“BIOWATER has shown that Nordic water resources could potentially be strongly threatened by the emerging bio-economy. While we acknowledge that a change from an economy based on fossil fuel is important for the climate and life on this planet, we must stress the importance of ensuring that a green transition is done in a way that will ensure environmental sustainability

BIOWATER has finalised its second special issue in the journal CATENA. Follow this link to find all papers: “Assessing the potential for adverse environmental side-effects of a developing bio-economy in Nordic river basins”. The special issue was edited by Jan Vermaat, Philip Jordan, Per-Erik Mellander and Marc Stutter. It comprises 10 papers that combine empirical findings with modelled scenario outcomes

BIOWATER participated in a so-called Accelerator Session under the World Circular Economy Forum in Helsinki on 1 June 2023. Jan Vermaat, co-lead of BIOWATER, presented future scenarios for a Nordic bioeconomy under the session “Limits of a bioeconomy: Sustainable pathways to circular solutions through Nordic co-operation”. Earlier the same day, Eva Skarbøvik, BIOWATER lead, presented a wider overview of our

BIOWATER has covered a wide range of topics related to the effects on water resources of a bioeconomy. We have now gathered our main advice to policy makers and managers in a fact sheet. We believe that there is an urgent need to prepare for the  combined effects of climate change and the land use changes following an increased need

Biowater is pleased to announce that Dr. Joy Bhattacharjee received his PhD on 10 December 2022. Joy has followed Biowater since the start and has been active in the modelling team (module 4). In his work he used the SWAT model (Soil & Water Assessment Tool; https://swat.tamu.edu/), to simulate the quality and quantity of water under different climate and land

Biowater organised its last stakeholder event on 9 June, with the aim to present scientific results to managers and other stakeholders in four Nordic countries. The event was held at Hurdalsjøen Hotel near Gardermoen, Oslo Airport, but there was also digital participation. With five years’ of research to be presented, it was a day filled with presentations, but also with

Watch this new movie from Biowater, for a quick introduction to our use of scenarios. Biowater is presently modelling these scenarios, and will show the first results to stakeholders at the seminar on 9 June.

The perils of climate change clearly points towards the need for a green shift with less use of fossil fuel. However, it is important to be aware of the possible adverse consequences of a bioeconomy. Harder exploitation of forested areas may mean increased use of fertilization, harrowing of the forest ground after clear-felling, removal of branches and stumps for energy

In this conference we explore how our freshwaters will be affected by the “Green Shift”, or bioeconomy (the transformation from fossil fuel to bioeconomy, with its demand on biomass). BIOWATER has studied how land use and therefore water quality may change as a result of land use and climate change. See the programme and register for Biowater’s Nordic stakeholder conference

In boreal catchments, iron has a key role in biogeochemical and ecological contexts, and at the same time has many harmful impacts on aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Recent studies indicate that iron concentrations are increasing in boreal freshwaters, with the potential negative effects this can have on water ecology. Finnish researchers have now explored the many aspects of iron in