Project partners: Region Gotland, County Administrative Board of Gotland, Lantmännen, IVL, SLU, AgTech/LiU, SMHI, RISE, SLU Hallfreda Estate, Eastern Gotland Water Council, Forum Östersjön, Sportfiskarna, Gotlands Havsmiljöförening, Hushållningssällskapet Konsult, Mälaren’s Water Conservation Association, GLM Gård AB, Mickelgårds AB, Havor Lantbruk AB, Ryftes Grönsaker AB, Ahlbys Lantbruk AB, Widegrens Gård AB, Birch Bransch Ranch AB, Stefan Virgins Lantbruk, Skags gård AB, Stora Tollby
Grant: 13.5 million SEK
Project period: 2025-11-30 to 2028-11-29
Contact person: Susanne Welin-Berger
Task: Adapt society to (flooding) and drought
Purpose and goals
Climate change entails an increased risk of drought in several parts of Sweden, and its impact on the environment, food production, and local development is significant. Sweden needs to learn from the world and develop methods to manage seasonal water scarcity based on our conditions. On Gotland, the water supply is already highly vulnerable, and the need to develop water management in the agricultural landscape is particularly high.
The transition lab gathers Swedish stakeholders around the challenge of transitioning to sustainable water management in dry agricultural landscapes, utilizing learning from other countries and using Gotland as an innovation area. The lab works to solve concrete water challenges on Gotland but aims to disseminate knowledge to all parts of Sweden with similar challenges. Fully established, the lab involves actors in water and agricultural technology, consultation and learning within farming and cultivation, as well as land drainage companies, all of whom are important needs owners and carriers of the required change. Furthermore, authorities involved in planning, decision-making, and advising on water, associations focused on water conservation and environmental/fishery management, and researchers in both technical/natural sciences and social sciences are involved. International learning is supported by strategic collaborations with foreign researchers and experts via a research council.
Expected effects and results
Several challenges for the transition to sustainable water management in Gotland’s dry agricultural landscape will remain in year 3, but the concrete initiatives, together with broadened collaboration, will have made a clear mark on the development plans of public administrations and created more good examples of water solutions regarding informatics, technology, and policy that can be carried forward outside Gotland.
Planned structure and implementation
The transition lab is constituted by a collaboration arena where learning, knowledge dissemination, and portfolio development take place. The lab develops, tests, and scales up innovative, concrete solutions within three developmental journeys: local water informatics – storing and managing water conservatively in agriculture – dialogue with authorities and regulations for water management adapted to water availability.
The text on this page was formulated by the project group itself. The content has not been reviewed by our editors.
Goals and tasks
- Resilient supply and management of water in society
- Adapt society to flooding and drought
