Transformative water governance

Water is critically important for addressing the key sustainability challenges related climate change, biodiversity, and pollution, and there are high hopes that so-called Twin Transition (green and digital transition) will provide new, more sustainable and efficient ways of working also in the water sector. Yet, the thorny issues related to participation and decision-making power remain, as water brings together a variety of actors with differing interests, needs and knowledges. Such a setting calls for new ways of viewing water resources management and governance. It also means that transformative water governance can be understood simultaneously in two different ways: as water’s key role in the on-going sustainability transformation and as a need to re-think and even transform current water governance practices. 

The doctoral research under this topic will look at the changing dynamics of the governance of water resources in Finland, considering both established (e.g. EU Water Framework Directive) and emerging (e.g. multistakeholder platforms such as water vision processes) governance mechanisms. The research will study critically the potential of this Twin Transition in the water field, considering the pros and cons of digitalisation (e.g. digital participation, citizen science, access to information) and the ways it links to key sustainability challenges. The research may look at national and possible also regional (e.g. Baltic Sea, EU) scales, but can also focus on one or several case studies at different scales (e.g. cities, river basins).

Tasks 5.1 and 5.2

“River systems, regulation and management”, but also all other research areas.

The position requires understanding of the key theories related to sustainability, natural resources management and governance as well as at least some knowledge on qualitative research methods. Knowledge on quantitative research methods is a merit. The applicants can thus come from a variety of relevant fields, including water and natural resources management, environmental sciences, sustainability science, design thinking, and social sciences. Experience from carrying out expert interviews and related analysis methods and software is a merit. As the research utilises also relevant Finnish-language planning and policy documents, the competency also in Finnish is a strong merit.

Syke

Water and Environmental Engineering / Department of Built Environment / School of Engineering / Aalto University

Prof. Marko Keskinen

Dr Mika Marttunen, Syke (tbc)

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Dr Mika Marttunen, Syke