KTH team secures Formas and Vinnova funding for water resilience research
Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology have secured funding from both Formas and Vinnova’s Water Wise Societies initiative to develop nature-based solutions for climate-resilient water management in southern Sweden.
The funding supports two complementary projects, PolVatten and SamVatten, which aim to strengthen water security, improve water quality and help communities adapt to challenges such as droughts, floods and changing land-use patterns.
Led by researchers at WaterCentre@KTH and KTH’s Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering (SEED), the projects combine expertise in environmental science, climate adaptation, artificial intelligence, ecosystem services, economics and governance.
“Our goal is to develop evidence-based solutions that strengthen both water security and climate resilience while creating additional benefits for biodiversity, ecosystem services and society,” says Zahra Kalantari, Professor at KTH and Director of WaterCentre@KTH.
Restoring wetlands for a changing climate
A key focus is wetland restoration and rewetting to improve water retention and quality, support biodiversity, store carbon and reduce vulnerability to droughts and floods. The research will contribute to new planning approaches, decision-support systems, financing models and policy instruments that support wider implementation of nature-based solutions.
“Nature-based solutions can generate multiple benefits, but these are often difficult to capture within existing governance and financing structures,” says Sofia Lingegård. “Realising their full potential requires new approaches to implementation, business models and cross-sector collaboration.”
Broad collaboration across sectors
The KTH team includes Zahra Kalantari, Sofia Lingegård and Linus Hasselström Langer. The projects involve collaboration with Stockholm University, the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU), Halmstad University, Sydvatten AB, Hushållningssällskapet Halland and Region Halland, as well as municipalities, water authorities, landowners and other stakeholders. Project leader for PolVatten is Professor JerkerJarsjö from Stockholm University, project leader for SamVatten is Dr. Lea D. Schneider from Hushållningssällskapet Halland.
A central case-study area is the Bolmen watershed and the Plönninge testbed in Halland, both important for drinking water supply in southern Sweden. The researchers aim to develop scalable models that can be applied in other regions of Sweden and internationally.
“This broad collaboration gives us a valuable opportunity to address some of the most important challenges in water and nature management,” says Linus Hasselström Langer.
The projects will run from 2026 to 2029 and contribute to the goals of Water Wise Societies, Sweden’s national innovation programme for sustainable water systems and climate resilience.
Text: Åsa Karsberg ( asakars@kth.se ), Photo: Jon Lindhe ( jlindhe@kth.se )