeli
Juha Kauppinen works as the Coordinator of the Blue Economy Mikkeli water expertise centre. He has extensive experience in a wide range of development tasks and projects, as well as cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Salla Pulliainen
Project Manager
South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk)
Salla Pulliainen works as a Project Manager in the Environmental Safety and Water Technology Research Group at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences.
Eveliina Repo
Professor
LUT
Eveliina Repo is a Professor in the Department of Separation Science at LUT University. Her main research topics include the recovery of valuable substances from side streams, the use of 3D printing in separation and purification technologies, and the development of new materials for water and air purification, battery materials, and green hydrogen production.
Jarkko Laitinen
Managing Director of the Water Utility
Water Utility
Jarkko Laitinen has served as the Managing Director of the Mikkeli Water Utility since February 2023. He has gained broad experience in the water services sector since 2006.
Pentti Mäkinen
Regional Mayor
Pentti Mäkinen has served as Regional Mayor of South Savo since 2014. He was Chair of Lake Saimaa Association until 2022.
CHARTER
Our generation has inherited the magnificent Vuoksi water system – Lake Saimaa, Lake Kallavesi, Lake Höytiäinen and Lake Pielinen. The region is a unique combination of clean waterways, thousands of islands and breathtaking landscapes.
Clean water and lake nature provide vitality and well-being. Vitality does not emerge on its own. It requires commitment and action from all of us – research-based product development in industry and the right attitude towards the environment. Our lakes are only on loan to us, and therefore it is our duty to safeguard the purity, biodiversity and vitality of the region for future generations – from father to son, from mother to daughter.
By signing this Charter, we wish to pass on the environmental heritage of our lake region by:
- promoting sustainable development,
- strengthening the vitality of the region,
- advancing responsible tourism and recreational use, supporting multidisciplinary research on Saimaa, and improving aquatic habitats and water quality.
We, the signatories, commit ourselves to protecting the waterways of our region and promoting its vitality. The more detailed principles, objectives and indicators of success for this cooperation will be defined in separate cooperation agreements to be ratified at the Finnish Lakeland Forum event in 2020.
This Charter is a long-term and ongoing path of development: an intergenerational relay for a clean Saimaa. The Charter will be redefined and signed by a new generation every 25 years.
Mikkeli, 5 June 2019
SIGNATORIES
Cities and municipalities
Municipality of
Enonkoski
Municipality of
Heinävesi
City of
Iisalmi
City of
Imatra
City of
Joensuu
Municipality of
Joroinen
Municipality of
Juuka
Municipality of
Juva
Municipality of
Kaavi
City of
Kitee
Municipality of
Kontiolahti
City of
Kuopio
Municipality of
Lapinlahti
City of
Lappeenranta
Municipality of
Lemi
Municipality of
Leppävirta
City of
Lieksa
Municipality of
Liperi
City of
Mikkeli
City of
Nurmes
City of
Outokumpu
Municipality of
Polvijärvi
Municipality of
Puumala
Municipality of
Rantasalmi
Municipality of
Ruokolahti
Municipality of
Rääkkylä
Municipality of
Savitaipale
City of
Savonlinna
Municipality of
Siilinjärvi
Municipality of
Sulkava
Municipality of
Taipalsaari
Municipality of
Tervo
Municipality of
Tuusniemi
City of
Varkaus
Regional councils
Regional Council of
South Karelia
Regional Council of
North Karelia
Regional Council of
South Savo
Regional Council of
North Savo
ELY Centres
Southeast Finland
ELY Centre
North Karelia
ELY Centre
South Savo
ELY Centre
North Savo
ELY Centre
