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Hydro-climatological conditions, together with the land use types and activities have a major effect on our water resources. In the Southern parts of Finland, climate change has already lowered the extent and duration of the snow and ice cover and increased the freeze-thaw cycles, winter-time flooding and the erosion of soils, intensifying the eutrophication and oxygen loss in the Archipelago Sea. On the agriculture-dominated catchment, the landowners are already suffering from the climate change induced alterations in hydro-climatic regime and the consequent floods and droughts are disturbing their economy. At the same time, the Archipelago Sea is suffering from excessive nutrient loads, primarily originating from agricultural activities in the catchment area.
Thus, there is an urgent need to invent new means to increase the resilience of the landowners towards climate change and to reduce nutrient loads from the catchment area. Nature-based solutions, which are inspired by nature, could provide cost-effective and locally applicable alternatives to adapt to climate change and simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits. They have been stated to be the key to the European Green deal and are increasingly promoted in land use planning internationally. Application of NBS would, however require understanding of the catchment as a system and its interactions, the effects of different lans use typed an alternative NBS, as well as the local hydro-climatological system and its expected changes.This PhD project will increase our understanding of the catchment as a system and how the changing hydro-climatological conditions together with agriculture dominated land use may increasingly burden the Archipelago sea in the future. This study will also provide insights to new, local means to adapt and mitigate change induced hydrodynamic alterations by nature-based solutions retention water and nutrients. This PhD study explores the co-effects of the hydro-climatic conditions and the land use on the water quality and quantity on the agricultural catchment by the Archipelago sea. The current state is analysed based on monitoring data. Alternative directions for land use development to increase the resilience of the society in the changing climate and to fight against eutrophication are investigated by means of remote sensing, modelling, and interview. Ways to promote and increase the application of nature based solutions in water management are explored.
The applicant should be active, motivated and self-guided and have initiative and willingness for team working. We also expect an excellent master’s degree in, for example, physical geography, water engineering, hydrology, or related fields. The candidate should also have the following skills: (1) Knowledge and interest on Geo-ICT approaches and remote sensing; (2) Strong understanding on hydrological processes; (3) Interest and experience in outdoors & field work. Experience in computational modelling, spatio-statistical approaches and/or programming are for great advantage.
TBA
Department of Geography and Geology/ Faculty of Science
Adj.prof. Elina Kasvi
Adj. Prof. Ville Kankare
Dr. Carlos Inca
TBA