Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, is a national environmental non-governmental organization based in Reykjavík. Landvernd was founded in 1969 with a main emphasis on nature conservation, in particular on the conservation of soil and vegetation. In the last two decades, Landvernd's efforts have increasingly concentrated on protecting Iceland's unique wilderness and landscapes, especially in the uninhabited central highlands of the country. This is not least due to an increasing demand of energy for heavy industry, notably aluminum, causing non-reversable destruction of large sensitive areas in Icelandic nature.