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Swedish Water House
Drottninggatan 33
Phone: +46 8 121 360 00
Ripples & Waves
Välkommen till Ripples & Waves!
Den här bloggen är ett forum för idéer och kommentarer från och för Swedish Water Houses nätverk. Skribenterna är anställda vid Swedish Water House och Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Genom att lyfta fram aktuell forskning och presentera nya perspektiv på den globala vattensituationen vill vi engagera såväl experter som en bredare grupp aktörer med intresse för globala vattenfrågor.
De åsikter som framförs i bloggen är skribenternas egna, inte Swedish Water Houses eller SIWIs. Du är varmt välkommen att kommentera det som framförs i bloggen. Swedish Water House förbehåller sig rätten att ta bort irrelevant, stötande eller olagligt material. Du kan rapportera olagligt innehåll här.
Anders Jägerskog
Ann-Mari Karlsson
Gunilla Björklund
Karin Glaumann
Karin Lexén
Lovisa Selander
News Stream
Swedish Water House
Water and Climate Coalition
World Water Week
climate change
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
Climate Change and Water – a developing international process
During the recent UNFCCC/COP19 conference in Warzawa the indispensable linkages between climate change adaptation and its implications to freshwater were dealt with. The issue was discussed both at side events and in relation to the Nairobi Work Programme, the Durban Platform and the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage.
In the above mentioned processes SIWI was actively involved, which can also be seen on the SIWI blog (www.siwi.org/blog). SIWI also, in cooperation with other organisations, presented some entry points to emphasise the linkages, in particular in the negotiations. See SIWI's messages at COP19 here.
It is encouraging to see that the linkages between climate change adaptation and water security are being brought up at other high-level meetings as well. During UNESCO's General Conference in Paris, 13 November, a High-level Panel Session was organised to share experiences, views and recommendations on coping with climate change impacts on water resources in the Andes, Pamir, Tian Shan, Hindu Kush-Himalayas and in Europe. In these mountainous areas glacier melt leads to rapid retreats and higher risks of natural hazards such as floods and landslips. This poses a threat to the often vulnerable local populations and may in the long run have an even more devastating effect on water availability.
The Third Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health of the UNECE Water Convention in Oslo, 25-27 November, addressed climate change impacts and the need to prepare guidance on water supply and sanitation in extreme weather. Although no detailed negotiations resulting in binding texts have yet taken place, it is important to acknowledge that the linkages between climate change impacts and water availability are entering convention and protocol text, outside of the UNFCCC.
Another example is the workshop within the Drought Management Programme, jointly organised in Warsaw by the University of Life Science in Warsaw and Global Water Partnership (GWP), 28-29 October. The Drought process has been discussed by me in a piece earlier this year. Another activity where GWP is playing a crucial role is the Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) created to support integration of water security and climate change adaptation issues into development planning processes and financing and investment strategies.
The examples presented above demonstrate that the issue of impacts of and adaptation to climate change on water resources are gaining recognition - which is important. But the discussions are still mainly taking place at events with a freshwater perspective! Climate experts and climate negotiators have a tendency of seeing the freshwater aspect as less important. There is a need for SIWI and others to keep pushing for the active recognition of those linkages at climate change meetings, in particular at UNFCCC-meetings where government representatives are negotiating.
Gunilla Björklund,
CEO, GeWa Consulting
Environmental Services - an Increasingly Important Asset
You cannot manage what you don't measure – this counts for business as much as for the so called "GDP of the poor". This was the key message from Pavan Sukhdev, CEO of the consultancy GIST and former head of the TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) Study, at the seminar "Environmental Services – an Increasingly Important Asset".
See more photos from the seminar here.
The seminar was co-hosted by Swedish Water House, the Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) and the Swedish Sustainable Investment Forum (SWESIF).
Indeed, we depend on nature in everything we do. This notion is slowly gaining ground among policy makers, bankers and investors. The organising institutions used the occasion of Pavan Sukhdev being in Sweden to receive Gothenburg's price for sustainability to invite him to a seminar on ecosystem services targeting companies and investment firms. The more than 80 participants finally even included politicians, scientists and journalists serving for an active discussion.
Most striking was the message that the old myth of a dichotomy between development and conservation is terribly wrong. The "GDP of the poor" concept, introduced by Pavan Sukhdev, shows that the world's poorest draw much of their livelihood and employment from forest, water and soil sectors and therefore are particularly dependent on natural resources.
Development policy must acknowledge this connection and make sure that the poorest of the world are not deprived of their resource base. The key problem is that externalities – cost effects that third parties not involved in an economic transaction have to pay for whether they want or not – are completely ignored in current reporting systems such as GDP and legal-political frameworks.
At the same time, there are direct risks in terms of business disruption, resource prices and even reputational risks associated with the ecological impacts of a company, all of them lacking quantitative analysis. But again - you cannot manage what you don't measure.
Reporting systems turned out to be one of the critical aspects of the seminar discussion. While these systems are nowadays entirely reduced to the physical wealth of the shareholder, public, ecological, human and social capitals also have to be accounted for. Thinking of the poor farmer being exposed to other businesses' externalities, even the roughest estimate of these effects will be better than completely ignoring them, thus mathematically saying they were zero.
There are solutions – and even though we talk about global issues like planetary boundaries, the GDP of the poor, climate change and biodiversity loss, the solutions to direct action are on the micro level, referring to responsible advertising, diminishing leverage, resource taxation and disclosure of externalities.
If still in doubt, have a look at what is at stake and see the beating heart of the global water cycle: This is not only about loving the forest – this is about 20 billion tons of water being pumped into the air daily by the Amazon Rainforest, supporting a USD 240 billion agricultural economy in the Rio Plata basin! But still, we decide to ignore negative externalities of the top 3,000 companies summing up to USD 2.15 trillion per year, and buy beef that comes with externalised costs outweighing the direct economic value by the 19-fold.
- Find the seminar report, Pavan Sukhdev's presentation and video documentation of the seminar here.
Nicolai Schaaf,
Programme Officer,
Swedish Water House
WaterMicro 2013 - an inspiring conference
In September, I attended the 17th International Symposium on Health-Related Water Microbiology (WaterMicro 2013), which was held in Florianopolis in Brazil. This symposium is a biennial event organised by the International Water Association (IWA) Specialist Group on Health-Related Water Microbiology (HRWM).
I got to meet many researchers from my field. I talked to colleagues with whom I have cooperated previously. For example, I got a chance to discuss in person our manuscript with the co-author from Australia. I also met and got introduced to famous researchers whose scientific papers I have often referred to in my work. It was particularly useful to meet the professor from the USA who will be my opponent at my PhD thesis defence. I hope that the contacts that I established at this symposium with both graduate students and senior researchers will lead to cooperation within various international research projects.
The symposium was very informative and helped me to explore the developments in the field of health-related microbiology. It was very useful to get to know which research groups work with questions similar to the ones we work with in our research group. I found the presentations on the topic of Quantitative Microbial Risks Assessment (QMRA) particularly useful, since QMRA is currently being widely applied in Sweden in the context of a safe drinking water supply. It was also useful to listen to the presentations on the topics that I do not work with directly. The broad scope of the symposium helped me to widen my knowledge of the field.
My presentation concerned the use of hydrodynamic modelling to simulate the transport of faecal pathogens in water sources, in order to provide input data for QMRA. Faecal contamination of drinking water sources is an important cause of waterborne disease outbreaks. Knowledge on pathogen concentrations in source water is needed to assess the ability of a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) to provide safe drinking water. However, pathogen enumeration in source water samples is often not sufficient to describe the source water quality. In our study, the norovirus concentrations were characterised at the contamination source, i.e. in sewage discharges located upstream of the DWTP. Then, the transport of norovirus within the water source (the river Göta älv in Sweden) under different conditions was simulated using a hydrodynamic model. The model provided a prediction of the norovirus concentrations at the intake of the DWTP. Based on the predicted concentrations in source water, the required reduction of norovirus at the DWTP was calculated using QMRA. The required reduction was compared with the estimated treatment performance at the DWTP.
It was very encouraging and motivating to get positive responses regarding my presentation. I found the symposium one of the most interesting and relevant events that I have attended during my PhD project. The only minor disappointment was the weather – it was raining almost all the time, and, consequently, the technical tour to the shellfish farm had to be cancelled. I definitely hope to attend the next WaterMicro in 2015, which will be held in Portugal.
Ekaterina Sokolova,
Chalmers Tekniska Högskola
Rapport från IWA-konferensen 7th International Conference on Sewer Processes & Networks
I slutet av augusti i år deltog vi i den sjunde upplagan av IWA konferensen "Sewer Processes and Networks" som gick av stapeln i Sheffield, England. De flesta deltagare var forskare och konsulter från Europa, men stora delar av resten av världen fanns också representerade med undantag av USA.
Konferensanläggningen i Sheffield, England
Hur man ska få igång samarbete med även detta land var något som berördes av Key Note Speaker Professor Hvitvedt-Jacobsen från Ålborgs Universitet i hans introduktionsföreläsning. Han berättade vidare om hur förståelsen för bildningsprocessen i ledningsnät för den giftiga och korrosiva gasen svavelväte växt fram och vad han trodde kommer att bli viktiga punkter att arbeta vidare med. Förekomsten av höga halter av svavelväte är något som är relativt ovanligt i Sverige om man jämför med länder med ett varmare klimat. Ett sådant land är Australien och under konferens gång presenterades ett flertal studier därifrån som har försökt begränsa uppkomsten och mildra effekterna av denna gas. Svavelväte genereras av mikroorganismer, för att få bukt med dessa hade några forskare utvecklat en elektrokemisk metod där man genom att tillföra spillvattnet mellan 5-10 volt åstadkom en kraftig höjning av pH samt frigjorde mer syre. Mikroorganismerna, som behöver anaeroba förhållanden och låga pH, deaktiveras på sådant sätt.
Vidare presenterades arbeten som rörde metoder eller strategier för drift och underhåll av ledningsnät. Idag finns många olika typer av avancerade verktyg som kan ge en stor mängd data men som måste konsolideras för att bli värdefull information för att sedan kunna ge vägledning om rätt åtgärder. Flera arbeten som presenterades syftade till att utröna vilka data som räcker för att ge ett tillräckligt bra underlag för beslut. Detta rörde främst åtgärder för drift och förnyelse av avloppsledningsnät. Sådana arbeten är viktiga så att forskning kan bidra till förändringar ute i verksamheten.
Jonathan hade en muntlig presentation om en nyss avslutad studie där vi har undersökt vilka ledningar som kan vara känsliga för ökad sedimentation när avfallskvarnar införs i stor skala. Det har visat sig att i vissa ledningar kan äggskal och andra matrester som kvarnarna inte klarar att finfördela fastna. Vår studie har försökt belysa vilka kriterier en ledning bör uppfylla för att inte riskera förhöjda halter av sediment. En faktor av speciell betydelse utöver de som man normalt dimensionerar efter (exempelvis flöde och lutning) är förekomsten av svackor på en ledning. Det är viktigt att ha i åtanke att ledningar installerade vid ett tidigare skede inte nödvändigtvis ser ut på samma sätt i nutid då sättningar i marken m.m. kan ha uppstått. Detta kan skapa svackor på ledningar där sediment kan ansamlas. En annan presentation från Nederländerna belyste just betydelsen av svackor vid formationen av fettavlagringar.
Ett område som vi var speciellt intresserad av att höra mer om under konferensens gång var tillskottsvatten i spillvattenledningar. Flera svenska kommuner har haft problem med stora pumpkostnader och dålig effektivitet bland processer på reningsverk på grund av just tillskottsvatten. Vi lyssnade därför med extra intresse när en fallstudie kring precisionen av olika metoder för att utvärdera nivån av tillskottsvatten presenterades av konsultföretaget Environmental Monitoring Solutions Ltd. från östra Europa. Staden där studien utfördes hade under en längre tid noterat att man hade ett tillskott på inkommande vatten till reningsverket om ca 30 %. För att lokalisera källorna till tillskottsvattnet testades ett antal metoder såsom att undersöka flödet för att se om det verkade oproportionerligt mot det förväntade. Andra metoder var att analysera parametrar för avloppsvattnet som skulle tyda på utspädning exempelvis temperatur och konduktivitet. Utvärdering av resultatet fortskrider i skrivandets stund, de första indikationerna man har tyder på att man lyckats ringa in vissa problemområden. Dock har man erfarit problem med att intervallerna för flödesmätningarna inte varit tillräckligt täta, vissa toppar i flöden kan ha missats. Vi tror att internationella erfarenheter från just denna typ av projekt kan bli vägledande för svenska kommuner när man funderar på vilken metod man ska använda och när denna ska appliceras.
Konferensens välkomstmottagning hölls i ett gammalt industriområde som byggts om till museum, Kel-ham Island Museum. Som underhållning till snittarna och drycken sattes en ångmaskin i jätteformat igång som i en tidigare era drivit ett valsverk. Tydligen den mest kraftfulla ångmaskin som fortfarande är fungerande i Europa. Konferensmiddagen hölls i Sheffield Town Hall. Som alltid åker man inte till England för att äta god mat, men genom strategiskt val av middagsbord med legendariska avloppsledningsforskare såsom Thorkild Hvitvid Jacobsen, Richard Ashley, Neil Armitage och Bryan Ellis hade vi ändå ett stort utbyte av middagen.
Annelie Hedström,
Luleå Tekniska Universitet
Jonathan Mattson,
Luleå Tekniska Universitet
The role of trade in aid – report from Sida development talks
In the development talks organised by Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) this Monday the speakers on the "Global Value Chain" topic seemed to agree that it offers new opportunities for developing countries.
Speakers included representatives mainly from the trade organisations so it should not seem strange that they are supporting the idea of trade liberalisation promoting poverty alleviation. But the reflections on the role of the global, but also increasingly the regional value chains, were still interesting. The outlook of GVC gives a somewhat new approach to trade policy since it includes the role of intermediate products and the segmentation of the production. There are some risks for lock-in effects and for developing countries especially, it is important to upgrade along the value chain, and improve the value added in order to gain from it.
The role of environment and water was touched upon in few of the presentations, but James Zhan of UNCTAD cautioned that the lack of a global trade institution (but not trade regime), means that there is need for strong environmental, social and governmental framework for trade and investments policies – that by the way should be more integrated (have we heard it before?!). Evdokia Moise of OECD also emphasised the need for inclusive growth. She also pointed out that energy as well as water, ICTs and transport sectors are imperative infrastructural services for the GVC, with the addition of singling out energy reliability as the most important infrastructure service.
Apparently there is a role for trade in aid. Sida is keen on this and supports research and initiatives. Private-public partnerships is very much a key in this area. The private sector is also very much willing to work in this way, at least according to H&M's Tobias Fisher who was one of the seminar's panelists. He also was the one speaker that put women empowerment and water in the first sentence of his speech so we look forward to following the development of this area.
Elin Weyler,
Programme Manager
Swedish Water House
För miljön i tiden – en resa som manar till reflektion
Lördagen den 23 november samlades konst, vetenskap, politik, näringsliv och kungligheter på Dramaten för den unika föreställningen "För miljön i tiden". Utmaningarna och arbetet för en levande planet stod i fokus när Kung Carl XVI Gustaf uppmärksammades för sitt miljöengagemang under 40 år på tronen.
Se fler bilder från föreställningen här
Samtal mellan politiker, aktivister, ekonomer och artister varvades med musik och filmklipp när Dramatens publik togs med på en miljöresa genom fyra decennier och in i framtiden. Från kärnkraftsdebatt och säldöd till dagens globala klimatkonferenser. Det var en känslofylld föreställning som tog sig an den svåra frågan hur vi kan hjälpa när världen skriker efter mer handling och alltför lite görs. Medverkade gjorde bland annat artisten Sofia Jannok, EU-parlamentarikern Isabella Lövin och Sveriges första miljöminister Birgitta Dahl, som var en nyckelperson i miljövågen på 80-talet.
Klimatförändringarna och deras krisartade effekter på vår jord kan inte längre ignoreras. Johan Rockström, professor vid Stockholm Resilience Centre, betonade att jorden hittills haft en förbluffande återhämtningsförmåga våra ohållbara vanor till trots. Men nu har planeten börjat sända ut signaler på att den inte längre klarar sig. Vi har utvecklats från en "liten värld på en stor planet till en stor värld på en liten planet". För framtiden behövs ett förändrat tankesätt och en samhällsmodell som är både ekologiskt, social och ekonomiskt hållbar.
Den unika sammansättningen av politik, konst, näringsliv och vetenskap var tilltagen för att hitta nya sätt att nå ut till och påverka människor. Samarbete över gränserna är kritiskt om vi ska klara utmaningarna från klimatförändringar och ett hårt tryck på ekosystemen. Enbart fakta och kunskap räcker inte för att få människor att gå från tanke till handling och det är där konsten har en viktig uppgift. Fotografen Mattias Klum framhävde att bild och film är effektiva medel att länka hjärna och hjärta och beröra människor på djupet.
Pjäsens medverkande var rungande överens om att det behövs ett större folkligt tryck på politiken och mer koordinerade insatser för miljön. I en föreställning som manade till reflektion och eftertanke var det huvudsakliga budskapet att varje enskild individ kan bidra till klimatarbetet. Varje beslut vi tar, varje handling vi gör, har betydelse. Och vi har inte en minut att spilla – världen måste räddas nu.
- Se publikens kommentarer om föreställningen.
- Föreställningen kommer att sändas på Kunskapskanalen den 19 december klockan 16.
- En web cast av föreställningen kommer även att läggas upp på UR Play (urplay.se) inom de närmsta veckorna. Håll utkik där!
För miljön i tiden är ett samarbete mellan Dramaten, Kungliga Skogs- och Lantbruksakademien (KSLA), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Stockholm International Water Institute(SIWI), Stockholm Resilience Centre och Världsnaturfonden WWF. För miljön i tiden har möjliggjorts med stöd från Svenska Postkodlotteriet.
Sanna Gustafsson,
Communications Officer,
Stockholm International Water Institute
Global Landscapes Forum: "Shaping the climate and development agenda for forests and agriculture"
Är det möjligt att producera tillräckligt mycket mat till de 9 miljarder människor som prognostiseras befolka jorden 2050, utan förödande påverkan på världens skogar och kraftigt ökad klimatpåverkan? Vad är drivkrafterna för myndigheter, lokalsamhällen och näringslivet till att ställa om jordbruket och nyttjandet av skogen till långsikt produktivt och lönsamt, i en klimatpåverkad verklighet? De frågorna är centrala i klimattoppmötet som pågår i Warsawa, COP19.
Organisationerna CIFOR och CCAFS menar att om man inkluderar all de sociala, institutionella, ekonomiska och naturliga resurser som finns i ett landskap - hellre än att fokusera enskilt på resurser från skogen, staden, vattnet eller jordbruket - så vidgas perspektiven, komplexiteten blir större och därmed även möjligheten till framgångrikt och uthålligt nyttjande av resurserna.
De har därför ersatt de traditionella "Forest Day" och "Agricultural Day" med "the Global Landscapes Forum" under det pågående mötet i Warsawa. Under två dagar har forskare, beslutsfattare, ministrar, näringslivet, internationella organisationer och NGO's delat och diskuterat erfarenheter och resultat. Engagemanget och tron på potentialen i att arbeta i landskap var stor. Många exempel presenterades, där landskapsperspektivet resulterat i både ökade skördar, minskad risk och ökad vinst för företagen, livskraftiga ekosystem och minskad klimatpåverkan.
Men, en central fråga som hänger kvar efter forumets två dagar är hur man ska definiera landskapet. Inga konkreta eller enhälliga slutsatser gjordes. Snarare diskuterades att avgränsningen bör vara flexibel, den kan vara administrativ, ekonomisk, kulturell, etisk, ekologisk eller geopolitisk – beroende på syfte och omständigheter.
I vattenrelaterade projekt är det ofta naturligt att avgränsningen är avrinningsområdet. Vattnets roll för fungerande landskap är fundamental, för både fungerande skogar, jordbruk och civilsamhällen. Ändå saknades vatten som en grundläggande del av landskapet under forumets diskussioner. Jag ser fram emot att pay-offen för nästa omgång av "Global Landscapes Forum" är "Shaping the climate, water, and development agenda for forests and agriculture".
Läs mer om forumet på www.landscapes.org.
Lotta Samuelson,
Programme Manager,
Swedish Water House
Human rights in the time of disaster
Waiting for the 'super typhoon' Haiyan to make landfall over Vietnam after killing more than ten thousand people in the Philippines, the situation is tense. More than half a million people have been evacuated.
A year ago, Typhoon Son-Tinh brought devastation and death after it unexpectedly changed course and struck Vietnam southeast of Hanoi. The farmers I interviewed there last June had strong memories of how the weather forecast had failed to prepare them. Strong winds also led to power outages and knocked out mobile phone signals ahead of the disaster – few were therefore reached by the news in time. The farmers suffered from continued power cuts for weeks after Typhoon Son-Tinh. Among other things, this meant that many were not able to pump water from their wells, cook, or boil water before drinking it.
The human right to water and sanitation is matched by an obligation resting on the state to take positive action. Though a natural hazard may overwhelm the local response capacity, this obligation remains in times of disaster. For instance, the right entitles to access to a minimum amount of safe drinking water to sustain life and health, which corresponds to an obligation to organise temporary water treatment and distribution facilities for those affected. It also includes the right to be protected from discriminatory disaster relief based on gender, ethnicity, age or other factors, and to have one's personal security upheld while exercising the right to access.
There are several guidelines to promote and facilitate a rights-based approach to post-disaster relief. With increasing population density and tourism in coastal areas, it would seem as if such are becoming ever-more relevant. Examples come from the Sphere Project, the Brookings Institution and the UN's Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing. Guidelines issued by the Indian Housing and Land Rights Network were implemented by the Government of Odisha after the cyclone that displaced more than two million people there recently. Evacuation and rehabilitation poses challenges to governments that need to ensure that the multiple human rights and dignity of the affected population are upheld.
Governance capacity is tested after every natural hazard. When a disaster reaches the scale it did in the Philippines it is hard to hold local government agencies accountable when relief work begins. Many victims of a disaster are left to their own devices when the need for safe drinking water is desperate. And though humanitarian assistance often comes in quickly, the case of Haiti shows how weak local institutions can thwart efforts to rebuild a functioning, equitable society for many years.
Wise from last year's experience, the farmers prepared well for Haiyan but remained worried. When it reached Vietnam the typhoon had weakened to a tropical storm. It also changed direction slightly again and made landfall further north. With only six casualties and relatively small material damages, Vietnam was lucky this time.
Dr. Jenny Grönwall
Programme Manager
Stockholm International Water Institute
[News Stream] Time for Change in Botswana
Botswana is the fastest-growing economy in the world. With a multiparty constitutional democracy since 1966 it has gone from being one of the poorest countries in the world to having middle-income status. Clearly this has improved livelihoods dramatically, but the rapid economic development has put increasing pressure on water resources and the land is now suffering from water scarcity.
Cobe River, Botswana by Graf-flugplatz
Botswana's politicians are saying that the poor old days of pit latrines are over, and that the country is moving towards becoming a modern society with flushing toilets and sewer systems. The people are eager to change. But, how sustainable is this vision? Botswana should definitely have the same right to develop as other countries. But is this a wise investment in a world that should be crying for new water saving and recycling solutions? Does it make economic sense to build sewer grids in a country as big as France but with a population of only 2 million people?
During one year (2012-2013) Swedish experts and Botswana professionals has worked together in a jointly funded project focusing on sustainable sanitation and wastewater management. From the project it became clear there are no incentive schemes for developing new innovative water saving solutions in Botswana. Households need to pay the full amount for their on-site sanitation and will not prepared to take any risks. The government is only financing public sewer systems, which means that decentralized solutions are not even considered by planners. Using a participatory approach the project identified a wide range of feasible solutions that has much lower investment cost than public sewer systems and in addition create benefits for agriculture and energy. Investing in these alternative systems should be of interest for planners and decision makers, but a change in attitudes is needed to make sure these systems are adopted.
A turning point for the project was when Botswana, as part of the project, received a visit from South Africa. The Head of Water and Sanitation in the City of Durban (eThekwini Municipality), Mr Neil Macleod, came to share his experiences from serving a population of about 3 million people, quite similar to Botswana. Mr. Macleod showed how they, over the last 13 years, have been working towards a vision of service delivery to all types of customers in line with resource and water conservation - all done in close dialogue with water users. Their vision is a water-saving and resource recycling system, which might be very decentralized in technology terms, but in a centrally planned system promotes entrepreneurship and innovation based on local conditions, as well as involves planners and academics. The presentation made quite an impact and Botswana officials have since then visited eThekwini to learn from their work. The project has contributed to a shift in water management practices in Botswana. Let's see how things look in a couple of years down the line!
Links for further reading:
Sten Stenbeck
Sustainable Development Advisor,
Urban Water
Rapport från International conference on multiphase flow 2013, Sydkorea 26 maj - 31 maj 2013
I maj deltog jag i en konferens om matematisk modellering. Matematisk modellering är ett av många verktyg man kan använda för att undersöka VA-tekniska system så som beredningsprocesser på ett vattenverk eller reningssteg på ett reningsverk. Fördelen med att använda en modell är att man kan undersöka en process under både normala och ansträngda förhållanden. Genom modellering finns möjligheten att studera ett flertal scenarier till en relativt låg kostnad.
Möjligheterna att skapa större och mer komplexa modeller ökar ständigt. Jag var framförallt intresserad av presentationer som handlade om partikelmodellering, vilket är ett av mina huvudsakliga forskningsområden. Jag valde att besöka föreläsningar och presentationer vilka handlade om turbulensmodeller, transportfenomen för partiklar, aggregering av partiklar och olika modeller för partikelsimulering. Under konferensen blev jag intresserad av en metod för att modellera flödet kring partiklar vilken heter Lattice Boltzmann. Metoden har flera fördelar jämfört med andra konventionella CFD-metoder, speciellt i hanteringen av komplexa geometrier och interaktion på mikroskopisk nivå.
Detta kan låta väldigt teoretiskt och långt från verkligheten, men en ökad erfarenhet inom partikelmodellering kan ha många praktiska tillämpningar. En presentation av J. Sansalone beskrev tillämpningar inom dagvatten modellering 'Hydrodynamic Separation of Particle-Laden Flows Transported by Urban Drainage'. Med bra modeller kan vi simulera effekter av exempelvis klimatförändringar och på så sätt bidra till att skapa hållbara VA-system i framtiden.
Mia Bondelind
Forskare, Vatten, Miljö och Teknik
[News Stream] Is there a global trend towards a more integrated approach on water, food, energy and climate issues?
The international process, weather linked to water security, food security or adaptation to climate change, shows tendencies of applying a broader and much more integrated perspective. This perspective is strongly needed as in fact ever since the Rio-process the different sectors have had a tendency of applying what lately have been talked about as a "silo"-approach. But when preparing the UN World Water Development Report 3 "Water in a Changing World" (2009) the discussions on finding solutions to the pressure on water resources outside the so called 'Water box' were intense. Since then an even broader approach has been promoted – where water specialists agree that from a policy and management perspective not even Integrated Water Resources Management is enough. The so called "nexus approach", where all sectors are integrated in the management/governance perspective, has grown out of the innovative Bonn Nexus Conference which was hosted by the German government in November 2011.
"It is increasingly clear: There is no place in an interlinked world for isolated solutions aimed at just one sector. They can have often fatal consequences in other sectors. If the world is going to reduce hunger and eradicate poverty, then achieving security for water, energy and food for people is critical." (nexusconference.web.unc.edu/whats-the-nexus)
Two planned international conferences, one within the framework of the UNFCCC/COP in November and one science/policy-conference in 2014 can serve as examples of how such an approach is now getting increasingly broader.
The Global Landscapes Forum (www.landscapes.org) sessions such as "Towards a sustainable landscape approach: New generation of integrated watershed management (IWM) programs for rural development, resilience and empowerment" and "Landscapes – a holistic approach to forests, water and agriculture systems in the context of climate change" clearly shows that a nexus perspective will characterise the discussions. One session, titled "What are the challenges for food security and livelihood under changing climate and how can landscape approach contribute to responding to these?" intend to broaden the perspective of the climate change-negotiators, from a pure climate change mitigation perspective to a sustainable landscape perspective – a landscape on which people are depending.
The other conference which clearly demonstrates the move towards a more integrated approach on water, food, energy and climate is the Nexus 2014: Water, Food, Climate and Energy Conference (http://nexusconference.web.unc.edu). The conference will bring together scientists and practitioners working in government, civil society and business to discuss how and why the nexus approach can and should be applied in local contexts as well as on international level. The conference intend, among other things to identify how science can inform policy processes, launch a Nexus Academic-Practitioner Network, and give input to the UN Sustainable Development Goals process. As this is a conference sponsored by UNDESA, UNDP and the World Bank among others the outcomes will, no doubt, have an impact on intergovernmental processes.
These are only two examples describing the broader cooperative approach increasingly taken by the water, agriculture, climate and energy sectors. Hopefully we will see – and take part in – more international initiatives like these. They help us to think, look and work outside of the water box. And, most important they will show decision-makers the necessity of applying a nexus approach in their work!
- Global Landscapes Forum will take place at the UNFCCC/COP-meeting in Warsaw 16-17 November 2013.
- Nexus 2014: Water, Food, Climate and Energy Conference will be hosted by the University of North Carolina, USA 3-7 March, 2014. Co-partners in arranging the conference are: SEI, UNDESA, UNDP, the World Bank, WBCSD and WWF.
Gunilla Björklund
CEO, GeWa Consulting
UNFCCC Workshop highlights links to sea grass and permafrost in balancing climate instability
I visited Bonn last week for a workshop hosted by The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The event was dedicated to exploring the "technical and scientific aspects of ecosystems of high- carbon reservoirs not covered by other agenda items under the Convention". During the two-day workshop current scientific knowledge of ecosystems of high-carbon reservoirs was mapped. Analysis included tracing the status, rate and losses of ecosystems as well how to manage them for reducing carbon emissions. Fascinating research into the wondrous diversity that composes our planet was shared, including the miracle of one of the oldest organisms identified in the world, the humble sea grass species, Posidonia oceanica.
Posidonia oceanica , more commonly known as 'Neptune Grass' or 'Mediterranean Tapeweed', is estimated to be between 80,000 and 200,000 years old. This figure was calculated by Australian researchers who measured its annual growth rate (15 kilometers and 6,000 metric tonnes) to pinpoint this impressive birthdate. It is mind blowing to note that this organism, which resides today in Mediterranean and Australian seas, has been in existence since the first records of human life began. What is even more remarkable is that this species plays a major role in resolving one of the most challenging issues facing humanity today; the ongoing changes in our climate. Posidonia oceanica is one of several examples of so called "high- carbon reservoirs". That is, ecosystems which store carbon instead of releasing it to the atmosphere and act as 'carbon sinks', helping to protecting us from the perils of unbalanced and powerful greenhouse gases.
Other famously recognisable carbon reservoirs include the Amazon rainforest, tropical peat forests, mangroves, peat lands and permafrost. In the high altitudes close to the North and South poles, permafrost (frozen soil) locks vast amounts of carbon away from the atmosphere. Increasing global temperatures threaten vast amounts of permafrost lands causing them to melt and releasing carbon in the form of methane gas. Permafrost is estimated to hold around 1, 672 Pg (petagrams) of carbon. This figure is almost double the amount of carbon currently recorded in our atmosphere today. The risks from release into the atmosphere are great and continued permafrost thaw could prove devastating for life on earth.
This risk was the red thread that appeared during the two days of presentations in Bonn. All of the high carbon reservoirs ecosystems are rapidly disappearing because of changes in land and water management. The central element for the balance of many of these ecosystems lies in the availability of water. A regular and stable influx of water means carbon can be stored safely in soil. However drainage and water logging incidences can cause soil to dry up, consequently speeding up the release of metric tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. In addition, our ancient sea grass friend, Posidonia oceanica, is diminishing at a rate of 17 % per year. With that loss, we lose not only the capacity to store carbon, but we also lose the ability to provide other important 'ecosystem services' to support biodiversity. This includes the balance of mangrove forests, spawning areas for economically important fish species as well as the regulation of water quality and quantity.
Despite this seemingly negative forecast, there is an upside. Andrey Sirin from the Russian Federation, eloquently expressed that we can directly impact and influence our carbon risks through the sustainable management of these important ecosystems. Our political and personal decisions will directly determine if these ecosystems maintain their roles as carbon sinks or if they shift to become dangerous carbon sources. This idea forms much of the impetus for the work that we do at SIWI. We aim to strengthen capacity and generate knowledge for better water management to enhance mitigation and the adaptation capacity of ecosystems to climate change.
Anna Forslund,
Programme Manager, Stockholm International Water Institute
Getting a taste of the "Swedish model" in forest management
SIWI recently hosted an Indonesian delegation during a study trip focused on climate, forestry and sustainable tourism in Sweden. As the group travelled from Övertorneå in the far north to Åtvidaberg in the south, valuable insight into Swedish forestry management was gained and a valuable partnership grew stronger.
See all photos from the trip on SIWI's Flickr
The study trip was arranged under the umbrella of Sida's Partner Driven Cooperation (PDC), a method for development aid based on mutual interests for cooperation. PDC supports Swedish partners in selected countries to build lasting relations that contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development. SIWI facilitates the PDC work until the end of 2013 and forestry, climate and sustainable tourism have been identified as focal areas in preceding workshops.
The week-long trip was filled with visits to various destinations: municipalities engaged in ecotourism, state forests and privately owned forests, providing a broad overview of Swedish forest governance. Planning the study tour, the hope was to provide real-life examples of sustainable forestry management and tourism activities, experiences that could be brought home. The opportunity to visit forests and see both differences and similarities with their own eyes was much appreciated among the Indonesians. One particularly memorable tour took the group through Rautiruova Eco Park a few kilometres above the polar circle. Dressed in borrowed overalls to endure the cold of approaching winter, the Indonesian delegation were guided through an old Swedish pine tree forest, got close and personal with reindeers, tasted wild berries, and drank the clear water from a forest spring. The group also ate an outdoor lunch with moose meat soup, all arranged by students at Övertorneå folkhögskola studying to become nature guides.
Encouraging was that the Indonesian delegation expressed that Sweden's forest governance model is perceived as world leading. The Governor of Central Kalimantan, Agustin Teras Narang, stated that "it has the whole package: the knowledge, the technology, and the right human resources." Indonesia, constituting the world's third largest area of tropical rainforest, is currently in an interesting phase impacting sustainable forest management. The country's forest is important not only for the national economy and local livelihoods but also for the global ambitions to limit emissions of climate gases. However, large parts of the Indonesian forest have been logged and the land degraded - an estimated 1.17 million hectares only between 2003 and 2006. Indonesia is committed to preventing further deforestation, mainting carbon stock and biodiversity in the forests and creating livelihood for the welfare of local communities and the whole nation. This means finding incentives to reduce emissions from forested lands, making low-carbon investments with high added-value, and creating innovations in forest management in its roadmap to inclusive sustainable development.
Transformation is challenging work. The delegation emphasised that the Indonesian governance structures must be changed to better support sustainable use of forests. Indonesia must also find ways to diversify incomes for people living in remote areas or forests, which enable them to manage the forests sustainably. Promoting small scale tourism has potential to contribute to development of local and regional income, but needs sustained support from government to become viable. Numerous Swedish stakeholder participated and look forward to continued involvement in the elaboration of pilot projects, and the visit hosted by SIWI was an important step in this direction. The Indonesian partners were seemingly impressed by what they saw in Sweden. The critical step now is to bring insights home and share it with others, and find useful applications for the new knowledge in the Indonesian context.
The relationships formed between Swedish and Indonesian stakeholders during the visit will grow into self-sufficient partnerships of mutual benefit before the year is over. The Indonesian delegates will elaborate specific areas of collaboration in workshops at home and within a month formulate suggestions for Swedish partners on joint activities and projects of mutual interest. Potential Swedish partners are universities, vocational schools, forest owners and associations as well as the Swedish Forest Agency and tourism sectors. Let's hope the "Swedish model" will contribute to projects driving sustainable forestry management forward in Indonesia!
Ms. Katarina Veem
Project Facilitator,
Director, Swedish Water House
Är Sverige en modell för Georgien?
Vad kan Georgien lära av svenska vattenbranschen? Det var en av frågorna som diskuterades när en delegation med politiker, vatteningenjörer och -förvaltare från Georgien besökte SIWI förra veckan. Under sitt besök fick de ta del av spännande föreläsningar om vattenrening och miljöförvaltning i Sverige. De fick även besöka bland annat Hammarby Sjöstad och Sjöstadsverket, den konstgjorda våtmarken Alhagen i Nynäshamn och Kungsängverket i Uppsala.
Mest intresse hos deltagarna väckte samspelet mellan mekanisk, kemisk och biologisk rening och alternativa behandlingsmetoder som i Alhagen våtmark som trots att den kräver stor yta gynnar miljön samtidigt som den är ekonomiskt lönsam. Även Sjöstadsverket och deras utveckling av nya reningstekniker var mycket uppskattat.
Field visit to Sjöstadsverket Visit to Stockholm City Hall Field visit to Alhagen Field visit to Kungsängsverket
Infrastruktur för vattenrening saknas på många håll i Georgien och ett mål med samarbetet mellan Världsbanken och Georgiens kommunala utvecklingsfond (Municipal Development Fund, MDF) som också står bakom studiebesöket är att bygga upp testanläggningar för reningsverk. Men den kunskapen som delegationen fick om tekniska möjligheter och svenskt kompetens är bara en sak. Hur kunskapen kan omsättas i praktiken är en helt annan fråga. Så länge till exempel upphandlingen bara omfattar tekniska specifikationer men inget syn på livscykel, kommer det att vara billiga kinesiska produkter som köps in och inte hållbara produkter som de fick se under studiebesöket och viket kan bli billigare i längden.
Speciellt i regioner med låg befolkningstäthet känns det som de tekniska utmaningarna inte är så olika mellan Sverige och Georgien även om lagstiftning och finansieringsmöjligheter skiljer sig. Prissättning av vattentjänster och tekniska lösningar för vatten och avlopp på landsbygden diskuterades därför intensivt under föreläsningsdagen på SIWI. Frågan om centrala eller decentrala strukturer och rollen av statliga och privata aktörer visades som en annan skillnad mellan båda länder. Medan kommunerna ansvarar för vattenrening i Sverige, är det UWSCG som ett enda privat företag som representerar största delen av vatten- och avloppsbranschen i Georgien. Det finns väldigt lite investering från statliga sidan.
Alla deltagarna var eniga om att integrerad planering är nyckeln till hållbar avloppshantering. Att identifiera relevanta aktörer och analysera tekniska förutsättningarna är ett viktigt led i att uppnå ansvarsfullt beslutsfattande. Men det känns som det är en lång väg till omsättningen eftersom hela vägen från analys av behov och bestående system till politisk och administrativ beslutfattning återstår.
Nicolai Schaaf
Programme Officer,
Swedish Water House
[News Stream] A Seven-Step-Strategy to Succeed in Setting up a Sustainable Society
The world's political, financial and ecological systems are under ever-increasing pressure. Within the work of the Swedish government's 2012/2013 ʻfuture commission', a research team was asked to come up with non-regret suggestions on how governments can tackle these challenges. For Swedish-speaking readers, a governmental sub-future-commission-report on green economy is also published "På väg mot en grönare framtid - möjligheter och utmaningar".
The UN definition and the OECD definition of a socially inclusive green economy were the starting point for the research team's report, which can be read as a blueprint on how to build ecological, social and economic resilience to promote sustainable human welfare, i.e. a "green economy". The governmental commission was afterwards (in a Swedish newspaper article) criticized by some of its own invited commissioners for not paying enough attention to proposed non-regret suggestions in the final report. The seven most important policy steps for green-economy candidate countries, according to the research-report, are:
Continual investment in a just transition. Investments could be considered a prudent insurance policy against any negative fallout from future ecological, economic and social shocks. Such investments not only offer opportunities to bolster the resilience of society, but they also give countries the opportunity to prosper when the rest of the world demands new technologies generated by green policies.
Specific investment in: natural capital; clean, renewable-driven, real capital and last but not least, human and social capital to strengthen the overall national balance sheet, especially in times of global stagnation and instability. To make the transition just, and to get democratic support for the transition, investments in social-floor welfare systems will also be necessary.
The adoption of pro-active policies to ensure the green economic transition takes off now. Being proactive might increase short-term expenditure and involve trade-offs. But, a wait-and-see approach - while cheaper in the short term - is probably more expensive further down the road, when relative prices have changed and all other countries want to move out of their unsustainable patterns at the same time. Lagging behind on the green transition not only forces countries to adjust to external events, but it will be under conditions not of their making. Goods, services and exportable technologies which carry the sustainability stamp will enhance a country's international image as a sustainable role model.
Make use of green economic policies to promote the development of a sustainable energy system (i.e. one based on renewable energy). This increases energy security and contributes to rural economic development, as renewable energy originates from rural ecosystems. As an important part of any energy system transition, green economic policy instruments could be particularly helpful in unleashing the untapped supply of 'negawatts' (energy savings), especially in buildings used for housing and services.
Finance ministries should be directly accountable for ensuring that green economic targets are pursued as vigorously as any other headline economic indicator. The use of compulsory green procurement policies will provide a strong demand for green technologies and services. It is important to introduce a green tax shift, although it is crucial that such a shift is fair.
Securing the bottom-up involvement of the wider society in the transition. The business community, social partners, interest groups and civil society must be part of the transition process. Skillful communication of the necessity and benefits of (reaching) long-term targets is essential to build solid democratic support for a transition, without hiding its challenges.
How about real world politics - does anyone seem to actually go in this desired direction? Well, "New-Deal"-like-investment-plans are more and more discussed as parts of the solution to the economic crises in many countries and regions, but to pass the sustainability test, these investment plans have to be "Socially Inclusive New Green Deals". In the "Beyond-GDP"-discussions on how to better measure welfare, both balance sheets and especially natural capital and social capital are discussed. The upcoming UN sustainability goals are examples of initiatives which could be political flagships, if the Ministries of Finance were made accountable of reaching such targets. The UN initiated project "New Climate Economy", which has also been called "The benefit of (climate-policy) action" might change how climate policies are discussed.
There is plenty of research describing the challenges facing us. There is research about policies which could tackle these challenges. There are also more and more examples of political papers preparing for possible upcoming policies. The trick, and the political assignment, however, is to tackle these issues not separately but systemically. The advantage (and nature) of non-regret policies are that they will work out in any possible future outcome. So let us go tackle our challenges systematically, holistically and wholeheartedly!
Kristian Skånberg,
Sustainability Economist at TCO
Rapport från IWA World Congress on Anaerobic Digestion - AD13
I juni deltog jag med bidrag från Swedish Water House vid konferensen AD13 i Spanien (22-29 juni 2013, Santiago de Compostela, Spanien).
Min Spanienvisit inleddes med kurs om innovativa förbehandlingstekniker för slam vid Universitetet i Valladolid med cirka 20 deltagare från Europa och Sydamerika. Kursen innehöll föreläsningar, övningar i laboratoriet och studiebesök vid Valladolids avloppsreningsverk (ARV) och deras pilotanläggning för termisk förhydrolys. Under kursen vi fick lära oss mycket om möjliga lösningar för att förbehandla ARV-slam och att det är viktigt att jämföra insatt energi vid förbehandling med ökat energiinnehåll i producerad gas.
Konferensen AD13 arrangeras av IWA och är en av de mest välkända inom biogasområdet. I år hölls konferensen i Santiago de Compostela i nordvästra Spanien med cirka 800 deltagare från 54 länder där resultat från FoU presenterades genom 200 muntliga presentationer och 450 posters.
Det jag tycker var mest intressant för svenska förhållanden var att anammox-tekniken nu installeras kommersiellt vid industrier och ARV i ökande omfattning med hög uppnådd kvävereduktion. Flera presentationer handlade om UASB-tekniken (Upflow Anaerobe Sludge Blanket) som passar för energirika avlopps- och industrivatten med få partiklar och låg TS-halt. UASB-reaktorer är ovanliga i Sverige ännu så länge, men det finns potential för fler installationer inom t.ex. massa och pappersindustrin.
Mitt intryck efter en vecka i Spanien var mycket gott, jag fick med mig mycket värdefull kunskap och har fått inblick i olika länders förutsättningar och fokusområden inom anaerob nedbrytning och vattenrening. Arrangörerna var dessutom mycket gästvänliga och visade Spanien från dess bästa sida!
Sören Nilsson Påledal
Tekniska Verken i Linköping
Report from the 8th Novatech conference, 23-27 June 2013, Lyon, France
In June I attended the 8th Novatech conference which, as every third year, took place in Lyon in France. The conference, dealing with planning and technologies for sustainable urban water management, is one of the world-leading international conferences within urban stormwater management. The delegates were mainly French and international researchers, as well as (mainly) French practitioners and stakeholders.
One important aspect dealt with at the conference is to still continue to develop and further enhance stormwater sampling methods. A study which I presented showed that the use of either automatic samplers or manual sampling resulted in significantly different results of TSS and bacteria concentrations. This is very important to have in mind since it illustrates that already the sampling approach can contribute with an error, followed by errors due to sample handling, chemical analyses technologies, data analyses etc.
The majority of the presentations dealt with development and evaluation of technologies for sustainable water management, which is also my main area of interest. I attended many presentations showing how technologies as e.g. bioretention, green roofs, constructed wetlands, infiltration trenches, permeable pavements can be refined to gain better performing systems. However, besides refinement of the technologies, some studies also dealt with the evaluation of the function of such systems in field, which unfortunately is often lacking. In discussions with some other delegates we agreed that this is a very important aspect. Often when stormwater practices go into the ground they are either forgotten or assumed to work indefinitely by stormwater asset managers. Failed systems mean e.g. non-rewarding investments in stormwater infrastructure, and that design improvements will not achieve success in practice. In these cases the use of stormwater control measures would not contribute to a more sustainable environment.
The conference showed again, that there are many alternatives to pipe-based conventional drainage systems. Unfortunately many of these are used more frequently in other countries than in Sweden. My hope is that also stormwater managers in Sweden continue and extend the work started in many municipalities in the 1990s by working actively with the transition from conventional urban drainage systems to more sustainable integrated systems. This would reduce the negative impact of urbanization on the hydrological cycle.
Godecke-Tobias Bleckenm,
Forskarassistent, Avdelningen för Arkitektur och Vatten,
Luleås Tekniska Universitet
Rapport från IWA's Leading Edge Technology (LET) konferens i Bordeaux, 2-6 juni, 2013
IWAs årliga LET konferenser handlar om ny teknologi för vatten- och avloppsvattenrening. Jag var framförallt intresserad av presentationer som handlade om resursåtervinning från avloppsvatten, vilket är ett av mina huvudsakliga forskningsområden. Några presentationer som jag tyckte var speciellt intressant var Lars Angenent från Cornell University som presenterade 'the carboxylate platform' vilket är ett koncept för bioproduktion från lättflyktiga fettsyror (VFAs). Tanken är att bryta ner organiska ämnen i avloppsvatten och slam till VFAs och sedan uppgradera dessa till mer värdefulla kemikalier. Hans grupp har fokuserat på produktion av caproate (en C6 fettsyra) vilket är en molekyl som kan användas för produktion av biobränslen. Korneel Rabaey från Ghent University gav en annan intressant översikt om utveckling av ny elektrokemi för applikationer inom avloppsvattenrening. Dels kopplar det här samman med presentationen om VFA produktion eftersom elektrokemiska system bl a kan användas för separation och koncentration av VFAs. De skulle också kunna användas för underhåll av ledningsnät genom att lokalt genera alkali och förhindra biologisk produktion av vätesulfid vilket både orsakar korrosion av ledningar och luktproblem. Det finns också flera andra potentiella applikationer för elektrokemiska system inom avloppsvattenrening och det här har blivit ett hett forskningsfält de senaste 10 åren. Min egen poster vid konferensen visade att man skulle kunna använda bioelektrokemiska system för kontroll eller styrning av rötprocessen. Bioelektrokemiska system skulle även kunna användas för flera andra applikationer, t.ex. som sensorer för BOD. Vid Chalmers har vi nyligen utvecklat en sådan sensor (se Water Research vol. 46(18), s. 6113-6120, 2012). Konferensen hade också flera presentationer om rening eller utvinning av näringsämnen från avloppsvatten. Bl a anammoxprocessen för kväverening, stripping eller elektrokemi för kväveåtervinning, och struvit för fosforåtervinning. Två intressanta presentationer i konferensen visade också på möjligheterna att utvinna metaller från vissa avloppsvattenströmmar. Geoffrey Gadd från University of Dundee gav en översiktspresentation av biologiska transformationer av metaller. Henk Dijkman från Paques presenterade en teknik där biologiskt producerad sulfid används för att fälla ut metaller från industriella avloppsvattenströmmar. Kopplingen avloppsvattenrening och metallutvinning från industriella vatten är något som vi på Chalmers också jobbat med (se J. Hazardous Materials, vol. 235-236, s. 291-297, 2012).
Jag tyckte att konferensen visade på flera möjligheter att producera diverse produkter från avloppsvatten. Det är inte längre endast vatten, biogas, och slam som är möjliga slutprodukter, utan nu har vi också möjlighet att generera mer specifika kemiska produkter, t.ex. diverse organiska molekyler, ammonium, fosfor, och metaller. Detta kommer också att ställa andra krav. Om avloppsvattenrening kommer röra sig mer mot produktion snarare än endast rening så har vi inte längre endast miljömässiga krav att förhålla oss till utan också marknadsmässiga specifikationer på t.ex. renhet och kvalité på de produkter vi vill producera. Vilka teknologier och produkter som kommer bli ekonomiskt och miljömässigt försvarbara kommer antagligen bero mycket på lokala förhållanden och variera från fall till fall och reningsverk till reningsverk.
Oscar Modin
Bygg- och miljöteknik,
Vatten Miljö Teknik,
A prominent Post 2015 position for water
Visiting Budapest, it is easy to understand why Hungary is committed to giving water a prominent place on the Post 2015 development agenda. Hungarians have water at the core of their hearts. Thermal baths take a natural place in every Budapest citizen's life and the Danube River flows through this beautiful city, connecting Hungary to a number of countries. Hungary is also playing an important role as one of the co-chairs the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG), positioning Hungary in a key position in the Post 2015 development agenda process.
The Budapest Water Summit, held over the past week, is one of the key meetings of 2014 with the objective of raising water in the Post 2015 development agenda process. Hosted by the Hungarian government, it has gathered water experts from governments, civil society and business in different forums and panels.
SIWI participated in the Budapest Summit in several ways. Torgny Holmgren, SIWI's Executive Director, contributed to the outcomes of the Summit as the rapporteur to the plenary session "Investing in financing of water related SDGs". We have also had the opportunity to discuss with governments and other partners next steps to achieve a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on water. The Stockholm Statement proves to be a useful point of departure in this regard.
The OWG will start negotiate on contents and mechanisms early next year and therefore it is crucial to continue advocating for a dedicated water SDG. Even if many countries recognise the importance of water, there are many competing candidates for a SDG and not many countries have so far committed to a particular goal of water. However, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands have been bold and clear in advocating for a dedicated water goal. Switzerland has driven an initiative for creating a platform between countries supporting a water SDG. This initiative is important and SIWI will seek to support it in disseminating information to the countries we are working with. A broad consultation process to include developed and developing countries will be important in ensuring both global and local relevance.
At a Budapest side event, UN Water presented its work on how a suggested water SDG could manifest and invited members and parties to Geneva on December 16-17 December for a final discussion and decisions. This is an important contribution to the work and SIWI will continue being engaged in this enterprise. SIWI is also in contact with business and civil society groups to strategise and coordinate with them, in the aim to move forward with a coherent voice on the importance of water SDG. These messages can be framed differently, depending on the context, but it has to be strong, coordinated and easy to understand for non-water people and politicians. It has to be heard in the local capitals as well as at the missions in New York.
Budapest has provided a possibility to come together and take stock on where processes are, to share information and to prepare for next steps. SIWI will continue being active in different settings. A dedicated water SDG is not important for its own sake but for making a sustainable future possible. When I visited Budapest my first time in 1986, no one would have thought that the Iron Curtain would crack just 3 years later. This reminds us of that never give up hope and commitment. Now is the time to join forces. A dedicated water goal is possible!
Karin Lexén
Director, World Water Week and Prizes
Inclusive action for committed work to combat inequalities
(from the Budapest Water Summit)
Wednesday's forums and plenaries reminded us more than ever of why we are actually meeting here in Budapest. Several of the events that I attended addressed the human rights aspect of water and sanitation, the implications of lack of access, and why there is such a pressing need to act. Awareness of inequalities and inclusiveness where key words in the discussions. Who do we mean when we talk about the poorest and most suffering communities, and how do we reach them? How do we make sure that they are included in the discussions? Sitting in the conference halls surrounded by easily accessible drinking water and toilets, the 1 billion people who are defecating in the open and the 1, 8 million children dying each year from water borne diseases are far too distant from the discussions. We need to make sure that the dialogue on Post 2015 process and the development of the SDGs are not made without listening to the voices of the poor and most vulnerable, and ensure that we spur inclusive action for committed work to combat inequalities when pushing for a dedicated goal on water.
In the High-level panel discussion: How to WASH, Catarina de Albuquerque, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, raised her voice and shared her insights on how to address inequalities in the context of water and the importance of proper monitoring, to be able to progressively eliminate inequalities. She expressed that by shaping initiatives to local conditions, they will have a greater chance of success. De Albuquerque stated that we have to go beyond good intentions, avoiding making the same mistakes as before, as we have an obligation towards the poor and marginalised.
Target c of Millennium Development Goal 7 (MDG7c) focusses on access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation and is significantly lagging behind in terms of progress. In reality, this means that the global community is not doing enough to provide a safe, healthy and dignified life for millions of adults and children. SIWI's 2013 Stockholm Statement advocates for a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal on Water because it is the poor and marginalised who are the most vulnerable to floods and droughts, to untreated wastewater and neglected water sources which offer poor quality water.
When discussing how to come together and push forward for water in sustainable global development, stakeholders representing governments, NGOs, the UN, etc., have different priority areas and thoughts on how to ensure that we strive for a water wise world. What is clear though is the importance of keeping focused on what we want to achieve, and why. Touching base with other actors in the water community is for this reason inspiring and indeed valuable, and help us to identify where we are in the processes and see where SIWI can best contribute and engage to place water high on the Post 2015 agenda.
Other discussions today centered on the necessity of directing anticipated impacts at the micro level while respecting specific socio-cultural contexts of small communities, and the possible failures coming from lack of fair partnerships and zero consultations at a local level. This made me remember an interesting seminar I attended during World Water Week; Strengthening Community Managed W&S in Latin America. The seminar focused on how to strengthen community managed WASH-organisations in order to increase and improve equality in access to WASH-services. I specially remember the input from Mercedes Tinoco, Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense, Nicaragua; Case Study from Indigenous Communities of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast. She gave concrete examples of how sanitation initiatives became more successful when the local communities were involved in management planning, as the projects could integrate both social dynamics and cultural context perspectives.
Sofia Widforss
Programme Manager,
International Processes
[News Stream] No futures without a history. Why we need to look back to accomplish the post-2015 vision
What has really changed in the global water sector since the 1980s? I recently asked this seemingly ignorant question at a seminar on the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation during the World Water Week . Thirty years ago, I said in a prelude, we had the 'Basic Needs Approach' which underscored getting basic services to everyone before moving on with higher level services. Simultaneously, the idea of 'appropriate technology' emerged in the normative debates, with pioneers like Peter Morgan and Uno Winblad pushing for simple and local solutions. The many manuals and practical handbooks from this period - some of them still useful - bear a witness that the pro-poor approach is not a new thing. So, indeed, what has changed?
Interestingly, this stupid question would somehow set the tone for the rest of the seminar. Speaker after speaker, as well as the moderators, returned to the question of what had changed - or had not changed - since the 80's. There were a few bald heads and grey beards in the room who were able to contribute personal reflections, putting things in a historical perspective. Obviously, we were many who felt an urge to expand the time horizon of the discussion, not only into the future, but also into the past. This historical perspective, I think, will be badly needed as the global community gears up for the new Sustainable Development Goals. Let me explain what I mean.
Just a few months ago, the UN High Level Panel of Eminent Persons submitted their report on the Post-2015 Development Agenda to Ban Ki-Moon. The report talks about five "transformative shifts":
i. Leave No One Behind
ii. Put sustainable development at the core.
iii. Transform economies for jobs and inclusive growth
iv. Build peace and effective, open and accountable public institutions.
v. Forge a new global partnership
It also recommends a set of goals and targets, which so far are referred to as "illustrative goals", as they are yet to be internationally agreed. Goal number 6 is to "Achieve universal access to water and sanitation". To a large extent, the High Level Panel adopted the proposal from the Working Group on water, sanitation and hygiene led by the UNICEF and WHO, although the targets on hygiene and sustainability were left out. On the positive side is that data on access to services is supposed to be disaggregated to monitor equity aspects.
So far so good; the tricky part is how. If the global community really wants to see a transformative shift in water and sanitation, it will very soon be necessary to look at how a shift in sector practice can come about. In urban areas - where the Panel has stressed the need for innovation in toilet design, sludge and solid waste management - this is particularly critical. Typically, water and services in cities are networked infrastructure systems, belonging to the category of so-called 'Large Technical Systems'. These are known to develop slowly and become inflexible with time. In Europe and the US these systems have been in place for more than a hundred years. While they have been modified and expanded, essentially they have the same configuration now as they had a hundred years ago. So if a transformative shift in WSS is to happen in the cities of the South, it must be sooner rather than later, before these systems have found their final configuration.
It is precisely here that we will need the historical perspective. We can only know if an innovation - technical or organisational - is good once it has been tested. Many of the 'innovations' now being tried are not new. But if our institutional memory as a sector is so short that we can barely remember thirty years back, how are we then going to develop? Our access to sector experiences about what works is severely constrained by our narrow focus on the future.
Our collective memory is further hampered by the constant exodus of knowledge through retirements. The open access journal Water Alternatives tried to counter some of this 'natural brain drain' in a commendable effort; they collected personal reflections from a range of seasoned water professionals in a special issue in June this year. This is fascinating and sometimes provoking reading, which should be an eye-opener to a younger generation of water professionals. Recent years have also seen more historical studies of water issues in academic circles which should enrich current policy debates. These are but a few - but important - ways we can expand our horizon, and give our future a history. For the question is; is it even possible to construct a common vision of the future without a shared understanding of the past?
David Nilsson PhD.
Researcher at KTH,
Independent Adviser
Water Wisdom in Robert F. Kennedy Jr Keynote Address
On Tuesday morning a most interesting session took place at the Global Center at WEFTEC's 86th Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The subject was "The Nutrient Recovery Imperative - Our Collective Stewardship of Water Resources".
Key note speaker was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Environmental Advocate, Attorney, and Director, Ostrava Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc. Kennedy spoke about the increasingly crucial role played by the water treatment sector in reducing the environmental impact of nutrients. He specifically mentioned that a nutrient recovery plant already is in operation in Portland, Oregon, and that the largest nutrient recovery project in the world now is being planned in the Greater Chicago area. He also referred to his earlier work with fisherman in restoring the Hudson River in upstate New York, which eventually became a role model for other rivers in the US and internationally. The Hudson river is richer in fish today than it was in the 1980s when he started to involve himself on this challenge. One main aspect in this development is turning sewage treatment plants into resource recovery plants. Similar to the Portland project, plants are transformed from the sewage treatment business to the fertilizer business, i.e. become producers of assets. The need to import fertilizers from overseas is no longer a pressure, as the possibility to produce domestically and locally, like in Chicago, is real. Kennedy continued, saying that to achieve the status today, he has probably sued more sewage treatment plants than any other attorney in the US. The most challenging part in the river restoration process was however, according to Kennedy, to reach out to farmers and households for involvement, as no one wants to destroy the livelihoods for people and families in farming communities. At the same time, he stated that we must aim to ensure that our children and future generations afford the same opportunities that we inherited from our parents. Within that, the status of our environment plays a greatly important role.
Torgny Holmgren
Executive Director,
Stockholm International Water Institute
SIWI at the Budapest Water Summit
Mr János Áder, President of the Republic of Hungary, welcomed us all to the city of Budapest and the summit, urging for all participants to cooperate in addressing water related challenges now, not later; "There comes a time when every glass spills over", thus calling for immediate action, so that we do not "pull our heads out of the sand to realize that we are surrounded by a desert of despair." His rather personal approach set the tone for the Opening Ceremony where, on a later stage, H.R.H. Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, Chairman, United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, made the audience laugh with his vivid descriptions.
Mr Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations stated that water is the very key for sustainable development, and that a water secure world will need active cooperation from all sectors to be successful. He addressed waste water, the necessity to let water be the catalyst for cooperation instead of conflict, the water and food interlinkages, as well as water coupled to climate change. On sanitation he insisted that we need to scale up action, as diarrhea is causing the deaths and stunting of children, and said that it is very sad that as many as 1 billion people practice open defecation. Mr Ban Ki-moon lifted the various reports including the report of the High Level Panel and his own report, A life of dignity for all, among others, in which water has a predominant role. In this context, he touched upon the discussions on a dedicated goal on water. Thirsty after his long flight, he drank his glass of water saying that we need to be but very humble to the fact that water is indeed life.
The list of speakers gave promise to an interesting session, with among others, Dr Kandeh K. Yumkella, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and CEO - Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, Chair of UN-Energy, Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Ms Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization and Mr Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN-Water and Secretary General of World Meteorological Organization.
Mr Benedito Braga, President of the World Water Council agreed with the Secretary General that cooperation is the only solution, for which we all need to reach "outside the box" for common strategies. Mr. Braga wanted to see a holistic and transformative development agenda where water is recognized as the thread tying the important pieces of the sustainability puzzle, realizing that water must have a dedicated sustainable development goal.
For the following days, the plenary sessions together with the Science-, Civil Society-, Business Leaders- and Youth Forum will compete over the participants' attention. My initial impression is that of a very well organized and successful conference where the central role of water in our development objectives will be discussed. Representing International Processes at SIWI I hope to engage in the dialogue on the role of water within the Post 2015 framework, and to interact on the policies, processes and coordinated efforts related to the development of a Sustainable Development Goal on Water.
Sofia Widforss
Programme Manager,
International Processes
SIWI signs MOU at WEFTEC - 7th October, 2013
The annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), is on. The conference which gathers some 20,000 participants is hosted this year in the famous American 'Windy City' of Chicago. At the conference today, SIWI and Water Environment Federation (WEF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding aiming for closer collaboration in years to come.
The aim is to link World Water Week in Stockholm (WWW) and WEFTEC events closer together. For example, issues tackled at WWW are likely to be integrated into WEFTEC. The theme of water and energy, which has been an integral part of WWW discussions (and will serve as our overarching theme of 2014) could very well enter into content streams at WEFTEC.
Proceedings at today's session started with the current WEF President Cordell Samuels officially opening the conference. The Mayor of Chicago, Mr. Rahm Emanuel and the Governor of Illinois, the Honorable Pat Quinn, later followed. They announced that Illinois and Chicago plan to invest heavily in renovating their water systems over the coming year, creating some 25,000 "Blue Tech" jobs.
Further inspiration was felt from the dynamic best-selling author Kevin Caroll, who took the stage with an exciting address on achieving greater innovation and creativity in water management. He stressed that we all have the potential to become Global Game Changers by believing in what we do and what we want to achieve. His central advice was to be present, to seize the moment. We should not waste time checking emails and surfing the Internet whilst in meetings. We could miss the brightest ideas which could revolutionise our work or our lives! To make things happen, we should not simply talk about it, we must "be about" it! A sentiment to remember.
Torgny Holmgren
Executive Director,
Stockholm International Water Institute
[News Stream] Human Rights Making Inroads Towards Guaranteeing Access to Water And Sanitation, but Authorities Still Need to Move Out of Their Comfort Zones
"The human rights system offers a broadly (almost universally) endorsed normative and legal framework that sets minimum standards for governance and defines the rights and obligations of different categories of institutions. Because water has been recognized as a human right, the human rights system offers opportunities to streamline global (and national) water governance and provide coherence both in the sphere of environmental sustainability and in terms of human development."
This great potential is put forward in a paper by WaterLex elaborated for the Water and Human Rights in the Post 2015 Agenda Side Event to the UN Human Rights Council's session in Geneva in September 2013. The paper concludes that the legal field has increasingly come to contribute towards sustainability in the way that law helps ensure accountability for the commitments made by governments relating to the environment and sustainable development.
Similar indications of generalized progress were highlighted at the World Water Week workshop on the Human Rights-based Approach to Cooperation in Water Sanitation and Hygiene: The adoption of the human rights framework for universal access to safe drinking-water and sanitation was described as a paradigm shift for democratic societies, turning access to services into a legal entitlement.
Governments can be held accountable through the courts; and agents with direct responsibilities for service provision by way of regulation and complaints mechanisms. Even though many states do not make specific reference to the human right to access water and sanitation in their national laws, the workshop found that courts quite effectively rule to protect vulnerable citizens.
Beyond this, the workshop concluded that regulatory and policy frameworks need to push organizations out of their comfort zones to instrumentally and holistically engage in WaSH and other services (like housing and waste management) for presently marginalized populations.
That regulators and utilities should move out beyond their institutionalized mandate is also what a recent report "Mutual Rights and Shared Responsibilities in Water Services Management" from Water Governance Facility recommends. It is suggested that where service coverage is low, regulators need to look beyond utility organizational performance targets and look at how the sector as a whole can improve performance in terms of providing services to those groups that lack these. The report focuses on where utilities or local governments in charge of services have endeavored to ensure fairness and equality in the relationship between water providers and water users. This is considered to be a very practical way of furthering the human right to access water.
Finally, the main predictor of access to services remains the economy, with the poorest of the poor being those without access. This speaks for the need for investment and expansion of services, but with a more effective focus on the needs of and benefits to the poor. This is where the legal frameworks and the commitment of the organizations in the water sector make a difference - to ensure that investments are not deviated from where they are mostly needed, that is: all the way to the homes of the poorest, throughout the most marginalized settlements.
Marianne Kjellén
Programme Director,
UNDP Water Governance Facility at SIWI
Water implications highlighted in the IPCC's 5th Assessment Report
"Human influence on the climate system is clear": The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their much awaited Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) on Monday. Building on content from the 2007 assessment report (AR4), the IPCC now states with even stronger certainty that "It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid 20th century". The report also suggests that "Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reduction of greenhouse gas emissions", stressing that humans are in control of the future of emissions, subsequent global warming and climate change.
During the IPCC AR5 press conference held in Stockholm on the 27th September, Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), stressed that "the biggest impact of climate change will be seen in the hydrological cycle". This impact can be identified on all parts of the hydrological cycle: on evaporation, intensity and frequency of rainfall, lakes and wetlands, water storage in the forms of soil moisture and in snow and ice (the cryosphere).
At the same time the IPCC report outlines that changes in the global water cycle "will not be uniform". The contrast between wet and dry regions and between wet and dry seasons will increase. In general, this means that dry areas will become drier and wet areas will become wetter. This type of manifestation is the most delicate climate change related challenge facing society. Climate change exaggerates existing problems linked to an uneven distribution of water resources, which alters across both time and location. This increases pressure on development and the good governance of functional water storages, natural as well as man-made.
In recognition of this challenge, the AR5 report states that "Extreme precipitation events over most of the mid-latitude land masses and over wet tropic regions will very likely become more intense and more frequent". Intense rainfall events which lead to flooding, flash floods, debris flows and landslides are already a challenge in many parts of the world. Continued problems of this kind are indeed very worrying and require substantial international, national and local mitigation efforts.
Worldwide, changes in the monsoon systems may also lead to increased challenges. Farming systems and farmers, who depend on timely arrival of the monsoon rains, are particularly impacted. The AR5 states that "Globally, it is likely that the area encompassed by monsoon systems will increase over the 21st century. While monsoon winds are likely to weaken, monsoon precipitation is likely to intensify due to increase in atmospheric moisture. Monsoon onset dates are likely to become earlier… retreat dates will likely be delayed, resulting in lengthening of the monsoon season in many regions".
As the planet continues to see reductions in storage of water in the cryosphere, a profound impact on water releases to downstream water users will be seen. In some cases important seasonal water storage systems will have to be replaced by man-made storage, or in other types of adaptation.
From above, it is obvious that continued focus in governance and management of water resources is fundamental. SIWI has a long history of working with these matters and has witnessed the increase in demand for water resources, relating to all parts of society. During a recent symposium organized by the Ministry of Environment and the Nordic Council of Ministers, Sarah McPhee, Executive Director of SPP, (a Nordic dividend-paying life insurance company) represented the private sector. She stressed that water scarcity is the main climate related challenge for the future. According to McPhee, Environmental Screening is an important factor for the business sector to consider when making investments. It is not unlikely that an increased focus on sustainable water management will become a key element of future screening processes.
The IPCC report concludes that "Most aspects of climate change will persist for many centuries even if emissions of CO2 are stopped. This represents a substantial multi-century climate change commitment created by past, present and future emissions of CO2". This realisation is as frightening as it is important. As global citizens we have to work hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously adapt to the changes already taking place. The effects of climate change will not disappear even if emissions are cut. They are here to stay.
Mats Eriksson
Director, Climate Change and Water,
Varför är vi beredda att betala så mycket för vin men så lite för maten?
Uppe med tuppen. En kall höstmorgon mötte mig när jag skyndade iväg till det tredje seminariet om den hållbara maten. Denna gång var det producenten och politiken som stod i fokus. Inbjudna att debattera var Johan Ununger från Saltå Kvarn, Maria Forshufvud från Svensk Kött samt Jens Holm (Vänsterpartiet) Roger Tiefensee (Centerpartiet) Anneke Svantesson (Landsbygdsdepartementet). Trött men spänd av förväntan var jag när Linda tog emot mig på KSLA. Som tidigare gånger hade Linda förberett en fantastisk frukost med surdegssmörgåsar, kokta ägg med dillsalt, egengjord vinbärssylt och yoghurt med honungsrostad mysli. Allt i linje med vårt hållbarhetsfokus. Folk började snart strömma in och vi samlades alla i Plenisalen för att starta debatten. Förste talare ut var Johan som berättade om prisfokuseringen och den ojämna maktbalansen inom Svensk livsmedelsindustri. ICA, Coop och Axfood dominerar marknaden och som litet livsmedelsföretag är det svårt att slå sig in. Lönsamheten är låg, vinstmarginalen ligger på ca 5 procent. När Johan fick frågan vilka tre politiska åtgärder han vill se för att göra livsmedelsindustrin både ekonomiskt och miljömässigt hållbar nämnde han tillsynen vilket måste förbättras och bli mer enhetlig (idag skiljer sig kraven åt mellan kommuner), skattelagstiftningen som bör revideras samt informationskraven på förpackningar vilka idag är orimliga. Johan skulle gärna se en nationell kontrollmyndighet som ansvarar för tillsynen samt en ökad användning av modern informationsteknologi som alternativ till livsmedelsförpackningarnas informationskrav. Vilken information som ska ingå på förpackningen ändras hela tiden och varje gång detta sker måste alla förpackningar göras om vilket innebär en enorm kostnad för livsmedelsföretagen. Johan berättade även om att man på Saltå Kvarn arbetat med klimatkompensering som en del i hållbarhetsarbetet. Men klimatkompensering räknas inte som en avdragsgill kostnad enligt skatteverket. Det finns därför ett behov av att se över skattelagstiftningen.
Efter Johan var det Marias tur att tala. Som VD för Svenskt Kött berättade Maria om hur köttproduktionen i Sverige har minskat över tid samtidigt som köttkonsumtionen har gått upp. Sverige står idag endast för 1 procent av den totala grisproduktionen i EU för att ta ett exempel. En stor del av det kött vi köper har ett okänt ursprung. På restauranger eller charkuterier ställs sällan frågan om köttets ursprung. Hur ska svenska bönder kunna konkurrera på världsmarknaden när handeln inte efterfrågar svenskt kött? Sverige har en sträng djurlagstiftning vilket är bra, men det innebär merkostnader. Vidare bidrar svensk köttproduktion med mervärden så som biologisk mångfald och öppna landskap. När den svenska animalieproduktionen minskar, minskar även dessa värden. Maria menade att det är otroligt viktigt att vi driver kraven på en tydlig ursprungsmärkning i EU. Vi behöver en märkning som berättar var djuret är fött, uppfött och slaktat. Om vi kan få igenom detta krav blir det lättare för konsumenten att veta vad man köper.
Politikerpanelen höll med om behovet av att ha en tydlig ursprungsmärkning, att tillsynen måste förbättras och skattelagstiftningen ses över. Roger sade till och med att spårbarhet är nyckeln för att möta det från konsumenter ökade intresset för mat samt den starka prisfokuseringen inom livsmedelsindustrin. Den offentliga sektorn bör vara proaktiv här och gå före genom att ställa tydliga krav på spårbarhet. Jens Holm höll med om detta men tyckte även att det saknas en ambitionssatsning från regeringen vad gällande ekologisk produktion. Vänsterpartiet nu lägger en ny motion om det hållbara matlandet Sverige då nuvarande strategin saknar hållbarhetsfokus. Anneke Svantesson från Landsbygdsdepartementet berättade om den nya konkurrenskraftsutredningen vilken syftar till att analysera den svenska livsmedelsindustrins konkurrenskraft. Utredningen ska så småningom resultera i en strategi för en livskraftig livsmedelsindustri. Ambitionen är att bibehålla, men helst öka livsmedelsproduktionen. Ekologisk produktion är inte utpekat i utredningen utan istället är det export, innovationsförmåga och tillgång till marknaden som är centralt. Anneke menade att svenskt jordbruk och livsmedelsindustri ska konkurrera med mervärden och innovation. Vi ska bygga vidare på de styrkor vi har. Anneke menade att vi måste förstå den moderne lantbrukaren. Varför väljer bönder att stanna inom lantbruket? Först måste vi förstå detta innan vi beslutar vilket stöd de ska få. Slutordet i debatten fick Johan Ununger som sa att det är viktigt att vi inte ser mat som en industriprodukt. Vi har aldrig betalat så lite för maten som idag. När vi handlar vin så skryter vi aldrig om hur billig flaskan var utan snarare om dess kvalité. Varför gäller inte detsamma maten? Johan uppmanade alla att nästa gång vi handlar så ska vi tänka vin, inte mat.
Karin Glaumann
Programme Officer
Swedish Water House
Reporting back from UNGA 68 - Tackling water risks to ensure a sustainable future
25th September, New York, USA
The governments of Switzerland and The Netherlands, as well as the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, with the participation of UN-Water organized on the 25th of September a Ministerial Luncheon titled "Tackling water risks to ensure a sustainable future". Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN Water and Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization moderated the wide range of speakers; from Ambassadors, UN representatives, to private companies and NGOs.
The outline of the key note speeches were among other the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster risk reduction and the World Economic Forum "Global Risks report" which show water and climate risks are increasingly threatening society, nature and lives. The issue of proper water management and governance were addressed, together with the importance to tie the water issues to other sectors (e.g. food and energy) and finding partnerships within civil society and the private sector as it could lead to innovative solutions being identified.
A global goal on Water in the Post 2015-process was discussed whereby it was a unanimous voice for an integrated approach entailing amongst other the equality aspect.
Partnerships was indeed the order of the day and it was empathized that policy and actions must be interconnected to be effective. Juanita Castaño, member of the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation stressed the fact that we shall develop strong and robust targets, and that the solution for sanitation does not end at the toilets but that waste water treatment must be addressed.
Benedito Braga, President of the World Water Council brought in the historical perspective. He touched upon the ecological integrity aspect, and the pressing need to adapt whereas water resource management offers opportunities to find sustainable solutions in all fields, such as agriculture. Countries suffering from low yields could foresee potential increases with rain harvest measures as an example. He posed the question how do we ensure that water remains the catalyst of cooperation across sectors, and which partnerships do we need?
Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, said that it is now the right time to unite and addressed the strong connection between water, peace and security. She gave the example of Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson's initiative on Sanitation for All as a great example of how to draw attention to this extremely pertinent issue.
Other topics covered in the round table discussions were the necessity of transparency and participation on the local level with local involvement in the decision making progress. The pivotal role of women and youth was discussed as well as the resilience perspective with disaster risk reduction and early warning systems being vital within a sound water management.
Water is in the heart of global sustainable development, and the knot tying together other urgent issues such as children's and women's health, climate, sustainable energy, food security and inequalities. In order to reach ambitious goals for a truly sustainable future, water needs to be placed high on the agenda.
In the context of the Post 2015-process, Ms. Amina J Mohammed, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, was one of the panelists on the event on the event Science and Higher Education in the Post 2015 agenda: the African context, arranged by The Planet Earth Institute and the African Union on the 23rd of September. She stated that we need to reinforce to finish off the MDGs in an ambitious and effective manner, and that mapping the way ahead is an even bigger challenge. Ms. Mohammed said that we need to move forward from a science based platform where thematic and regional consultations are part of the foundation, and that she hoped that we will find consensus on priorities for a process that is "light enough to fly but heavy enough to make an impact."
Sofia Widforss
Programme Manager
International Processes
Reporting back from UNGA 68: 24th and 25th September, New York, USA
Keeping our Promises - 24th September
Following yesterday's "MDG Success: Accelerating Action, Partnering for Impact" event the United Nations Secretary-Generals MDG Advocacy group organized an MDG Innovation Forum event to identify innovative solutions to achieving the MDGs. MDG advocates and industry leaders in the fields of education, health, food security and sustainable growth met to discuss how to accelerate progress on commitments.
The UN Secretary-General, Ban-Ki Moon welcomed the audience with a reminder of MDG progress to date and called for greater action as the deadline for accountability approaches. His speech today expressed that that "we need to bring children back to the classrooms" and that strong political will at leadership level is a prerequisite in combating high childhood mortality rates from preventable diseases.
The Hon. Mr. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda (where the fastest decline in mortality rates for children under five was experienced) discussed how broadband availability has empowered people through enabling access to knowledge and information. He talked about the importance of working together and said that "We can reach real effectiveness where there are real partnerships".
Also in attendance was Mr. Jeffrey Sachs, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the MDGs, who stated that "the MDGs are working" exemplifying that the reduction in global child mortality is the results of hard work throughout the world. It was an event where high ambitions were raised and promises to keep investing in the MDGs were made. On a personal note, I would have liked to hear more on the potential for water as the core for sustainable development as it coupled to all of the key fields being addressed; education, health, food security and sustainable growth.
The UN Secretary-General, Ban-Ki Moon at the event
Every Woman, Every Child - 25th September
The governments of the United Republic of Tanzania and Canada and the World Health Organization organized on the 25th of September the event "Women's and Children's health: The unfinished agenda of the MDGs", in support of Every Woman every child.
Speakers were among others, H.E. Mr. Jakaya Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Co-Chair of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's health, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister Canada and Co-Chair of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's health, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Mrs. Melinda Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The speakers addressed the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5; how to accelerate the action during the next 825 days. Mr. Jan Eliasson started off on a positive note, telling the story about Samira who thanks to a simple midwife kit helped delivered a child in the midst of fight and conflict. Mr. Eliasson said that he felt encouraged by seeing that the numbers in child mortality has fallen, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, but stated that there is still much that needs to be done in order to ensure that the commitments made will be met. Holding up a glass of water, Mr. Eliasson reminded about the fact that safe water is still a dream for 768 million people and that thousands of children die every day because of water related diseases that could have been prevented.
Mrs. Melinda Gates brought up family planning and how many millions of lives that have been saved by only bed nets and community health care and midwife training investments, after having stated that we should "stop speaking about the importance of women, let's get on with it and invest".
Sofia Widforss
Programme Manager,
International Processes
Reporting back from UNGA 68 - 23rd September, New York, USA
Today, the United Nations Secretary-General hosted the event MDG Success: "Accelerating Action, Partnering for Impact". Topics such as how to match ambitions with goals and applying lessons in the time period running up to 2015 were explored. Further discussion focused on philanthropy in Africa and leveraging innovation and partnerships for scaled impact.
The UN Secretary-General, (UNSG) Ban-Ki Moon opened the event by addressing the strong connection between peace and sustainable development. His inspiring and aspirational remarks set the tone for the rest of the day. The Secretary General then discussed the Peace and Security Cooperation Framework initiative in the Great Lakes region of Africa which he conceived together with Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank and the African Union. The initiative seeks to 'bring peace, security, and economic development for the Great Lakes region (Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda) which has for so long not experienced the fruits of prosperity'. The Secretary General then invited among others, Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General UNESCO, HE. Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway and Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss how to tackle the MDGs which are lagging behind. Responses included capitalising on partnership working opportunities in order to be as effective as possible in the run up to 2015.
Interventions from the audience came from local and global actors and spanned across sectors, regions and perspectives. Ms. Barbara Frost, Chief Executive WaterAid, shared an example of a young girl who was able to study and live in dignity due to improved sanitation in her village. Mr. Paul Polman, CEO Unilever and others, expressed the necessity of responsible business activity and global partnerships for effective action.
Next, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, the UNSG's Special Representative for the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, addressed the water-food and energy nexus, commenting that he looked forward of working together with us at SIWI on the linkages between water and energy. He also discussed the necessity of women's empowerment to sustainability and stated that in house air pollution causes more premature death than totals from malaria and AIDS combined.
Most of the panelists addressed the need to couple initiatives across sectors, to identify synergies, and that the successful way ahead is embedded within partnerships and shared agendas. Dr. Margaret Chan who moderated the second panel concluded with the words "scale, speed and sustainability".
It was a morning with ambitions and engagements but when Mr. Ray Chambers, UNSGs Special Envoy for Malaria and the financing of the Health-related MDGs asked the audience how many were convinced that we would reach MDGs 4 and 5, not many hands were raised. So the conclusion from Mr. Chambers was thus that we all need to be more optimistic, in addition to being committed.
Sofia Widforss
Programme Manager,
International Processes