Facts:
Three questions to Jens Olsson, Coordinator of the SLU Water Forum
Why are the water issues so important?
"Water is essential to all life on planet Earth. Without water, there is no life. Today human activities and life result in severe pressures on our water resources and the biodiversity in water. Climate change will in addition likely accelerate this process. We must safeguard our waters so that they can continue to provide us with life and vital ecosystem services, while also considering our own role in this. This is absolutely essential for the transformation to a more sustainable society in accordance with the global goals of Agenda 2030."
How can we obtain a sustainable use of water?
"We need to continue to develop our knowledge about the state of the water environments and which measures that are efficient for improving the state. Today we lack knowledge within many areas concerning water issues.
Water issues are transboundary, and that is why we need a more comprehensive understanding of the ecosystems with knowledge of about how things connect and interplay and how different environments is interlinked. We must work together, between different specialist areas, authorities and other parts of society."
What does SLU do on water issues?
"As a university with a focus on sustainability, water issues are present in almost every part of our operation. We cover the entire "waterscape" from the headwater sources, along the waterways through forests and agricultural landscapes, via lakes, cities, to coastal areas and the open sea. SLU takes on the water issues with a transdisciplinary perspective in collaboration with the society."