The development of water research is critical for Finland, a country with abundant water resources. Eastern Finland is home to a significant portion of Finland’s freshwater reserves, making the responsible use of the region’s water reserves critical going forward. Furthermore, water research aims to address the effects of climate change on the global water cycle.
Together with the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and the OLVI Foundation, Saastamoinen Foundation supports the University of Eastern Finland’s project “Water environment as an accelerator of prosperity and well-being in Eastern Finland”. The project has been granted EUR 4.55 million for the period 2019–2025.
The project has brought together expertise from the University of Eastern Finland’s (UEF) Kuopio and Joensuu campuses, introducing fresh perspectives to water research by strengthening its multidisciplinary nature. The UEF water research community is a multidisciplinary group equipped to address systemic societal challenges related to water. Through research, education, and influencing legislation, the aim is to ensure the availability of clean drinking water, thriving aquatic environments, and sustainable water resources, both in Finland and globally, for generations to come.
“Our research programme is an ambitious yet realistic undertaking that will further enhance the quality and regional and international impact of water and aquatic environment research conducted at the University of Eastern Finland,” says Professor Jussi Kukkonen, the director of the project. “Collaboration between research areas and disciplines within our university is a key factor, and we are indeed the most multidisciplinary community in Finland engaged in water-related research. Cooperation with other regional actors in Kuopio and Joensuu, such as educational institutions, research institutes, and businesses, is crucial for developing sufficiently broad consortia.”
Furthermore, the project aims to become Finland’s most respected water research organisation within a decade and to establish an interdisciplinary open innovation ecosystem that brings together key stakeholders and collaborative organisations. The University of Eastern Finland’s partners include Savonia and Karelia Universities of Applied Sciences, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), and the Finnish Food Authority. Together, these organisations have formed the Kuopio Water Cluster, which also includes dozens of companies as members. The University of Eastern Finland’s water research community currently employs 20 professors and research directors, along with 60 researchers, whose research areas include water treatment technologies, freshwater ecosystems, and water law.
Important research outcomes through collaboration
The transport of nano-sized plastic particles from contaminated soil to plants, larvae, and finally to fish was the subject of a Nano Today article, written by researchers from the water research community in collaboration with other UEF experts. This publication garnered significant national and international media attention. Additionally, University of Eastern Finland researchers released a thorough review study on the phenomenon known as “water brownification”, which occurs when organic carbon accumulates in water bodies and causes the water to become browner in colour. The use of peatlands for forestry, agriculture, and peat production plays a central role in this brownification phenomenon. Currently, Finland lacks adequate means to manage the brownification process.
Researchers within the water research community are collaborating with the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) on research into the restoration of rivers dammed for hydropower generation. In 2022, the researchers proposed an update to Finland’s hydropower policy to meet today’s environmental requirements. The hydroelectric power plants were classified depending on whether they should be accompanied by fish routes or other technological steps to reduce current water pollution, or whether it would be justified to abandon (small) hydroelectric power plants entirely.
UEF’s water researchers are also coordinating and co-authoring a governance framework for a blue transition in Finland (TRAGORA) under the STN-funded BlueAdapt project. TRAGORA analyses EU and Finnish policies and legislation to uncover policy lock-ins and transformative policy changes for reaching good status of waters and supporting economic activities that rely on waters and water resources.
Similar investigations employing innovative study methodologies and sites are critical components of the water research initiative. International collaboration brings new knowledge and expertise to water research, ensuring that the research and its findings are beneficial beyond Finland’s borders.