Water for all species. Rights of Nature as ecohabitat governance.

Research Project, 2022 – 2026

This research project is centered around lake Vättern, which means that it concerns the water supplies for curban centra directly (i.e., Jönköping-Huskvarna, Motala, Vadstena, Karlsborg, Hjo, Ödeshög, Askersund Skövde, Falköping and Skara) and potentially more (Örebro and in a longer perspective also the entire lake Mälaren area) with over two million inhabitants. Today, toxins are spread in the lake from extensive aerial exercises, the military is releasing bombs in the lake and threats in the form of mining exploration is always present. This is possible despite regulations to protect the lake as a source for drinking water and a Natura 2000-area, in addition to being one of four areas of national interest according to the Environmental Code. The protection is seemingly only contributing to the regulation of a continuous environmental destruction. According to the two reports from IPCC (2022) and IPBES (2019), which summarize climate and biodiversity research, it is necessary to use system innovations on a cultural- and legislative level to protect and restore life supporting ecosystems related to water circulation. Our societieys are planned according to a world view where human beings have seen ourselves as above nature, with a limitless right to dominate, control and exploit it. What happens if we instead acknowledge that the survival of humans is intimately connected to the rights of nature to survive - what development for transition would then be released?