The research project Global connections and collaborative solutions for sustainable water security (GloWater) delves into the challenges of water security. It examines the global water reserves from the perspectives of sustainability and security governance. The project is conducted by Finnish Environmental Institute, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Aalto University and University of Eastern Finland. It is funded the by Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland.
The world is facing a dual crisis of sustainability and security regarding fresh water. Climate change and the overconsumption of natural resources are decreasing the amount of usable fresh water. The shortage of water is already a problem in the Middle East, Southern Europe and Northern Africa, for example, which weakens the premises for agriculture, many livelihoods and even healthcare. Industrial emissions, chemicals and plastic waste are polluting waters all over the world, which in turn leads to health problems and has negative effects on local ecosystems.
Current governance methods have failed to restrict water use to a sustainable level. Severe societal and economic consequences lie ahead, and climate change further the adaptation to those consequences. The growth of conflicts related to water demands new perspectives and solutions in which the worldwide water circulation is recognized as a complex system of interdependencies.
GloWater focuses on the global connections and collaborative solutions of Finland’s water security. The global connections in the changes of the Earth system, trade and water intensive value chains as well as in international relations. The project track and analyses these so-called hot spots that are critical for Finland’s water security.
The collaborative solutions for the challenges of these hot spots are examined with different models of governance and their development. The public sector leads initiatives regarding security of supply and water diplomacy, businesses lead the management of water sustainability and value chains, and civil society leads the strengthening of the role of local communities as well as the improvement of the quality of water governance.
The goal of GloWater is to develop a wide governance framework for sustainable water security that is built on the latest understanding of steering instruments, collaborative governance models, and the global ecological and physical foundations of water security.
The project aims to strengthen the capacities of the public sector, private sector and civil society to enhance resilience on threats related to water security, and to make Finland a forerunner of sustainable water security.
FIIA leads the work package dealing with the public sector, which focuses on the different models of security of supply and water security. FIIA’s research team consists of Karoliina Hurri, who works in the project full-time, and Emma Hakala and Antto Vihma, who work in the project part-time.