Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Water

Water is essential for life on Earth. More specifically, reliable access to clean water is a major global challenge and a key issue for sustainable development.

The natural cycle of water involves transitions from land to sea and these are critically influenced by human actions. Thus, sustainable management of water resources represents a true societal challenge. Such a challenge cannot be resolved by a single discipline or organisation, but rather requires transdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration among different stakeholders in society.

In the Linnaeus Knowledge Environment Water we work together to contribute to a healthy water transition from land to sea. We consider water as an important resource we have to manage as well as respect. Importantly, the knowledge environment gathers a critical mass of knowledge required to obtain and inform on the management of a healthy water landscape. Our aim is to position the knowledge environment as a national and international hub for blue sustainability.

Research, education and collaboration

Our researchers come from a variety of faculties and disciplines with different perspectives on water. We also educate students on all levels directly about water and indirectly in issues related to sustainability and the UN's sustainable development goals. To achieve this, we also have a wide network of collaborations with external actors, both within and outside of academia, We also continuously welcome new collaborators and challenges rooted in everyday issues, from local to global.

Interested to learn more? Contact us about everything that has to do with research, collaboration and teaching in the field of water! 

Contact person: Caroline Littlefield, caliac@lnu.se 

2022

Ny kurs: Hur bevarar vi vårt vatten för kommande generationer, Samuel Hylander, Biology and Environmental Sciences 

This project will focus on the development of a new water management course to be offered both to students and professionals. The aim of the course is to increase knowledge on water administration to those who currently work in the field, as well as those who will do so in the future. The course will, ultimately, strengthen collaboration between Linnaeus University and career, as well as to give students valuable contacts in the future. 

Behavioral economics and water scarcity, Tobias König, Economy department

König’s project will focus on behavioral approaches towards sustainable water consumption by collecting experimental data using different behavioral instruments. Ultimately, the aim is to provide evidence-based policy recommendations on effective measures towards sustainable water use.

2021

Kalmar Dam: a watermark between sea and land 

Collaboration with Kalmar Municipality. 

Pedagogical development of methods for preschool pedagogy, science didactics, and the general public

Human dimensions: Can the damm give inspiration and become an entry point for groups who seldom visit nature? 

Student focus on water quality and ecology. 

Project is ongoing. 

Water as a resource in future climate scenarios 

Collaboration with Kronoberg Region, CIL, Ljungby Municipality, Lagans water council and the Lake Bolmen Research Station.  

2 workshops: identifying knowledge gaps and uncertainty about how much good quality water is both available and consumed

Theme 1: Potential conflicts involving water in the future 

Tema 2: Environmental technology for good quality water 

These are some of the research projects connected to Linnaeus Knowledge Environment Water. Click here to see all projects.

• April 5-6: EMBRC Kickoff!
  • EMBRC is a pan-European research infrastructure (RI) aimed to support and develop marine research. Linnaeus University, sponsored by Knowledge Environment: Water, will join with other Swedish institutions to increase the availability of marine biological material, experimental facilities, data sets and time series for national and international researchers. EMBRC SE will make Europe's best equipped marine infrastructures available for Swedish scientists and facilitate access to the Swedish marine RI’s for both national and international researchers. Swedish membership in EMBRC guarantees full voting rights on decisions about rules & routines within the future implementation of the European marine infrastructures. The EMBRC Kickoff will be held in April, hosted by LNU 
• May 9th,  Naturvetenskap, teknik och matematik (NTK) Skolutvecklingsprogrammet konferens i Kalmar (English: Science, technology and mathematics school development program concerence, Kalmar) 
• September 22, Vattendelegationsmöte, Yearly meeting of the Water Delegation, Kalmar Region, hosted at LNU
• September 28-29: Young Researchers Conference 

KM Vatten's 2021 All-Hands Meeting was an inclusive, hybrid format gathering that encouraged an exchange of ideas across faculties collaborators, as well as sustainable business interests. During this meeting, we asked the questions: 

Who are we? 

How can we collaborate? 

What kind of research can we do to address societal challenges within Water?

An interactive, two-hour session in which KM Vatten share seed funding ideas, discussed regional water challenges, and brainstormed about how we can link education, research and societal outreach.

The session was followed by a fika and tour of Kalmar Konstmuseum's Havet exhibition. 

Seed funding ideas discussed: 

• River & dam stewardship
• Behavioral economics for water scarcity 
• Course devleopment for water management 
• Vertical aquaculture farming 

Interested to hear more? Follow up with Caroline, caliac@lnu.se to learn how you can get involved in developing these projects 

KM Vatten PIs tour Kalmar Konstmuseum's exhibition, Havet, following the 2021 All-Hands Meeting Caroline Littlefield

Film still from "Reclaiming Vision," a 26 minute film by artists Marjolijn Dijkman and Tori Johannessen, 2018. The film features a diverse cast of microorganisms sampled from brackish waters of the inner Oslo fjord. Kalmar Konstmuseum, 15 September, 2021.

AMRI Conference and Bioinformatics Workshop, hosted at Linnaeus University, Kalmar 

The overarching goal of the Aquatic Microbiome Research Initiative-Research Community Program (AMRI-RCP) is to engage leading Swedish researchers with backgrounds in microbial ecology, evolution and geochemistry, in a collaborative effort to advance our understanding of aquatic microorganisms and their functional role in the environment. AMRI is a collaborative effort with all the leading institutions of Sweden 

Program: DAY 1

Virtual workshop on storytelling in research, Anders Sahlman, Melker Media

Invited speaker: Courtney Stairs, Lund University, Stealing and dealing: eukaryotic strategies for living without oxygen

Poster session

Day 2:

Invited speaker: Lasse Riemann, University of Copenhagen, Heterotrophic N2 fixation in coastal estuarine waters

Speed talks 

Malin Olofsson, Temperature effects on phytoplankton-bacteria labile carbon transfer

Maliheh Mehrshad, Interactions of Limnohabitans spp. and their phages during lytic infection 

Fernando Puente-Sanchez, Non-redundant pangenome assemblies as a tool to explore environmental intra-species diversity

Anushree Sanyal, Alive, Methusaleh of the diatom world

Mahwash Jamy, Global patterns and rates of habitat transitions across the eukaryotic tree of life

Breakout discussion mentoring groups

• Can we use genetic counseling for the environment?
• CV workshop/letter writing.
• Future views and plans in the bioinformatics field.
• SITES

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A list of all research projects carried out within the frame of the knowledge environment Water would be extensive. Please find the projects by clicking on the desired research group in the list under the heading Research environments above, or click here to see all projects.

First-cycle level (bachelor, bachelor of science in engineering)

• International Business Programme (180 credits; main field of study: economics)

In Swedish:

• Biologiprogrammet (180 credits; biology)
• Energi och miljö, högskoleingenjör (180 credits; bioenergy technology)
• Enterprising & Business Development (180 credits; economics)
• Miljöanalytiker (180 credits; environmental science)
• Sjöingenjör (180 credits; maritime science)
• Sjökapten (180 credits; maritime science)
• Skog och träteknik, högskoleingenjör (180 credits; forestry and wood technology)

Second-cycle level (master)

• Aquatic Ecology, Master Programme (120 credits; biology)
• Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Social Change, Master Programme (120 credits; economics)
• Environmental Science and Sustainability, Master Programme (120 credits; biology)
• International Business Strategy, Master Programme (120 credits; economics)
• Sustainable Energy Processes and Systems, master programme (120 credits; bioenergy technology)

We also offer a large number of courses in English in the knowledge environment’s main fields of study. Carry out a search for courses in these subjects.