Water management policy for cooperation in catchement areas.

This is the PhD research project of Emma Enström. Emma is an industrial PhD student working for Sweden Water Research, Sydvatten and Lund University.

PHD PROJECT Water is essential for life as well as communities in the form of drinking water, sanitation, and food. Recent years of climate-related extreme weather events such as flooding, and drought have drawn attention to the value of water and its limitations. The water system extend beyond administrative boarders and thus have a range of stakeholders, including agricultural, industry, drinking water production, hydropower as well as natural values.

In addition to this, a lack of coordination between local, regional and national policy and management levels demands broad political commitment, participation from stakeholders as well as relevant and functional legislation. This is necessary to secure water resources and create organisational solutions for a functional water management cooperation. Emma Enström is an industrial PhD student at Sweden Water Research through Lund University and will explore this further. The aim of the project is to investigate challenges and opportunities in Swedish water management policy as well as develop ideas for future water management policy. In order to do this, the project will map stakeholders and their cooperation, which policy instruments can be used as well as case studies nationally and internationally. The project will proceed by looking at case studies in the catchment areas of Kävlinge and Lagan. A range of research methods will be used, including document and legislation analysis, interviews, surveys, and workshops to co-create the water management of the future.

Supervisor: Johanna Alkan Olsson, Lund University

Co-supervisor: Christian Alsterberg, Sydvatten