Global Water Challenges: Erasmus+ students visit WaterCentre@KTH
On 25 March, students from Täby Enskilda Gymnasium attended WaterCentre@KTH’s lunchtime lecture on water. They were joined by students from schools in Germany, Ireland and Spain.
Through the Erasmus+ project Water and Life, the students are learning more about water as a prerequisite for life. The project brings together participants from four countries – Sweden, Spain, Ireland and Germany – each facing different water-related challenges. As part of the programme, the students visit all participating countries to study these issues firsthand.
In Stockholm, the focus has been on water quality and the Baltic Sea’s challenges, including pollution and overfishing. The students have also explored the historical significance of water for the city.
Arya Preetha Vijayan, a postdoctoral researcher specialising in terrestrial groundwater fluxes and the transport of pollutants from land to sea – particularly in the Baltic Sea – spoke about the importance of water and why it is often taken for granted. By 2050, five billion people will face water shortages, according to the UN. Population growth, climate change, prolonged droughts and rising sea levels are among the key reasons why access to clean drinking water can no longer be assumed.