In November 2024, the Strategic Research Council (SRC) granted a total of EUR 29 million for research into the future of democracy and water security. The Water as an Element of Wellbeing, Security and Peace (WAWE) programme granted funding to five consortia, including the Safe Water for All project led by THL.
In a changing world, a well-functioning water supply is not self-evident. Climate change, demographic changes, geopolitics and ageing infrastructure challenge Finland’s ability to produce safe drinking water.
Safe Water for All project focuses on improving water safety and the resilience of water supply from raw water sources to consumers. The aim is to strengthen the preparedness and possibilities of water utilities to anticipate changes and to make long-term decisions to secure the production of drinking water in a changing operating environment.
The multidisciplinary project identifies and assesses challenges related to drinking water production through risk scenarios and seeks preventive measures that promote the overall safety of water supply. The project combines spatial data and data analyses, field studies, water epidemic data and legal materials into a comprehensive multi-objective assessment.
The consortium of the project is led by Ilkka Miettinen, Principal Scientist at THL. In addition to THL, the consortium includes the Finnish Environment Institute, the University of Oulu, the University of Lapland, the National Defence University and DemosHelsinki. The duration of the project is 3+3 years.