Att få varmt vatten direkt ur kranen är en självklarhet i svenska hem. Men denna bekvämlighet har ett högt pris: enorma mängder energi går förlorade i de system som ständigt håller vattnet varmt. Samtidigt måste temperaturen vara tillräckligt hög för att förhindra tillväxt av den skadliga legionellabakterien. Ny forskning från KTH och Chalmers visar nu hur vi kan lösa denna ekvation – genom att spara energi utan att kompromissa med säkerheten.
Varmvattnets dolda energitjuv
I ett genomsnittligt svenskt flerbostadshus står uppvärmning av tappvarmvatten för cirka 25–30 kWh per kvadratmeter och år. Ungefär en tredjedel av detta, eller 8–10 kWh per kvadratmeter, är rena förluster från den så kallade varmvattencirkulationen (VVC). VVC-systemet pumpar konstant runt hett vatten i fastigheten för att säkerställa kort väntetid vid kranen. Dessa förluster motsvarar mellan 2,5 och 4,3 TWh årligen i Sveriges flerbostadshus – lika mycket energi som fjärrvärmen till en medelstor svensk stad.
Dilemmat: Energi vs. Bakterier
För att undvika tillväxt av Legionella pneumophila, en bakterie som kan orsaka allvarlig lunginflammation, kräver svenska byggregler att temperaturen i VVC-systemet är minst 50 °C. Men en hög temperatur driver oundvikligen upp värmeförlusterna. För att hitta den optimala balansen byggde forskarna en fullskalig testanläggning på KTH som exakt simulerar systemet i ett flerbostadshus med 20 lägenheter.
Resultat: Pumpen är den verkliga boven
Forskarna testade två scenarier: ett med högt vattenflöde (0,5 m/s) och ett med lågt flöde (0,2 m/s). Den mest relevanta analysen gjordes när systemet, precis som i verkligheten, justerades för att uppfylla lagkravet om en returtemperatur på minst 50 °C.
Resultatet: den årliga värmeförlusten var i praktiken identisk oavsett flöde. Lågflödesdriften förlorade 4276 kWh per år, medan högflödesdriften förlorade 4253 kWh. Anledningen är att två effekter tar ut varandra: lågflödessystemet kräver en lite högre starttemperatur, men det långsammare flödet ökar samtidigt rörets inre värmemotstånd, vilket bromsar förlusterna.
Den verkliga skillnaden låg istället i energin som krävdes för att driva cirkulationspumpen. Högflödesdrift krävde en effekt på 108 W, vilket var 3,4 gånger mer än de 32 W som lågflödesdriften behövde. På ett år innebar detta en besparing på 666 kWh i ren elenergi. Detta ledde till en total energibesparing för hela systemet på cirka 12 %, där hela vinsten kom från den minskade elanvändningen för pumpen.
Effektiv legionellakontroll utan slöseri
Parallellt med energimätningarna undersöktes hur legionellabakterien beter sig i systemet. Forskarna fann att:
Legionella uppstår inte av sig själv. Trots ideala temperaturer (41–43 °C) kunde bakterien inte etablera sig i det rena kommunala dricksvattnet. Det krävdes en “smitta” utifrån för att en koloni skulle växa fram.
Periodiska värmechocker fungerar utmärkt. När bakterien väl var etablerad, visade sig kortvariga temperaturhöjningar till 60–65 °C vara effektiva för att slå ut den. Detta bevisar att man inte behöver hålla en konstant hög temperatur för att garantera säkerheten.
Legionella återkommer efter en tid utan värmechocker. Om legionella är etablerad i systemet och man värmechockar systemet försvinner eller begränsas förekomsten kraftigt. Effekten visade sig att tillfällig, efter en tid på 2 veckor noterades att Legionella bakterier hade börjat att växa till. Därmed är det viktigt att man har periodisk temperaturhöjning.
Verkligheten bekräftar: Problemen finns där man tror
För att se hur det ser ut i praktiken analyserades 56 vattenprover från system i flerbostadshus. Resultaten bekräftade bilden från labbet: legionellaproblemen är inte generella i ett system, utan starkt lokala. Medan 10% av alla stickprov innehöll spår av bakterien, fanns nästan alla höga och problematiska halter i byggnader med kända konstruktionsfel. Den vanligaste orsaken var handdukstorkar som kopplats direkt på VVC-systemet, vilket skapar zoner där vattnet blir stillastående och får en perfekt temperatur för bakterietillväxt.
Vägen framåt: Smart styrning och mindre klimatpåverkan
Forskningen visar att det kan finnas en smartare väg framåt som balanserar både energi och hälsa. Genom att kombinera en lågflödesdrift för att minimera pumpenergin med periodiska temperaturhöjningar för att hålla bakterierna i schack, kan fastighetsägare spara energi utan att tumma på säkerheten.
– Det handlar inte om att sänka säkerheten, utan om att styra klokare, säger Jesper Knutsson, en av forskarna bakom studien. Med rätt teknik och kunskap kan vi både skydda hälsan och nå våra nationella energimål.
Jesper Knutsson, Tekn.Dr. Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Architecture and civil engineering
Dr. Louis Delannoy is a Researcher for the Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere programme (GEDB) of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. A transdisciplinary researcher, Louis combines various tools to understand how crises are transferred, absorbed and linked across space, time and sectors of society. He specifically focuses on the conceptualisation and formalisation of polycrisis, and the development of a long-term multi-scale database on historical shocks and crises.
“Polycrisis” has become a buzzword to describe today’s overlapping challenges – from COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine to climate extremes and social turmoil. The intuition is clear: crises no longer come one at a time, but interact and mostly amplify each other. Yet the term is often used without precision. What does polycrisis really mean, how can we study it, and what does it imply for governance? At the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Stockholm Resilience Centre, our team is working to answer these questions. In my seminar, I present three strands of our research: (I) a conceptual framework for polycrisis, (II) a global database of crises across five decades, and (III) an analysis of how institutions perceive risks compared to how they actually unfold.
First, it is crucial to understand what we mean by “crisis”. According to our social-ecological systems approach, a crisis emerges from two interrelated processes: shocks (diseases outbreaks, terrorist attacks, droughts, etc.) and creeping changes (democratic backsliding, biodiversity loss, etc.). The latter are considered much slower than the former, yet they must be regarded as critical. For example, intergenerational inequalities (which, when measured in terms of exposure to extreme weather events, have been steadily increasing since 1980 and are expected to worsen over time) are considered one of the factors contributing to Trump’s return to power. A polycrisis emerges when several crises overlap and reinforce one another. For example, when a heatwave worsens food insecurity or when a pandemic exposes long-standing weaknesses in health systems and social inequities. However, and as we found out in our first study, several interpretations of polycrisis co-exist. Yet if they disagreed on causes, they agreed on two points: polycrisis spans multiple scales, and it is more than a buzzword.
To see how polycrisis unfolds in practice, we built a database of shocks in 175 countries between 1970 and 2019. It tracks six types of disruptions – climate, conflict, economic, ecological, geophysical, and technological – year by year. The results show that shocks became increasingly entangled until around 2000, with combinations like climate–conflict–technology especially frequent. After that, patterns diverged by region: Asia experienced rising co-occurrences, while other regions plateaued or declined.
Figure 1 – The share of shocks per category per year in each region. REF = the reforming economies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, OECD = the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 90 countries and the European Union member states and candidates, MAF = the Middle East and Africa, LAM = Latin America and the Caribbean, ASIA = Asian countries except the Middle East, Japan, and the former Soviet Union states. Source: Delannoy et al. (2025).
To complement this effort, we are conducting an expert elicitation process mapping creeping changes. The overarching goal consists in mapping where and when crises take place in the world, and what kind of interactions can we measure through empirical studies. A critical caveat is of course the inclusion in the process of several perspectives, especially from marginalized communities, often disproportionately affected by crises. Another caveat is the recognition of the risks of misinterpretation in how we conceptualize crises and communicate our findings, and our responsibility in this regard.
To bridge the gap with governance, we looked at how global institutions perceive risks, focusing on the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Reports. These reports heavily emphasize economic risks, while downplaying ecological and long-term systemic ones. Additionally, they frame risks as complex, regulatory challenges rather than opportunities for systemic transformations. This creates a dangerous gap, where governance can end up preparing for the wrong risks while overlooking the creeping changes that quietly erode resilience.
Taken together, our work shows three things. First, polycrisis is best understood as the interplay of shocks and creeping changes. Second, history reveals recurring patterns of how crises cluster and diverge across regions. Third, governance often misjudges these dynamics, focusing on the visible while neglecting the systemic. Polycrisis is not just a buzzword. It is a call to rethink how we study, anticipate, and govern crises in the Anthropocene. By combining conceptual clarity, long-term data, and critical analysis of risk perceptions, we can begin to build the foundations for more resilient responses.
Authored by Professor Zaini Ujang, Hon. DSc, PhD, PE, CEng (UK), FCIWEM (UK), FIChemE (UK), FRSP (Lund), AMP (HBS).
At the age of 60th recently, I have decided to start a new venture in life. In the past, with PhD in environmental engineering from University of Newcastle, England, and certified as a chartered engineer, I have successfully completed two phases of professional life: Phase 1 as a tenured academic for 25 years (1988-2013) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Phase 2 as Secretary General of six ministries in Malaysia (2013-2025).
Phase 1 was completed to satisfy my curiosity in the scientific principles on environmental science and engineering, mainly related to water ecosystem and sustainability. I had opportunities to work closely with leading figures, not only within Malaysia, but global outreach including Sweden and Denmark. In line with global academic norms, we had ventured into sustainability of water management and tried to provide range of innovative solutions for both developed and developing countries. My approach was to work with leading authorities on relevant issues to the needs of developing countries, and tropical climate in particular.
With Mogens Henze from Denmark Technical University, for example, we co-authored many research papers mostly related to the applications of activated sludge models in tropical conditions, and co-edited two books related to environmental biotechnology and wastewater management for developing countries. With Gustaf Olsson from Lund University, we co-supervised at least 10 doctoral students since 2005 on various topics related advanced bioprocess engineering for water and wastewater technologies. And many other research collaborations with leading figures such as Mark van Loosdrecht (Delft), Tom Curtis (Newcastle), Masa Goto (Japan) and Norio Sugiura (Japan).
The lessons learned: Collaborate on pressing scientific issues and working closely with leading academic figures to catch-up with latest scientific methods and its applications.
My full time career in academia officially ended upon the completion of my tenure as Vice-Chancellor (in other countries it is known as President or Rector) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in July 2013.
Phase 2 was more excitement and challenging as a Secretary-General of six ministries (in some countries, the title is Vice-Minister or Permanent Secretary). The roles of Secretary-General is to lead senior officials to translate ideas into policy, from policy into legal instruments, from legal instruments into practices. Indeed with dedication and strong managerial skills, it was a smooth sailing to lead senior officials in big organisations, such as ministries, provided the political climates are positive in encouraging new framework and promote innovation. But often, political systems have been customised to conventional framework and approach in order to minimise political risks. For example, the polluters pay principle is a good idea. However when environmental services such as water and energy pricing, and carbon tax to be introduced and sustainably enhanced using polluters pay principle, the systemic polluters used their political cards to object.
My observation has shown that mere scientific mastery and administrative authority might not be able to bring significant change or transformation in a society, particularly in developing world. Scientific community can provide evidences, promote appropriate solutions and outreach to policy makers. Often, policy makers themselves have other priorities in their political agenda, and placed environmental issues, such as water sustainability and climate change at the bottom of their to-do-list.
Therefore, we should learn from experiences in other regions where environment and climate have been considered among the top priorities in nation building and political agenda. Scandinavia and Japan could be good examples.
In 2018, I have written a book, entitled Eco-Shift: Holistic Transformation towards Environmental Sustainability. It was a reflection on bringing cultural transformation, instead of small changes in policy, practices and lifestyle towards green growth and climate action. Eco-Shift is defined as a transformative change, more than mere regulatory and organisational transformation, towards environmental sustainability. It covers personal domain, targeting behavioural and habitual changes. Organizational domain covers planning, strategy, execution and improvement, often limited to targeting “outputs” in the forms of key performance indicators, ratings, rankings, budgets, time-frame etc. For holistic transformation to occur, it requires significant changes in personal domain, targeting “outcomes” which involve values, attitudes, behaviours and habits. This lecture at KTH on 16 May 2025 was based on a sequel books by Zaini Ujang (2018, 2019 and 2020) to direct present discourse on ecology towards ecological philosophy, or ecosophy, on top of environmental policy. A special focus will be given by comparing ecosophy from a Scandinavian perspective, with respect to Asian perspectives, particularly Japanese.
Many countries within the Paris Agreement 2015 framework have agreed to adopt Net-Zero Emission (NZE) by 2050. However, climate action, as shown in series of annual COPs, has been excessively focus towards state-actors. Efforts to mitigate and adapt climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to its current and future impacts should involve all sectors and actors. These actions are crucial in addressing global challenges in all sectors, including water and energy sectors. This lecture will explore the potential of non-state actors, mainly non-governmental international and national organisations, trade chambers, scholarly institutions, academies, conventional and new media, individuals and influencers.
Issues and outstanding challenges to improve the design and management of safe and reliable supply chains that are accessible and sustainable by creating predictive analytical tools and technologies, with examples on water-energy nexus. The framework of Eco-Shift will be highlighted through holistic transformation in thinking, public policy, cultural change and lifestyle in supply chain and market optimization, human health risks in the goods and services, and access to healthy ecosystem.
The speaker’s wide experience both in developing environmental and climate policy from national to international levels, and actively engaging various climate actors – particularly non-state actors – will open up wider opportunities, thus enhancing this discourse towards sustainable futures. In many ways, the roles of non-state actors could be more impactful and efficient, compared to politically-tied state-actors.
Bio
Zaini Ujang, 60, is a “professor-at-large” serving more than ten universities around the globe as a visiting professor.
He is also the non-executive Chairman, Malaysia Qualification Agency since March 2025. He was appointed as Secretary-General for six ministries in Federal Government of Malaysia within 12 years (2013-2025) on portfolios related to higher education, human resource, climate, energy, environment, water, energy and health. He was chairing many technical committees to formulate national policies, such as higher education blueprints (2015-2025 and 2035), green technology (2016-2025), green sukuk (2016), climate adaptation (2021-2030) etc.
He was a professor in environmental sustainability and President/Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (2008-2013), and assigned to head the Malaysian delegation and chief negotiator at COP26 (Glasgow) and COP27 (Sham El-Sheikh).
Prior to his appointment in leadership roles at various institutions in Malaysia, since 2006, Zaini was Vice-President, International Water Association (based in London, 2004-2006) and had delivered more than 300 invited and keynote lectures including at MIT (June 2019), Imperial College London (almost annually since 2012), Lund (Sweden), Tokyo, Tsukuba and Kyoto universities. He has written more than 300 scientific papers and 52 books.
From April 16 to July 26, 2025, Zaini is undertaking a life challenge by traveling around the globe for 100 days, visiting and delivering lectures at 40 universities, including Imperial College London, MIT and Harvard.
Authored by Elisie Kåresdotter, Postdoc at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, based on her multi-year experience working with water conflict, cooperation, and climate adaptation in various contexts around the globe.
As climate change intensifies, so does the pressure on one of our most essential resources: water. Around the world, communities are grappling with increasing risks to water availability, threatening not only ecosystems and livelihoods but also peace. Yet within these challenges lie opportunities for cooperation, resilience, and innovative solutions. In fact, it has been more common to cooperate when faced with water-related challenges throughout history. Despite current events, such as in India and Pakistan, water wars have been rare throughout history and are unlikely. Most water conflicts are non-violent, such as protests or threats of withdrawing an agreement or building a dam that could negatively affect downstream water flows. However, low-intensity local conflicts are becoming more common, which could be linked to more and more people living with water challenges. It is estimated that around half of the world’s population currently suffers from high water stress at least one month per year, threatening secure delivery of water, food, health, jobs, and energy. As such, it becomes paramount to understand the complex relationship between water conflicts and cooperation, and how climate adaptation strategies can help shape more peaceful futures.
Water and Conflict: A Rising Tide
Data from recent decades shows a worrying trend: water-related conflicts are increasing, particularly within countries. Meanwhile, cooperation over water has declined. This trend is particularly pronounced in parts of Africa and Asia, where climate extremes and rapid socio-economic changes collide.
But these conflicts are rarely about water alone. They’re often entangled with other factors, such as governance, economic hardship, and population pressure. By looking at what is written about these conflicts in newspapers and scientific publications and comparing them to important factors, such as changes in rainfall, evaporation, population size and density, and the number and types of dams in rivers, we can start to understand why conflicts over water have grown in recent years and the regional differences.
In Africa, many recent conflicts have occurred alongside droughts and issues with water infrastructure. This region is unique globally because Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where access to safe drinking water has decreased since 2000. The rise in conflicts can, at least partly, be attributed to climate change, since droughts are becoming more frequent and severe. This creates challenges for the people who rely on farming or herding livestock for their livelihoods. Inadequate water infrastructure and sustainable water management practices, especially in marginalized communities, together with cultural differences, land tenure security, and economic inequalities, worsen the issues and increase the risk of future conflicts unless addressed.
Figure 2. Locations of historic water conflicts (top) and cooperation (bottom) with internal (within countries) events shown in lighter colors and transboundary (between countries) events shown in darker colors.
Figure 3. Rates of when a cooperation event led to no future conflicts in the next five years. Light blue colors mean that cooperation has been successful in reducing all conflicts in the following years, while brown to orange colors mean that the country still had conflicts even after cooperation was established.
In Asia, tensions have intensified over irrigation and dam construction. Here, many rivers run across multiple countries, requiring nations to work together to limit tension and prevent conflict between upstream and downstream regions. Ironically, while dams are intended to improve water supply for drinking and agriculture and manage river flow, they can reduce water availability by increasing evaporation. Building new dams can threaten water security and spark disputes with downstream communities. Existing water agreements often lack flexibility, making it difficult to adapt to changes in water flow due to increased populations, industrial and energy demand, and climate change. This increases competition among nations and sectors, potentially worsening unfair water distribution and escalating tensions.
Researchers have focused mainly on water conflicts in Africa and parts of Asia. As lessons from one region might not apply to another, we know less about how conflicts evolve and can be reduced in other parts of the world. This becomes especially problematic for regions with emerging issues, highlighting a need for more research covering diverse topics to minimize future security risks.
Cooperation: More Than a Peace Treaty
Encouragingly, cooperation works. Our analysis shows that water-related cooperation can significantly reduce the risk of future conflict, especially when it’s more than symbolic and when combinations of different cooperation are used. For example, suppose several different cooperation strategies are used, such as combining water treaties or agreements with the sharing of technology (for example, joint modeling of water allocation) and joint planning of adaptation strategies. In that case, it can create stronger and more effective collaboration compared to when fewer cooperation strategies exist between two or more actors sharing water resources. Further, cooperation can provide positive benefits beyond regional stability and improved resilience, especially in less affluent countries, through slight increases in exports and GDP.
Yet not all cooperation is created equal. Cooperation has a greater potential to prevent conflict in areas with low water stress than high water stress, even if the effect is still strong for high water stress areas. Still, regional differences matter. What works in South America will likely not work in East Africa. This points to the need for locally tailored, multi-pronged strategies for managing water and building trust and resilience.
Nature-Based Solutions: A Potential Path Forward
One promising way to tackle issues like extreme climate events, water scarcity, and water quality problems is through nature-based solutions (NbS). These are strategies that work with natural systems, rather than trying to control them. By restoring natural feasures such as wetlands, ponds, and floodplains, we can reduce the risk of flooding, boost groundwater recharge, and retain water to help during drought. Additionally, these solutions can enhance biodiversity and provide social and recreational benefits, such as cooling urban areas and reducing pollution.
Traditional technical solutions, often called “gray solutions”, can be too expensive in low-income settings. In these settings, NbS provides a cost-effective alternative to adapt to climate extremes and address underlying causes of conflict, such as access, inequality, and environmental degradation. NbS can be small-scale projects that help improve water management and resilience, strengthen ecosystem health, and encourage community engagement and cooperation. By doing so, they help tackle environmental and societal factors contributing to conflicts.
Charting the Course for Future Water Resilience
Water challenges do not have to lead to conflicts. Choices in governments, investments, corporations, and among individuals shape them. As we confront these complex challenges, it’s clear that the path forward requires innovation, collaboration, and adaptability. By understanding the dynamics between water conflicts and cooperation, we can develop strategies that prevent disputes and foster peace. Nature-based solutions offer a compelling way to address water-related issues, harnessing the power of nature to increase resilience and security, particularly in the face of climate change.
However, realizing this vision and creating locally adapted solutions requires action and communication between all sectors. By sharing knowledge, we can start to transform challenges into opportunities, strengthen cooperation, and adopt innovative practices. Because in a rapidly changing climate, the question isn’t just how we manage water. It’s how we manage and communicate with each other.
Authored by Gauri Salunkhe, based on her experiences during her 4.5 month field work in Fiji for her Master’s thesis project. This is part 2 of a two-part article that delves into the local indigenous knowledge and gender perspectives. Part 1 introduced the community-managed marine conservation work as a nature-based solution in Naidiri village, Fiji.
“There are no more suitable people on Earth to be the custodians of the oceans than those for whom the sea is home.”
– Epeli Hau’ofa, a prominent Fijian-Tongan writer and anthropologist, in his essay, “Our Sea of Islands”. He has written extensively about the deep connection Pacific Islanders have with the ocean.
Local indigenous knowledge and methods to overcome challenges of implementing nature-based solutions in marine and coastal ecosystems
In Naidiri, a coastal village in Fiji deeply connected to the ocean, local traditions, knowledge, and customs have become powerful tools for addressing the complexities of managing marine and coastal resources. While Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for marine and coastal ecosystems often face implementation challenges, Naidiri has drawn on its traditions and ancestral knowledge to address these in unique ways.
The first hurdle is understanding how marine ecosystems provide essential services and how changes in ecosystem health impact these services. The community’s understanding of marine ecosystems, such as how they sustain food supply, comes from generations of lived experience, including knowledge of tides, marine species, and seasonal patterns. While scientists may lack long-term data, Naidiri’s people rely on bioclimatic markers and shared community memory to track environmental changes over time. The place-based knowledge, gathered over years of experience and intimate interaction with the ocean, is critical to understanding how the reef supports them. This cultural resilience and adaptive approach have allowed them to respond to changes and adapt their practices to maintain a healthy environment.
The second challenge relates to the governance and property rights of marine and coastal areas that can complicate marine resource management. In Fiji, traditional governance supports resource management in villages like Naidiri. The qoliqoli (traditional fishing ground) is overseen by the turaga (high chief) who approved Naidiri’s MPA when it was established in 2009. Today, the Naidiri Youth Group and Yaubula (Environmental) Management Team lead environmental efforts under this governance such as coral and mangrove restoration, beach cleanups, and crown-of-thorns starfish removal. Guided by Manoa, Naidiri’s environmental officer, these teams coordinate efforts in harmony with traditional governance, where the collective effort known as caka caka vata[1] (working together for a common purpose) plays a pivotal role in the MPA’s success.
The third challenge involves raising public awareness of marine ecosystems and NbS. Unlike urban communities, where the marine environment might feel distant, the people of Naidiri live right by the ocean, which is integral to their daily existence. Their understanding of Vanua[2], a concept that links their lives to both land and sea, deepens their responsibility to care for the environment. The community members have witnessed firsthand the impact of environmental shifts, recalling how declining fish stocks in the early 2000s spurred them to establish the MPA. Although they may not use the term “Nature-based Solutions,” the people of Naidiri have long practiced forms of environmental stewardship that align with NbS principles. The creation of a tabu, or protected area, is an ancestral tradition that has safeguarded marine and terrestrial resources for generations and ultimately inspired Naidiri’s MPA. By passing down these practices, they instill a sense of ocean stewardship in younger generations, equipping them to become future guardians of the MPA.
Through their efforts, the people of Naidiri have cultivated a unique blend of indigenous knowledge and scientific awareness, empowering both adults and youth to lead the way in sustainable marine management. Their story exemplifies how deeply rooted traditions can adapt to modern challenges, ensuring that our treasured marine environment continues to support and nourish the community.
Figure 1: Snorkelling with Naidiri Youth Group members (Photo by Tourism Fiji)Figure 2: Naidiri youth, Aporosa Duwai, removing Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) that are predators of corals to conserve the corals in the MPA (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)Figure 3: Naidiri elder, Rupeni Nakata, repairing fishing nets (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)Figure 4: A village elder looking out for schools of fish to lay out the net early in the morning (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)
Women’s role in the establishment and management of Marine Protected Areas
Naidiri’s MPA was established with good intentions, aiming to replenish fish stocks for future generations and improve the community’s livelihood. Yet, early on, the perspectives of Naidiri’s women were overlooked, and this exclusion led to unexpected challenges. While the MPA ultimately became a valuable resource, the initial lack of inclusion caused women disproportionate challenges and delayed acceptance. In many coastal communities, women play vital roles in family sustenance, child socialisation, and the day-to-day management of resources. Research highlights how women, who often fish, sell, and process resources, pass down valuable skills and attitudes to their children, shaping future generations’ respect for sustainable practices. Including women in marine management is therefore not only a matter of representation but a key to fostering long-term resource stewardship.
When the MPA in Naidiri was first proposed, some women opposed it as the designated area for the MPA was a usual spot for women to catch fish, octopus, and seashells which are critical for their family’s meals and income. Establishing an MPA there meant that they would have to walk further from home to fish, increasing the time spent on fishing, and reducing time for other responsibilities. Frustrated, a few women cut the plastic-bottle buoys marking the MPA boundaries, a silent protest against the decision. Although the MPA moved forward with approval from the community’s turaga (high chief), the women’s concerns revealed a gap in the planning process: the importance of listening to all voices in a community rooted in tradition and mutual responsibility.
Reflecting on the MPA’s journey, Naidiri’s community recognises how things could have been done differently. Future projects in similar villages could greatly benefit from early and open discussions with women. Naidiri’s youth are now committed to raising awareness about marine conservation before setting up an MPA, such as explaining how it would address issues like declining fish stocks to ensure a sustainable future, to gain early support from women and the rest of the community. Additionally, having female representatives in outreach sessions could create a sense of solidarity and trust among women, encouraging them to feel engaged from the beginning.
Recently, Naidiri’s leaders have taken a new approach. When a temporary MPA (tabu) was set up in 2021, the women were included in the planning discussions. They requested permission to continue octopus fishing within the temporary tabu, as octopus is an essential part of their livelihood. The accommodation of their request marked a turning point of Naidiri’s MPA management, where women’s voices were valued in resource management decisions. By integrating the experiences and insights of women, the village has laid a foundation for a more inclusive approach to conservation, ensuring that future marine projects are embraced by all and reflect the community’s collective strength. Furthermore, octopus are a predator of giant clams that are bred in the MPA. When the women catch these octopus, it becomes a community solution to protect the giant clams. Naidiri’s story shows how, by working together, they can protect their precious marine resources in a way that uplifts everyone.
Figure 5: Sera Naihamu cleaning octopus at the beach after catching them (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)Figure 6: Susana Ravitilevu and Adi Litia Makutu after fishing (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)Figure 7: Varanisese Navasa weaving baskets from coconut leaves. She is the oldest person in the village and holds immense knowledge about the marine environment and their culture and traditions. She has been fishing for her entire life and only stopped in 2022 due to her old age (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)
Building Community Ownership and Capacity through Participatory Research Methods
The study in Naidiri took shape through both ethnographic methods and participatory action research, aligning with the Vanua Research Framework proposed by Nabobo-Baba in 2008. This research framework is deeply embedded in Fijian values, language, and social structures, giving voice to the Fijian ways of knowing and honouring cultural connections like the Vanua (tribe), yavusa (clan), mataqali (sub-clan), and tokatoka (extended family). Unlike traditional research, which can feel intrusive, this framework invited Naidiri’s people into every step of the process, ensuring that they could directly shape how the research developed and how its findings would be shared. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach strengthened this study by involving Naidiri community members in practical, hands-on activities that centred on their own knowledge and skills. This method aimed not just to gather data but to leave a lasting positive impact on the community, giving them tools for future challenges.
In one instance, members of the Naidiri women’s group approached me with a heartfelt request: they wanted to see for themselves the MPA that had become a draw for international tourists, researchers, and students. This area carried mixed emotions for many of them. Once their fishing grounds, it was now off-limits, and some women had even resisted its establishment years ago. Over two days, I led 15 women on a snorkelling tour, guiding them through vibrant corals, schools of colourful fish, giant clams, and rare species that now thrived in the protected zone. After their snorkelling tour, I sat with the women for interviews, keen to hear their reflections. The women’s reactions were overwhelmingly positive. For most, this was the first time they saw what had become of the waters where they once cast their nets. They were amazed at the dense corals and the diversity of fish, which they noted had been sparse before the MPA’s establishment in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their perspectives shifted, and a new sense of ownership toward the MPA emerged; they now saw it as something precious, something they had helped to create. Many expressed a desire to contribute actively to its care and to explore tourism activities around it, envisioning new roles for themselves and potential income opportunities in guiding and hosting visitors. The experience deepened their connection to the MPA and stirred a sense of pride and responsibility.
Figure 8: Snorkelling with women in the village (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)Figure 9: Women admiring the red squirrelfish (dradra) while snorkelling in the MPA (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)Figure 10: Snorkelling with women in the village (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)
Another significant moment came when the environmental officer of Naidiri, Manoa, volunteered to help with transect samplings to collect quantitative data of coral cover and fish populations. His interest in learning scientific data collection methods turned into an impromptu training session, as I showed him the techniques involved in transect sampling and guiding him through coral data collection on the A-frames, sparking his enthusiasm for monitoring the MPA. With this newfound knowledge, Naidiri could build a community of local researchers who could contribute to future projects, giving Naidiri a voice in the research conducted within their waters.
The data gathered could be shared with the community, fostering a deeper sense of ownership. Instead of just being represented, the community could actively participate and represent themselves, sharing insights from their data as co-authors or co-presenters in wider discussions. Additionally, indigenous Fijians bring invaluable ecological knowledge of significant reef fish and marine habitats, offering insights crucial for managing these resources sustainably. Collecting data locally allows them to preserve this knowledge in the absence of formal historical records. With these skills, Naidiri’s community members could potentially be hired by other research projects or government bodies looking to study and replicate similar conservation efforts. Not only would this bring economic opportunities, but it could also empower them to present findings to other villages and schools, inspiring similar community-managed MPAs. When these ideas come from fellow indigenous communities, they often resonate more deeply, grounded in shared cultural and spiritual understandings. By sharing their experiences, Naidiri’s community could inspire others to embrace sustainable fisheries and climate resilience, building a network of conservation-minded villages.
Figure 11: Manoa and myself collecting coral data (Photo by Charlie Mungin)
Figure 12: Manoa laying out the transect to collect coral and fish data (Photo by Charlie Mungin)
Lastly, the local youth group sought my guidance to improve their snorkelling tourism initiative and build skills as tour guides. They had wanted to receive formal tour-guide training but faced financial barriers. Eager to support their ambition, I collaborated with Tourism Fiji to create a workshop aimed at building the youth’s skills and confidence. Using role-playing, storytelling, and talanoa[3] sessions, the workshop allowed the young people to practice guiding, share feedback, and connect with each other over their goals. Through discussions with the community’s elders, the youth gathered insights that would enrich their tours and help them share a more authentic narrative with visitors. Together, they brainstormed key information about the village and the MPA that all guides could use, ensuring consistency and accuracy during tours. The role-playing exercises allowed the youth to practice presenting the information, gaining confidence and improving their performance. As they honed their skills, they also understood how to elevate the quality of their tours, which would enable them to charge higher fees, providing a sustainable income for the youth.
Ultimately, these participatory activities built the community’s capacity by developing new skills, enhancing their knowledge, and fostering a deeper sense of ownership over the MPA. A strong sense of ownership is essential for the MPA’s sustainability. When the community genuinely feels they own and care for such initiatives, they are far more likely to maintain and champion them in the long run, a foundation for success in any community-based solution. Building capacity is crucial, as innovative solutions are required to tackle modern challenges that are unfamiliar to traditional systems and must be learned and mastered rapidly.
Figure 13: Tour guiding workshop with Tourism Fiji representative, Peni Ravitu (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)Figure 14: Naidiri youth, Sanaila Nalasi, practicing what he learnt during the tour guiding workshop with Tourism Fiji representative, Lucia Zeeard (Photo by Gauri Salunkhe)
Bridging Knowledge Systems: Embracing Indigenous Knowledge to develop Nature-Based Solutions for Resilient Marine Ecosystems
The degradation of marine ecosystems, driven by climate change and human activities, poses serious risks to the health and well-being of coastal communities. Communities in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) are particularly vulnerable. This reality highlights the urgent need for innovative and inclusive solutions for marine and coastal ecosystems, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS). However, while NbS have found some success on land, challenges remain in implementing them in marine and coastal environments. A key barrier is the integration of indigenous knowledge, which is essential for developing solutions that are both locally relevant and capable of enhancing the resilience of marine ecosystems.
Indigenous knowledge is often viewed as supplementary to Western science, but it holds the potential to be a vital part of a more holistic approach to environmental management. For this integration to succeed, a shift is needed – one that acknowledges indigenous knowledge as fundamental to developing more effective and equitable conservation strategies. By embracing indigenous peoples’ rights, self-determination, and unique contributions, we can work toward a just and resilient future in environmental management.
This study focused on a locally-managed MPA in Naidiri Village, Fiji, as a case study of NbS for marine ecosystems. The Naidiri community has embraced its indigenous knowledge, values, and practices such as bula vakavanua (traditional indigenous way of life in villages that encompasses the interconnectedness of land, sea, and people, and emphasises the importance of maintaining a harmonious relationship with nature), caka caka vata (working together to achieve a common goal), and tabu (traditional bans) and combined these with modern conservation methods such as coral restoration. Fifteen years after the establishment of the MPA, this approach has reduced socio-ecological vulnerabilities and increased adaptive capacities. However, there are still areas for improvement, particularly in ensuring that women’s voices are included in the decision-making and management of NbS.
The success of Naidiri’s MPA has led to the recognition that research priorities must evolve to integrate indigenous knowledge, methods, and experiences alongside scientific and economic perspectives. Moving forward, it is crucial to bridge the gap between scientific and indigenous knowledge, allowing local indigenous knowledge to lead the way, supported by Western scientific understanding. This approach will be vital for ensuring the health and sustainability of our marine resources.
Figure 15: Team bonding with the Naidiri Youth GroupFigure 16: Walking along the coast of Naidiri with the next generation
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my Master’s thesis supervisor, Zahra Kalantari, for her unwavering support of this project, insightful feedback and guidance, inspiring ideas, and her confidence in my ability to see it through from the very beginning. I would also like to thank my co-supervisor, Austin Bowden-Kerby, for providing me the opportunity to work in Naidiri. His vast knowledge and experience in corals and coral restoration, along with his understanding of working in Fiji, have been a tremendous resource. A big kudos to Manoa and Charly for their support in data collection, the endless joy and laughter from the ulu levus, and their shared passion for marine conservation made the work so much more enjoyable.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the community of Naidiri for their trust and willingness to share their invaluable knowledge and experiences. I am profoundly grateful for the love and acceptance they showed me, treating me as part of the community, making my stay in Naidiri unforgettable. And I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone else who supported and encouraged me with the true Bula spirit of Fiji. Lastly, I want to express my deep appreciation for the marine life in Naidiri’s MPA. The pristine and beautiful ecosystems revealed their richness and various dimensions every time we snorkelled. I hope this project plays a small role in helping to preserve them for the future.
[1]Caka caka vata is a strong part of indigenous Fijian culture which has allowed them to develop group consciousness and a way of working together harmoniously
[2]Vanua refers to the land, sea, and people that one is traditionally connected to; the overall socio-biological environment
[3] “Talanoa in the Fijian cultural context refers to the process where two or more people talk together or when one person is the storyteller and has an audience who largely are listeners… Talanoa is an appropriate approach to Fijian research and it embodies Fijian protocol in the sharing of information.” (Nabobo-baba, 2008) Talanoa can be either formal or informal, depending on who you are speaking to, the context, etc.
