Include the fossil-free transition in the next Water Action Agenda

The briefing examines the interdependencies between water systems and the transition to fossil-free energy, highlighting the environmental and social costs of hydropower and offshore renewables. Using Sweden as a primary example, it discusses how energy expansion can lead to habitat degradation and the marginalization of Indigenous communities. It calls for the Water Action Agenda to adopt integrated water resource management and accelerate SDG 6 targets to ensure a sustainable and equitable energy transition.

• The transition to fossil-free energy involves significant trade-offs for water systems; hydropower dams impact downstream river ecology and upstream land use, while offshore renewables affect water quality, habitats, and cause noise pollution.
• Hydropower is vulnerable to climate change, as evidenced by a decrease in global generation in 2021 due to droughts, despite growth in capacity.
• Nuclear power's reliance on water for cooling makes it susceptible to climate change; of 450 active plants worldwide, 100 use seawater and the remainder use freshwater sources like rivers and lakes.
• Offshore wind expansion introduces new ecological risks, including noise pollution during construction and operation, and potential impacts on habitats as turbines are installed at greater depths (40 to 60 m in Sweden).
• Renewable energy projects can cause social injustices, such as the displacement of Sami communities from traditional lands due to hydropower projects in Sweden.
• In Sweden, a geographic mismatch exists where hydropower is concentrated in the north but consumption is highest in the south, leading to price differences and grid bottlenecks.
• The document recommends that the Water Action Agenda prioritize integrated water resource management and the acceleration of SDG 6 targets to address the sustainable management of hydropower-regulated rivers.

APA

Barquet, K., Xylia, M., & Bin Ashraf, F. (2023). Include the fossil-free transition in the next Water Action Agenda. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/fossil-free-water-action-sei2023.018-addendum.pdf

Chicago

Barquet, Karina, Maria Xylia, and Faisal Bin Ashraf. Include the fossil-free transition in the next Water Action Agenda. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/fossil-free-water-action-sei2023.018-addendum.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Barquet |first1=Karina |last2=Xylia |first2=Maria |last3=Bin Ashraf |first3=Faisal |title=Include the fossil-free transition in the next Water Action Agenda |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=March 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/fossil-free-water-action-sei2023.018-addendum.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barquet2023include, author = {Barquet, Karina and Xylia, Maria and Bin Ashraf, Faisal}, title = {{Include the fossil-free transition in the next Water Action Agenda}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/fossil-free-water-action-sei2023.018-addendum.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }