An increasing number of countries worldwide is becoming water-stressed, sub-Saharan Africa being one of the most recurrent regions within this discourse. Tanzania, one of the countries in the region, is no exception: large population growth has increased pressure on its precious water resources. The largest city, Dar es Salaam, has a poorly maintained and dimensioned water supply and wastewater system. However, as this system expands and more people are given access to the water network, the water consumption of the city is expected to increase. This is problematic for the whole city; however, peri-urban areas suffer the most from its consequences, e.g. periodical water shortages. This report seeks to investigate the potential for saving water in one of these peri-urban areas, Kibondemaji, by looking at fields of application and techniques for reuse of wastewater from showers. This is done via a literature review and interviews in the field in order to analyse and compare the different systems – reuse for tap water, irrigation and toilet flushing. The interviews showed that there is wide acceptance within the community for water reuse for toilet flushing but not for tap water or irrigation. Reuse for toilet flushing also requires less treatment than other fields of application, thus being the most promising technique for implementation in Kibondemaji.

Östersjön har flertalet regionala miljöproblem, exempelvis övergödning samt höga halter av tungmetaller vilka beror på mänsklig påverkan. På Gotland spolas det årligen upp stora mängder släke, alger och vattenlevande växter på stränderna, som idag inte nyttjas i större utsträckning. Denna rapport syftar att bedöma lämpligheten att använda det gotländska släket för produktion av biokol. Under denna studie har ett studiebesök till Gotland, flertalet intervjuer samt en litteraturstudie genomförts vilka lagt grund för beräkningar av energi- och materialbalanser kopplat till släkesbaserad biokolsproduktion. Släket har ett kadmiuminnehåll på cirka 0,9 mg/kg och består till 80 % av vatten, där vanligt förekommande arter är bland annat bandtång och kräkel. För beräkningar av energi- och materialbalanser nyttjades två olika förbehandlingsalternativ av släket, där alternativ A var en värmebehandling och alternativ B innefattar en kompostering samt avlsutande värmebehandling. Alternativ B är mer energieffektiv sett till energiförbrukning per kilo producerat biokol vilket var 14,5 MJ/kg jämfört med 29,8 MJ/kg. Det finns både för- och nackdelar med användning av släke för biokolsproduktion. Släke är en outnyttjad resurs som kan ingå i biokolsframställning, dock är processen energikrävande på grund av det höga vatteninnehållet i biomassan. Användningen av ett kadmiumrikt biokol är även problematiskt i och med risken för utlakning av denna tungmetall. Utifrån resultatet är det därmed svårt att bedöma lämpligheten av ett släkesbaserat biokol. / The Baltic sea has multiple environmental problems, such as over-fertilization and high concentration of certain heavy metals, caused by human activity. Yearly, beach-cast is washed up on the shores of Gotland and this biomass is today not utilised to a considerable extent. This report aims to assess the suitability of producing biochar from the left over beach-cast. During this study a visit to Gotland, interviews and a literature study has been completed, which has laid the groundwork for calculations of energy and material balances regarding algae-based biochar production. The beach-cast contains approximately 0.9 mg cadmium per kg and consists of 80 % water, in which common species found are eelgrass and furcellaria, among others. For the calculations of energy- and material balances, two different pretreatment alternatives were used before the pyrolysis. Alternative A simply uses preheating and alternative B consist of a composting step before a finishing preheating session. The most energy efficient was alternative B as the power consumption per kilo produced biochar was 14,5 MJ/kg compared to 29,8 MJ/kg. The use of beach-cast for manufacturing biochar has benefits as well as disadvantages. Beach-cast is an unexploited resource that could be used for biochar production, but on the other hand the process is demanding energy-wise due to the high amount of water in the biomass. The utilisation of cadmium rich biochar is also problematic due to the risk of the heavy metal leaching. Based on the results it is therefore complicated to estimate the suitability of a beach-cast based biochar.

The building sector is a vital part in the progress towards environmental sustainability, because of its high potential to decrease the environmental impact. However, the building industry remains one of the most critical industries for the adoption of environmental sustainability principles, because of several unique characteristics in terms of e.g. long-lived products and many stakeholders involved. Environmental assessment tools have an important role to play in implementing environmental sustainability in the building sector, as they provide a clear declaration of what are considered the key environmental considerations and also provide a way of communicating these issues. The Environmental Load Profile (ELP) is a Swedish Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based tool for the built environment, originally developed as an instrument for evaluation of the environmental performance of Hammarby Sjöstad (HS), a new city district in Stockholm, Sweden. The ELP is facing implementation, aiming to be established as an instrument of common acceptance. Experiences and results from the ELP has revealed that it can be applied to give a comprehensive picture of the environmental performance of a city district, but also that the tool has a number of weaknesses and there is much to improve in the practical procedures for the use of the tool in environmental assessments. This research project has the overall goal of making the ELP a stakeholder-accepted methodology for LCA-based assessment for the built environment. The overall goal includes two subgoals: (i) a research goal is to find an acceptable compromise in the design of the ELP tool between a natural science and technology based scientific accuracy and a social-science based acceptance of the tool and (ii) an implementation goal is to study and report experience from the use of the tool as developed today. The thesis consists of three papers: (i) the first is a study of two Swedish LCA-based tools for the built environment, which is based on comparative assessments using the ELP and EcoEffect (EE), (ii) the second is based on a questionnaire and interview study, in which we have investigated responses on LCA-based tools for the built environment among stakeholder representatives of Sweden’s building sector, with the purpose to identify barriers and opportunities for increased use of such tools and (iii) the third is based on case studies in HS using the ELP. We have identified the dominant environmental aspects in the ELP and also investigated the accuracy of the results. The study is completed with a development of a simplified version of the ELP, which also is applied in HS. Findings show that despite applying the comparative parts of the ELP and EE on an equal basis (i.e. the object specific data), differences in results were found. The following factors give rise to the differences: (i) differences in material grouping and life expectancy for the construction materials used, (ii) diverse Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data and (iii) different impact assessment. The required level of knowledge to compare, analyse and evaluate assessments made with the ELP and EE, is relatively high, which creates an educational barrier towards increased tool use. A number of other barriers that could mitigate a fruitful implementation of LCA-based tools in Sweden’s building sector have also been identified. We have found barriers between: (i) the current and the desired environmental work within the sector, (ii) the knowledge of and the use of LCA-based tools and (iii) the developers of the tools and the potential users. Other barriers further identified are especially connected to: (i) data (availability and credibility), (ii) costs, (iii) time, (iv) customer pressure, (v) knowledge and (vi) incentives. We have also identified the following opportunities for increased use of the tools: (i) different design of the tools for different actors and situations, (ii) combine LCA with LCC, (iii) involve environmental assessment in the implementation of the EU Directive on energy performance of buildings, (iv) develop reference values, (v) simplify input-data collection, (vi) improve environmental labelling and (vii) provide incentives. In the development of a simplified ELP we have noticed that the most important aspects contributing to the environmental load at a city district level (50 % of the total amount), covers 91-99 % of the total environmental load. The thesis shows that different simplifications of the ELP-tool are required for different purposes, actors and situations. A simplified version of the ELP, “ELP-light” was developed and applied in HS. In the development of ELP-light, we have used some of the identified opportunities and bridged some of the identified barriers. / QC 20101105

Battery electric vehicles (BEV) powered by renewable energy are expected to enable a largedecarbonization of the land-based transport. Recent estimations of the International EnergyAgency suggest that BEVs could grow 20-fold by 2030, reaching 200 to 350 million unitsglobally. However, the environmental impacts of BEVs remains a critical issue to be addressed.Batteries are responsible for 80% of the life cycle environmental impacts of BEVs, mainly dueto the extraction of raw materials, manufacture and charge. A concept that aims at avoiding theexploitation of new materials by extending the lifetime of resources and products is circularity.Among various circular business models, one that so far has not been substantially addressedin the literature is battery leasing.This thesis investigates the economic and environmental impacts of leasing batteries for BEVsas a circular business model and compares them to those of the linear model of selling-buyingbatteries. For doing this, we combine three models, namely a battery fleet model, a net presentvalue (NPV) model and a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA). In contrast to commonLCAs, our battery fleet model considers different types of driving profiles instead of the typical‘average’ profile, which offers a more accurate depiction of reality.Results indicate that leasing batteries may be as profitable as selling them, but leasingcompanies may require higher revenues and pay higher taxes to attain the same NPV as selling.To generate more income, companies would need to charge fees to customers that are notalways beneficial for them. In fact, buying the battery remains the cheapest option for usersdriving more than 10 thousand km/year, which is the majority. From an environmentalperspective, LCA results show that environmental benefits of leasing batteries compared toselling them are marginal. This suggests that while leasing batteries offer some advantages(e.g., making BEVs more affordable, facilitating flexibility to users, promote the repairing,repurpose and recycling of batteries, etc.), it is unlikely to improve the cost-effectiveness andenvironmental impact of buying/selling them.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are known spreaders of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment. Luleå University of Technology is conducting a yearlong study in which PFAS concentrations in the different treatment steps are measured at Uddebo treatment plant. This report covers the first four months of the year-long study. The aims of this study are to see what happens with the PFAS concentrations in the treatment processes, if they are above regulated limits, and to see if concentrations at Uddebo are comparable toreference concentrations in Sweden. Sampled PFAS concentrations were taken once per fortnight in incoming wastewater, after primary sedimentation, after Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR), after secondary sedimentation and after the pilot treatment plant containing granulated active carbon (GAC) filter when it was in use. Precursors in incoming wastewater and PFAS in sludge were measured in samples taken once per month. Comparing the 33 analysed PFAS in wastewater at each sampling point, 30 analysed precursors for PFAS in incoming wastewater and 30 analysed PFAS in sludge, only PFOS and PFOA wereregularly found in both wastewater and in outgoing sludge. This indicates a separation of PFAS in the different medium, with sludge having PFAS where the perfluorinated carbon chain length is grater than 6. Out of the analysed 33 PFAS in wastewater PFOA had the highest median concentration of about 7 ng/l with no significant variation between the wastewater sample points. Similarly, the median concentration of total detected 33 PFAS was around 35 ng/l with no significant variation between the wastewater sample points, indicating no significant treatment of measured PFAS during WWTP. This was also comparable to other WWTP in Sweden. PFBA, PFHxA and PFPeA precursors had the highest concentration of the measured 30 PFAS precursors, however, except for one sampling occasion, no significant deviation in precursor PFAS could be detected during the sampling period. Out of the 30 analysed PFAS in outgoing sludge, PFOS had the highest concentration of 6.8 μg/kg dry weight (dw), but no discernible pattern could be identified between sampling dates due to too few samples. PFOS was foundabove the recommended concentration for sensitive land use (3.0 μg/kg dw), but still within recommendations for less sensitive land use (20.0 μg/kg dw) in Sweden. The median concentration of 13.6 μg/kg dw measured PFAS in sludge makes it well below median Swedish concentration. However, all comparisons to other Swedish WWTPs and background concentrations in Sweden were based on a few studies with few samples, potentially increasing or decreasing the median concentration as more research is conducted.

Africa, especially tropical West Africa, is increasingly affected by climate change making it one of the most vulnerable regions in the world. Developing countries, including Burkina Faso, are severely hit due to their high exposure to climate stress and low adaptive capacity. Adequate climate change adaptation policies and plans are therefore essential to increase their resilience. This master thesis research project focuses on the science-policy interface for climate change adaptation in Burkina Faso, more precisely on how scientific information on climate impacts and adaptation is produced and integrated into policy formulation at a national level. The document analysis and the interviews conducted with ministerial technical units, independent academics, research agencies, civil society organisations and technical and financial partners confirm that climate change is a major threat to Burkina Faso and its impacts are increasingly being felt across numerous sectors. The recently elaborated National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) prove that adaptation has gained importance on the political agenda. However, the scientific basis of these documents and other sectoral development policies remains weak. It was identified that this was mainly due to a lack of financial and human resources, gaps in existing data and difficult access to this data. In addition, there is a need for increased awareness on the issue of climate change across all levels, institutionalisation linking researchers and policy-makers, capacity building of the stakeholders and dissemination of scientific information with the support of knowledge brokers. Reinforcing this science-policy interface would allow Burkina Faso to anticipate the impacts of climate change and plan adaptation measures accordingly, ultimately reducing the risks its population is exposed to. / Afrika, särskilt tropiskt Västafrika, påverkas allt mer av klimatförändringar vilket gör det till en av de mest utsatta regionerna i världen. Utvecklingsländerna, inklusive Burkina Faso, drabbas hårt på grund av deras höga exponering för klimatbelastning och låg adaptiv kapacitet. Lämpliga anpassningsstrategier och planer för klimatförändringar är därför avgörande för att öka deras motståndskraft. Detta examensarbete fokuserar på vetenskapspolitiska gränssnittet för anpassning av klimatförändringar i Burkina Faso, närmare bestämt hur vetenskaplig information om klimatpåverkan och anpassning är producerat och integrerat i politisk formulering på nationell nivå. Dokumentanalysen och intervjuerna med ministeriska tekniska enheter, oberoende akademiker, forskningsorgan, civila samhällsorganisationer och tekniska och finansiella partner bekräftar att klimatförändringarna utgör ett stort hot mot Burkina Faso och dess konsekvenser blir alltmer känt inom flera sektorer. De nyligen utarbetade nationella anpassningsplanerna visar att anpassningen har fått betydelse för den politiska agendan. Den vetenskapliga grunden för dessa dokument och andra sektors utvecklingspolitiska åtgärder är dock fortsatt svag. Det visade sig att detta främst berodde på brist på finansiella och mänskliga resurser, luckor i befintliga data och svår tillgång till dessa uppgifter. Dessutom finns det behov av ökad medvetenhet om klimatfrågan på alla nivåer, institutionalisering som kopplar forskare och beslutsfattare, aktörernas kapacitetsuppbyggnad och spridning av vetenskaplig information med stöd av kunskapsmäklare. Förstärkning av detta vetenskapspolitiska gränssnitt skulle göra det möjligt för Burkina Faso att förutse klimatpåverkanens konsekvenser och planera anpassningsåtgärder i enlighet därmed, och i sista hand minska riskerna som befolkningen utsätts för.

Offshore wind has proved to be one of the most reliable and clean energy sources over the last few years. The industry has experienced a significant growth, with an increase of 101% only in 2017 compared to 2016. This raises the importance of the need for more secure power supply systems, which can be used for controlling the offshore farms during disconnections from the main grid. Nowadays, diesel generators are being used to feed auxiliary services of the offshore wind turbines in situations of emergency. However, as the marine renewable energy industry evolves, tidal energy parks have the potential to replace diesel generators and provide a more sustainable and eco-friendly solution for a long-term auxiliary power system. Moreover, they have the potential to produce extra power, which can be either stored for future use or linked directly to distribution. This report demonstrates a technical, financial and environmental assessment of a potential tidal park within an offshore wind park. Comparison with alternative sources for emergency power supply is also performed. Three alternative locations with high wind speeds and large tidal resource around the UK coast and four different groups of tidal devices are evaluated and compared for the implementation of this solution with the use of ArcGIS maps and other accessible marine data. The Aberdeen wind farm and the tidal kites are selected for further investigation and cost analysis. Seven tidal kites with average power 700 kW and rated power 3.5 MW can provide adequate power to the offshore wind farm for three months without grid connection, whereas they can also provide excess of energy on daily basis when grid disconnection does not occur. The total cost for the project would be approximately 301.6 MSEK. Due to the current renewable energy market, the project is not feasible without high investment risks. However, this study should be evaluated again in the near future when the cost of the tidal device will be further decreased. / Havsbaserad vind har visat sig vara en av de mest tillförlitliga och rena energikällorna under senare år. Inom denna industri har en betydande tillväxt skett, med en ökning med 101% år 2017 jämfört med 2016. Detta relaterar till behovet av säkra elförsörjningssystem, som kan användas för att styra havsbaserade vindraftverksparker under urkoppling från huvudnätet. Numera används dieselgeneratorer som reservkälla till havsvindkraftverk i nödsituationer. Men när den marina förnybara energiindustrin utvecklas, har tidvattenkraftverk potential att ersätta dieselgeneratorer och ge ett mer hållbar och miljövänlig långtidslösning. Dessutom har de potential att producera extra el, som antingen kan lagras för framtida användning eller kopplas direkt till distributionsnätet. Denna rapport erbjuder en teknisk, finansiell och miljömässig bedömning av en potentiell tidvattenkraftverkspark kopplad till en havsvindpark. Jämförelse med alternativa källor för strömförsörjning genomförs också. Tre alternativa platser med hög vindstyrka och stora tidvattenresurser längs Storbritanniens kust och fyra olika grupper av tidvattenanordningar utvärderas och jämförs med hjälp av kartor och andra tillgängliga marina data. Aberdeen vindkraftpark och tidvattendrakar väljs för ytterligare undersökning och kostnadsanalys. Sju tidvattendrakar med genomsnittlig effekt på 700 kW och nominell effekt 3,5 MW kan ge tillräckligt med el till havsvindkraftverk i tre månader utan nätförbindelse, medan de också kan ge överflöd av energi dagligen när strömavbrott inte förekommer. Den totala kostnaden för projektet skulle vara cirka 301,6 MSEK. På grund av läget idag på elmarknaden för förnybar energi, är projektet inte genomförbart utan höga investeringsrisker. Men den här studien bör utvärderas igen inom en snar framtid när kostnaden för tidvattenanordningen har minskat.

The thesis address the field of stormwater management. With a changing climate, the field of stormwater management much like many other fields will need to incorporate sustainable development if overall sustainability is to be reached. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate the current method for dealing with stormwater in Sweden, mainly in urban areas, and point to issues at hand and identified ways of addressing them. The concept of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is assessed. A comparison of results from several case studies from around the world show that there are several aspects of high importance for the viability of such technology. Among others price for municipal water, ability to lower costs due to smart planning ahead of installing, inclusion of environmental aspects and impacts on society such as reduced load on water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, reduced pollution load and greenhouse gas emissions (mainly due to less water treated at wastewater treatment facilities). The main conclusion from comparing and compiling results were that the viability of RWH from an economic standpoint is questionable. Although if including all identified gains for the municipality including stormwater management benefits and indirect gains due to reduced load and taking all aspects of importance into consideration there is potential for such technology even in a country like Sweden with good water supply and infrastructure in place. This thesis is of importance since it brings RWH technology into the light as a potential sustainability measure in Sweden. It evaluates the important parameters for the technology to be viable as indicated by case studies and literature within the field. / Detta examensarbete behandlar hållbar dagvattenhantering och specifikt tekniken Rainwater harvesting. Nuvarande centrala system för att förse Stockholm med färskvatten samt hantera bildat dagvatten utvärderas i en litteraturstudie. Även identifierade metoder för att hantera dagvattnet i linje med hållbarhetsmål beskrivs. Tekniken Rainwater harvesting beskrivs, dess historia samt implementering i moderna sammanhang framställs. Flertalet fallstudier där tekniken beskrivs analyseras och jämförs. Detta examensarbete är av vikt eftersom det tar upp tekniken RWH i relation till Sverige som potentiellt lokalt system för att uppnå hållbarhet. Det utvärderar viktiga parametrar för att tekniken ska anses försvarbar vilka indikeras av flertalet fallstudier samt litteratur. Dagens system för hantering av dagvatten i Stockholm består till allra största grad av det centrala avloppssystemet bestående av kombinerat samt duplikat avloppsnät. Detta har likt många centrala infrastruktursystem nackdelen att det är kostsamt och besvärligt att uppdatera och stärka, men dessutom flertalet nackdelar relaterade till miljöpåverkan och hög belastning på reningsverk. Rainwater harvesting är en teknik med lång historia som i moderna samhällen implementeras i syfte att minska vattenanvändningen samt belastningen på centralt dagvattensystem. Blandade ekonomiska resultat har observerats, sannolikt på grund av varierande analysmetoder och varierande inkludering av viktiga parametrar i bedömningar. Miljönyttan är till viss del tydlig, dock i många fall ej medtagen i beräkningar och utvärderingar. Analys av fallstudier påvisar hög potential för tekniken vid smart implementering men att det även finns goda exempel på system som resulterat i mycket dåliga ekonomiska resultat. Flertalet viktiga aspekter att ta hänsyn till för att uppnå försvarbara resultat har identifierats och beskrivits. Huvudslutsatsen är att Rainwater harvesting i och med sin potential att nå eller jobba mot definierade mål för dagvattenhantering och hållbar utveckling bör has med i åtanke som potentiellt lokalt system i Sverige kommande år.

Access to adequate sanitation and renewable clean energy can improve the living standards in developing communities in informal settlements. This can also generate effects such as reduced unemployment and better health, which in turn can contribute to less violence and less segregation. This work was conducted as a pre-study within a bigger project which includes the development of a new sanitation system intended to provide renewable energy, proper toilets and create job opportunities in Jackson, an informal settlement in Gauteng, South Africa. The objectives of this study were to identify the strengths, (S), weaknesses, (W), opportunities, (O) and threats, (T) that an implementation of a new sanitation system could face from a sustainability point of view. Investigations were made to define currently used energy sources, sanitation facilities, and the socio-economic situation. To be able to reach the objectives of the research question, data were collected through a workshop with a focus group and distributions of questionnaires in the study area were made. Through the sustainability SWOT-analysis, the main advantages and disadvantages which the continuance of the project can face were identified. The results indicate that the biggest threats and weaknesses are strongly connected to the people’s acceptability of a new sanitation system, while the opportunities and strengths are linked to the possibilities to increase the present low living standards in Jackson.

Accumulation of beach cast biomass on coastal zones around Gotland is an increasing problem that reduce the recreational value of beaches and cause environmental degradation of coastal environments. Beach cast was once regularly harvested on Gotland, as it was considered a valued biofertilizer, but as it seized to be used in combination with the eutrophication of the Baltic sea, beach cast accumulation has increased in scale. The use of beach cast as a resource for bioenergy and agriculture does not only provide important services that can replace the use of greenhouse gases and finite resources but can also mitigate eutrophication and increase the quality of coastal zones as nutrients are retrieved from the water. Macroalgae and seaweeds are hyperaccumulators of heavy metals which pose a challenge for the utilization of beach cast as a fertilizer. Especially cadmium, a heavy metal that is harmful for human consumption, is strictly regulated and limits the amount of beach cast that can be used for agriculture. This thesis has analysed the potential benefit of beach cast harvesting and three potential utilization strategies of beach cast; fertilizer to food crops, fertilizer to fast growing energy forest (Salix) and biogas production with digestate utilization. The result indicate that all strategies are possible and viable utilization strategies under certain conditions. Because of the complex and site specific factors that affect beach cast utilization, adapting strategies depending on the conditions and needs of the local coastal zones is required. Cadmium uptake is affected by a range of factors that can be controlled so that beach cast can provide nutrients and improve soil structure without contaminating the soil. Especially promising is the prospect of fertilizing Salix with beach cast as the cadmium absorption and growth rate of Salix enables large amounts of beach cast to be spread without risk for it accumulating in the soil. The cadmium contained within the Salix can later be removed from the environment entirely as it is collected from the ash when Salix is converted to bioenergy. Recent studies also indicate that food crops can be safely fertilized with beach cast without cadmium being transferred if specific crops are chosen. Cadmium uptake to crops can also be limited if specific beach cast with low cadmium content are used and if the beach cast is pre-composted with other substrates. Both for Salix and food crops its instead legal restraints on cadmium spreading that limits the use of beach cast. When abiding by the set cadmium restrictions, beach cast can only marginally supply the macronutrient requirement of the average food crop on Gotland. Biogas production and digestate utilization from beach cast provides many environmental benefits as clean renewable energy is generated that can replace fossil fuels and the nutrients contained in the digestate can be spread on arable land. From the conducted energy balance of the system on Gotland it was found that beach cast has theoretically good conditions to ferment beach cast. However, beach cast isn’t practically viable on Gotland because the substrate can’t compete financially with other available substrates and it requires costly pre-treatments. Regardless of which beach cast utilization strategy chosen, harvesting is concluded to have a positive effect on mitigating coastal eutrophication and beach and water quality. Although it cannot on its own mitigate a net nutrient loading to coastal zones in Gotland, harvesting easily available beach cast can reduce the nutrient loading to coastal zones on Gotland with up to 27 % and 4,5 % phosphorus and nitrogen respectively.