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Reflections from the Swedish group considering the UNFCCC theme - water. (Sweden / India)
Environment- How does the assigned UNFCCC theme relate to your country? What is the current state of this UNFCCC theme? What are your country’s future plans, and the implications?
Today, Sweden’s water resources are sufficient and stable and does not seem to be affected by the climate change. 90% of Sweden’s households are connected to a public water and sewage system, which corresponds with the demands from the EU. It’s important to point out that Sweden today has a sustainable system for water purification, however this might change in the future. With climate change Sweden will get a warmer climate and an increased precipitation which will increase the amount of chemical pollutants in our water sources. It will then be necessary to reconstruct sewage treatment systems to be able to secure the water quality.
The Baltic Sea is one of the seas that gets affected by the global warming the most, heating up quickly. The water is very shallow and are therefore more easily affected by pollutants and nutrient leaching than other seas. The agricultural drain-offs that are released into the sea contains a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus that leads to overfertilization, which is one of the biggest problems. That, along with the overfishing that leads to an excess of phytoplankton, leads to an increased algal bloom and dead bottom.
- How does it relate to your country pairing?
In August we had a lecture held by Rajendra Singh, an indian man who received the Stockholm Water Prize in 2015. He told us about his work connected to water issues in the eastern part of India and how he managed to provide clean water to the district of Alwar of Rajasthan.
The climate in India and Sweden differs a lot which affects the water situation e.g. Sweden does not have issues with draught. Another difference between the countries is the population; India has a lot more people to provide water for. India also has an economy based on agriculture, which makes water supplies extremely important for both individuals and the country’s national development.
- What strategies to combat climate change do you think are best/worst for your country?
Developing renewable energy sources to cut back on the fossil fuels is essential for a sustainable development and reducing the carbon footprint Sweden has. It’s often stated that Sweden as a nation has an insignificant role in the global issues, being such a small country, but it’s important to keep in mind the impact Sweden has on the rest of the world through outsourced production in other parts of the world. Other strategies to combat climate change should be education, because if the people in the nations are aware of the problems and the possible solutions, the politicians are affected and forced to take action. We think that Sweden could become a great role model and a good example of a more sustainable nation for other countries to follow.
