Arctic marine ecosystems are highly vulnerable to external stressors including global climate change and local man-made disturbances. Due to the location of the fjords at the interface between land and ocean, harsh polar climate and high seasonality, implementing coastal restoration activities and innovations poses many challenges.

The interaction of multiple stressors such as climate change, chemical pollution, and habitat destruction affect coastal marine ecosystems and organisms at multiple levels. Studies have shown that Svalbard is warming at a rate several times the global average. The Arctic’s coastal marine ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, notably increased coastal erosion due to combined effects of long-term warming and extreme events such as storm-driven wave action.

This in turn releases particulate material and chemical compounds that were stored in frozen soil during decades of stable conditions. In addition, the discharge of minimally treated or untreated wastewater is an additional stressor to coastal marine ecosystems and organisms. Several studies conducted in recent decades have demonstrated a decline in species diversity and abundance due to wastewater pollution.

A demo site

Svalbard is a demonstration site in the Horizon EU CLIMAREST project. One of the project’s core objectives is to develop solutions applicable in Arctic climatic conditions to mitigate anthropogenic pressures on Arctic coastal marine ecosystems. In Svalbard, CLIMAREST has adopted a two-pronged approach to address ecosystem pressures due to coastal erosion and the discharge of untreated or minimally treated wastewater.

Whilst coastal erosion solutions have taken the form of physical interventions to mitigate the impact of wave action on unstable coastal soils, efforts to reduce ecological pressure from wastewater discharge have focused on awareness raising and behavioural change.

CLIMAREST researchers have worked with the Longyearbyen Lokalstyre and business owners to implement a “Protect Our Waters” campaign to raise awareness that anything flushed down the toilet could end up in the fjord. The objective of this work is to reduce the impact of wastewater discharge to the coastal marine environment.

At the same time, we are researching innovative wastewater treatment solutions that are applicable in Arctic environments. During the course of the project, partners will develop guidelines for best practice for Arctic wastewater management and for adaptation strategies and technical measures to reduce coastal erosion in the Arctic.

Bringing together experts

The recent workshop “Wastewater management in the Arctic: Enhancing synergies and collaboration for sustainable Arctic wastewater management”, financed by the Norwegian Research Council’s Svalbard Strategic Grant, complemented activities undertaken in CLIMAREST by bringing together experts in wastewater management from across the European Arctic to share insights into current challenges and best practices in Arctic wastewater management.

The overarching goal of the workshop was to shape a strategic plan for future collaborative research and innovation around wastewater management solutions for Arctic communities.

Eye-opening presentations and discussions

The workshop hosted a wide variety of presentations, from “Antibiotic resistant microorganisms and environmental impact of sewage” to “Icelandic perspectives of sustainable wastewater solutions”. Workshop participants first shared experiences and insights regarding specific wastewater challenges in different Arctic contexts.

Innovative technologies were next on the agenda, including “Direct membrane filtration of primary wastewater in cold climates” and insights from the Faroe Islands and Norway. Opportunities for advancements in wastewater treatment technologies and practice were further explored in group visioning activities, followed by reflection on research and innovation needs in the context of sustainable development in the Arctic.

The group’s enthusiastic engagement extended to a short visit to see the Svalbard wastewater treatment facility first-hand. The workshop provided an invaluable networking and knowledge sharing opportunity for experts and key stakeholders in Arctic wastewater management, providing strategic insights that can help guide future sustainable wastewater management in the Arctic.

The group plan to continue working towards bridging current knowledge gaps through collaborative research and innovation, and will seek to further engage experts in the field through future workshops, symposia and similar events.

The presentations:

  • Lis Bach (Aarhus University): “Findings in Wastewater”
  • Anni Djurhuus (University of the Faroe Islands): “Antibiotic resistant microorganisms and environmental impact of sewage – A Faroese perspective”
  • Ida Beathe Øverjordet (SINTEF): “Risks of wastewater discharge to Arctic fjords – examples from Svalbard”
  • Pernille Erland Jensen (Technical University of Denmark): “Current Arctic wastewater management practices, with a focus on Greenland”
  • Bing Wu (University of Iceland): “Direct membrane filtration of primary wastewater in cold climates”
  • Kári Egholm (Tórshavn Municipality, Faroe Islands): “Current wastewater management practices in Faroe Islands”
  • Michael Waak (SINTEF): “Current wastewater management practices in northern Norway and Svalbard”
  • Hrund Ólöf Andradóttir (University of Iceland): “Icelandic perspectives of sustainable wastewater solutions”
  • Aske Wied Madsen (Greenland Ministry of Agriculture, Self-Sufficiency, Energy and Environment): “Issues in Greenland from the authorities’ view of waste management in Arctic regions, including small scale settlements”
  • Herman Helness (SINTEF): “Sustainable wastewater management in Arctic conditions”

Laura Wendling / Edited: Kathrine Nitter

Read the original blogpost on the CLIMAREST website.

The workshop was part of the activities of the Thematic Network on Arctic WASH.