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 tapwater, 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. / Vattenbrist är ett problem som drabbar allt fler länder och särskilt i subsahariska Afrika finns stora utmaningar inom vattenförsörjningen. Tanzania är ett av länderna i regionen som upplever detta, vilket delvis beror på att en stor befolkningstillväxt har givit upphov till ett ökat tryck på de värdefulla vattentillgångarna. Tanzanias största stad, Dar es Salaam, är inget undantag. Staden har ett illa underhållet och underdimensionerat vatten- och avloppssystem, något som inte blir bättre av att staden växer och vattenförbrukningen ökar. Detta är en utmaning för hela staden, men mest drabbade är de oplanerade områdena i stadens utkanter. Kibondemaji är ett sådant område, som bland annat lider av periodiska vattenunderskott. Denna studie har utrett möjligheterna för vattenbesparingar i Kibondemaji genom att undersöka användningsområden och tekniker för återanvändning av spillvatten från duschar. Detta har gjorts genom en litteraturstudie och intervjuer i Kibondemaji, för att analysera och jämföra de potentiella återanvändningsområdena: kranvatten, bevattning och toalettspolning. Intervjuerna visade att invånarna i Kibondemaji ställde sig positivt till vattenåteranvändning till toalettspolning, men inte för kranvatten eller bevattning. Återanvändning för toalettspolning är också det återanvändningsområde som kräver den enklaste reningsproceduren. Därmed utmynnar studiens resultat i att vattenåteranvändning för toalettspolning är den mest lovande tekniken för implementering i Kibondemaji.

No description available.

Large amount of water is used in the pulp-and-paper industry. Consequently, large amount of wastewater is produced in the various production processes. In general, the pollutants of concern involve organic compounds, nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorous, suspended solids, and chlorinated compounds. Temporary effluents from the production processes often have increased concentrations of these contaminants and there is a risk of overloading the wastewater treatment, which then further increases the risk of discharge of insufficiently treated water to receiving water bodies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect these temporary, temporary effluents from Kraft pulp mill processes have on the wastewater treatment, with the objective to develop an action plan with measures to address and remedy the problems that occur (to handle them in the best way possible in the future). This study has been conducted through interviews to collect the experiences from personnel working in Kraft pulp mills located in Sweden.  The results of the study from the interviews showed a total of 16 different types of temporary effluents. The results also showed that the most common incidents occurring in the mills were incidents connected to planned or unplanned maintenance stops, and the most common temporary effluents experienced were liquors from the different process steps and chlorate mainly from the bleaching plant. All results are compiled, in both Swedish and English for easier use. The most important measure for mitigating the effect of the temporary effluents was identified to be optimum conditions for the favorable microorganisms in the biological wastewater treatment, such as neutral pH, mesophilic temperature range (20 - 40°C), and sufficient oxygen and essential nutrients for the microorganisms to grow and reduce the contaminants. However, it should be considered that the measures for the different types of effluents can vary significantly depending on the incidents and the cause of the effluents, as well as the type of wastewater treatment implemented, and some measures are specific for each particular mill.

The ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiling) technology has been widely available and acknowledged as an instrument used for different types of flow measurement since 1990s, from small scale river measurements to larger ocean current mappings. This study was conducted by the author in cooperation with SWECO with the focus on smaller scale measurements especially on small natural watercourses in a sub-arctic climate with the purpose to examine if the ADCP technology can be used as a complement to the more classic methods for this type of flow measurements Current meter and Conductivity flow measurements. To achieve the scope of the study a total of eight field excursions for data gathering on a total of four different watercourses was performed during the winter and spring season to be able to compare different types of flows. Literature studies and information gathering on the technology as well as previous studies on the subject was conducted throughout the period of the study, with a special focus around the Streampro implementation of the technology adapted for stream flow measurements on a smaller scale. During the early field excursions, it was realized that measurements using theADCP-technology during the winter was difficult due to thick icesheets on the watercourses as well as a low particle content in the water column which resulted in a high uncertainty in the data as well as in some cases unable to perform measurements that could be considered representative for the actual flow especially on the shallowest locations but also for the deeper watercourses examined in the report. The results showed that during the spring season from April to May the consistency in the data got substantially better resulting in a lower uncertainty and a higher precision in the data, in many cases a precision higher than the more classic methods of flow measurements. It was also realized during the study that to gain a better knowledge of the applicability of the technology in this field a similar study would have to be done during the remaining seasons and on additional watercourses. As concluded, the results from the study showed that the instrument is not well suited for flow measurements on smaller watercourses during the winter season, but as the seasonal flow conditions change to more homogenous flows the data produced by the technology gets more consistent and with a much lower measurement uncertainty.

Resilience of marine ecosystems are diminished due to climate change and increased human activities at sea. In the European Union acknowledge the issues in the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP), and the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, which obligates member states to develop spatial plans for their coastal- and marine areas. The aim of the maritime spatial plans (MSP) is to promote sustainable blue growth within the marine sector by applying an ecosystem-based approach. One of the objectives of the directive is to encourage member states to enhance resilience to climate change in their plans. This study investigates how maritime spatial plans can enhance resilience against climate change in practice. The issue is approached by evaluating how maritime spatial planning can address general social-ecological resilience principles developed within resilience literature. Data for the evaluation is collected by interviews conducted with regional maritime spatial planners and experts. The study has special focus on the Finnish maritime spatial planning process and is limited to the Gulf of Bothnia where climate change impacts already has been observed, and significant future impacts are expected. The results indicate that there are possibilities to enhance resilience against climate change through MSP. Particularly due to its participatory process which facilitates sharing of experiences, knowledge, innovation and learning between governance scales and stakeholders. The resulting plan itself can potentially enhance resilience of the vulnerable ecosystem by spatially allocating human induced pressures and enhancing habitat connectivity. The strategical character of the maritime spatial plan and the fact that the plan will not be legally binding, facilitates an opportunity for an innovative approach to dealing with climate change in spatial planning. However, the successfulness of the plans depends on the willingness to allocate resources for learning and exploration of the opportunities introduced by MSP. / Havsekosystemens resiliens försvagas på grund av klimatförändring och ökade aktiviteter till havs. Europeiska Unionen har tagit i tu med dessa problem genom den Integrerade havspolitiken (Integrated maritime policy, IMP) och genom direktivet för havsplanering (Framework Directive for Maritime Spatial Planning, MSP) som uppmanar medlemsländerna att utveckla havsplaner för sina kust- och havsområden. Målet med havsplaneringen är att genom en ekosystemansats i planeringen stödja blå tillväxt inom den marina sektorn. En av havsplaneringsdirektivets målsättningar är att förbättra resiliensen mot klimatförändring. Denna studie utforskar vilka möjligheter det finns inom havsplanering att förbättra resiliens mot klimatförändring i praktiken. Frågeställningen bemöts genom att bedöma hur havsplanering kan bidra till ökad resiliens genom att använda principer för resiliens som utvecklats inom forskning. Information för att utföra bedömningen samlades genom intervjuer med havsplanerare och experter. Studien har speciellt fokus på den finska havsplaneringsprocessen och begränsas till Bottniska viken där konsekvenser av klimatförändringen redan observerats och signifikanta konsekvenser väntas i framtiden. Resultaten påvisar att det finns goda förutsättningar att höja resiliens mot klimatförändring genom havsplanering. Speciellt genom det allmänna deltagandet som möjliggör utbyte av erfarenheter, kunskap, innovationer och lärande mellan olika myndighetsnivåer och aktörer. Den slutliga planen kan höja resiliensen av det sköra havsekosystemet genom att spatialt fördela aktiviteter och relaterade inverkansfaktorer till havs samt genom att förbättra sammanlänkningen mellan habitat. Havsplanens strategiska karaktär och faktum, att planen inte kommer vara rättsligt bindande möjliggör en innovativ ansats till att bemöta klimatförändring i planläggning. Planernas framgång är dock beroende av viljan att fördela resurser för lärande och utforskning av möjligheter som havsplaneringen tillför.

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka Gävle kommuns utmaningar för att bli en framgångsrik cykelstad. Kan kommunen inspereras och dra lärdommar från det arbete som bedrivits i Köpenhamn under många år. Jordens klimat förändras i snabbare takt än någonsin och det är av stor vikt att genomföra en omställning om arbetet mot en hållbar utveckling och globala, nationella och lokala klimat- och miljömål ska uppnås. Utifrån en semistrukturerad intervju med en trafikplanerare från tekniska förvaltingen på Gävle kommun så har frågor ställts om hur Gävle kommun arbetar för att främja cykling. Kommunen har tidigare arbetat med hårda åtgärder vilket har resulterat i minskat antal cyklister. I Köpenhamn har staden arbetat länge med en kombination av mjuka och hårda åtgärder för att uppnå en framgångsrik cykelinfrastruktur. Deras framgång kan kopplas till de miljöpsykologiska teorierna nudgeing, affordance och social inlärning. Gävle kommun har inlett arbetet med mjuka åtgärder på en mindre skala för att påverka invånarna till ett miljövänligare beteende. Hittils har kommunen genomfört evenemang för att öka företags och invånarnas medvetenhet och intresse för cykling. Kommunen har även påbörjat arbetet med att ta fram skyltar för att underlätta vägvalen för cyklister samt se över möjligheterna att förbättra redan existerande cykelbanor, vilket är en typ av nudge. Slutssatsen som kan dras är att kommunen är medveten om sina utmaningar och har ändrat inriktning i sitt arbete. Ställningstagande och prioritering är utmaningar som de står inför om Gävle kommun ska nå sin ambition att bli en av Sveriges bästa cykelstäder. / The purpose of this examinationproject is to assess Gävle municipality's challenges in order to become a successful cycling city. Can the municipality be inspired and learn from the work that has been carried out in Copenhagen for many years. The Earth's climate is changing at a faster rate than ever and it is of great importance to carry out a change if the work towards sustainable development and global, national and local climate and environmental goals are to be achieved. Based on a semi-structured interview with a traffic planner from the technical administration at Gävle municipality, questions were asked about how Gävle municipality works to promote cycling. The municipality has previously worked with hard measures, which has resulted in a reduced number of cyclists. In Copenhagen, the city has worked for a long time with a combination of soft and hard measures to achieve a successful cycling infrastructure. Their success can be linked to the environmental psychology theories of nudgeing, affordance and social learning. The municipality of Gävle has started to work with soft measures on a smaller scale to influence the residents to behave more environmentally friendly. So far, the municipality has carried out events to increase business and residents' awareness and interest in cycling and has started the deployment of signage and the improvement of pre-existing cycle lanes as a type of nudge. The conclusion is that the municipality is aware of its challenges and has changed the direction of its work. Taking a stand and prioritizing are challenges they face if Gävle Municipality is to achieve its ambition to become one of Sweden's best cycling cities.

No description available.

Oil shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock with the potential to yield significant amounts of oil and combustible gas when retorted. Oil shale deposits have been found on almost every continent, but only Estonia, who has the 8th largest oil shale deposit in the world has continuously utilized oil shale in large scale operations. Worldwide, Estonia accounts for 80% of the overall activity involving oil shale, consuming approximately 18 million tons while producing 5–7 million tons of oil shale ash (OSA) annually. Since the amounts are quite significant, Estonia has made the choice to store OSA outdoors as ash heaps, which currently average a height of 45m and overall cover an area of approximately 20 km2. Oil shale is primarily composed of organic matter (15%–55%), low–magnesium calcite (>50%), dolomite (<10%–15%), and siliciclastic minerals (<10–15%). When oil shale is combusted in thermal power plants (TPP), temperatures as high as 1500˚C are reached; calcining CaCO3 into CaO in the process. It is the high CaO content (30%–50%; Free CaO 8%–23%) along with trace elements that makes OSA a threat to the environment; it is mainly the CaO and to a lesser degree the trace elements found in OSA that are exploited in this thesis. Currently, only about 5% of the 5–7 million tons of OSA produced annually is being utilized as an alternative raw material, mostly in the construction industry for the production of Portland cement. Multiple studies have been conducted on OSA in the past by various institutions in an attempt to increase its use in industry and reduce the negative environmental effects of storing large quantities of the highly alkaline material. This thesis primarily focuses on the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) and the production of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) using OSA. In Sweden, CaO is utilized in treating AMD in historical mine sites and in the production of PCC used in the paper industry. Oil shale ash has the potential to become a substitute for lime (CaO) utilized in various industries while Estonia transitions into renewable energy. The mining industry has been abundant in Sweden for hundreds of years, but the poor mining techniques of the past have led to a significant number of mines that require immediate AMD remediation. The Swedish EPA has declared that 600 mines currently need attention, which may cost approximately 2–3 billion SEK (232–350 million USD). 1:200, 1:500, and 1:1000. All ratios yielded a pH greater than 10, most likely inducing the formation and precipitation of secondary minerals such as Schwertmannite and Ferrihydrite. The reduction of metallic cations such as Cu (maximum reduction 99.9%), Pb (99.8%), V (95.5%), Cd (99.9%), As (88.7%), and Ni (99.9%) from AMD waters was observed. The previously mentioned metallic cations most likely adsorbed and co-precipitated to the negatively charged surfaces of Schwertmannite and Ferrihydrite minerals. Metals such as Ba, Cr, and Sb were observed to leach out of OSA, increasing their concentrations in the treated AMD waters, but still within Swedish regulatory limits. Acid mine drainage treatment with OSA significantly reduces heavy metal concentrations; transforming the polluted waters from hazardous to non-hazardous waste (below Swedish leaching limit values). Precipitated calcium carbonate is utilized in many industries, such as in the production of paper, sealants and adhesives, paint, food, and pharmaceuticals. In Sweden, it is common for paper producers to have satellite PCC plants in close proximity so that CO2 (from the paper facility) is used in the carbonation of Ca(OH)2 to form PCC. The CaO in OSA may be mixed with H2O to form the required Ca(OH)2 for PCC production. Potentially replacing raw CaO currently purchased for the production of PCC. The conducted PCC production experiments directly carbonized vacuum filtered OSA leachate with a steady flow of CO2 gas to yield PCC. Precipitate obtained yielded 94%–99% of CaCO3 theoretical values. Throughout the carbonation process; OSA leachate’s pH began >12 and continuously decreased with time, maximum PCC production occurred at pH 9–10, and stabilized at pH 8. Although, the polymorphism and purity of the PCC is not known, the conducted experiments and previous studies on the topic indicate the feasibility of producing high quality PCC from OSA to be used in industry. Additionally, oil shale thermal power plants have the potential to produce PCC and other minerals by injecting flue gases into the highly alkaline (Ca(OH)2) water used to hydraulically transport OSA from the furnaces to ash heaps; reducing or seizing the production of alkaline leachates and emission of gases that currently contaminate the environment. Other applications for OSA were also investigated and reviewed, such as the lucrative extraction and refinement of rare earth elements. Estonian oil shale ash was tested for Ce, Nd, Y and Sc using ICP-MS and compared to Chinese OSA and selected European REE ores. Estonian OSA had the lowest concentrations of REEs in the comparison, nevertheless, previous studies have shown up to 80%-90% REE recovery via an acid leaching process. Rare earth recovery from OSA may be successful in the future if a practical and cost-effective method is developed. Reducing Europe’s dependence on China for REE.

There has been an increased trend and awareness, during the past two decades, for global companies to assess their environmental impact. And when it comes to waste management, there are at this point few disarmaments that an increased awareness of companies’ resource-, and waste streams can have positive financial outcomes, if actions are taken. A lot of these ideas have already been implemented within Electrolux. By developing an energy and water management plan, Green Spirit, they have successfully improved their operations with reducing their energy intensity with 17% (2011-2015) and water intensity with 35% (2011- 2015) (Electrolux Sustainability, 2016). This study has the main objective how to improve and reduce waste in Electrolux´s production facilities, and to help Electrolux understand their waste streams. By assessing the waste performance at Electrolux, and by comparing environmental KPIs between Electrolux and a selection of competitors, a basis for decision was developed. Literature studies of legislative frameworks in geographical regions where Electrolux have a strong presence have helped to understand how companies can work with regulatory entities to solve greater issues. By joining forces with other companies and governments, Electrolux will be able to set an example of how waste performance and profitability can be achieved. By sharing best practice, and engaging with stakeholders and developers, Electrolux can help improve waste performance and save natural resources. This thesis has lead to the development of a new management system, a new reporting system, and a transparent way to rank and keep track of waste performance at Electrolux factories. A way to understand and address issues related to zero waste is also presented.

There has been an increased trend and awareness, during the past two decades, for global companies to assess their environmental impact. And when it comes to waste management, there are at this point few disarmaments that an increased awareness of companies’ resource-, and waste streams can have positive financial outcomes, if actions are taken. A lot of these ideas have already been implemented within Electrolux. By developing an energy and water management plan, Green Spirit, they have successfully improved their operations with reducing their energy intensity with 17% (2011-2015) and water intensity with 35% (2011- 2015) (Electrolux Sustainability, 2016). This study has the main objective how to improve and reduce waste in Electrolux´s production facilities, and to help Electrolux understand their waste streams. By assessing the waste performance at Electrolux, and by comparing environmental KPIs between Electrolux and a selection of competitors, a basis for decision was developed. Literature studies of legislative frameworks in geographical regions where Electrolux have a strong presence have helped to understand how companies can work with regulatory entities to solve greater issues. By joining forces with other companies and governments, Electrolux will be able to set an example of how waste performance and profitability can be achieved. By sharing best practice, and engaging with stakeholders and developers, Electrolux can help improve waste performance and save natural resources. This thesis has lead to the development of a new management system, a new reporting system, and a transparent way to rank and keep track of waste performance at Electrolux factories. A way to understand and address issues related to zero waste is also presented.