Water quality management in socio-ecological systems

The focus of the Swedish citizen observatory VattenFokus is on water quality management in socio-ecological systems in the Mälarendalen region (which includes Stockholm). The identified key challenge is the deteriorating water health due to current lifestyle choices and consumption patterns. It has become clear that the citizen observatory needs a life-cycle perspective of the water that is going in and going out of the system, to fix the interrelated challenges going on here.

The challenges on a governance level are that existing data on water quality in Sweden are dispersed, and environmental monitoring by citizens is disconnected from decision-making. Therefore, the mission of VattenFokus is to support all stakeholders to collaborate in the governance and action of the aquatic ecosystems by collecting data, sharing knowledge, and making data accessible that complement established governmental initiatives.

Ultimately, VattenFokus envisions a society where government, business, citizens, researchers and civil society organisations collaborate to be active stewards of a sustainable environment.

For updates on this Demo Case, visit the VattenFokus online platform and follow it on Twitter.