Master's Thesis work: farm water assessment model

Agriculture is a major user of water globally, and regional differences in water consumption vary considerably. In the future, water demand is expected to grow, and extreme weather events may locally intensify floods and droughts. Climate change brings uncertainty to water resource management. Finland is in a relatively good situation and there has been no significant shortage of water in terms of quantity, but there have been challenges in terms of access to quality water locally.

However, there isn't all that much information available on farm water management, which is why the Water-Smart Food System project decided to there was a need to create an assessment model. The purpose of the model is to improve the management and use of water resources in agriculture. In his master's thesis work at Turku University of Applied Sciences, Hannes Lundstedt created a farm water assessment model, the purpose of which is to determine the current state of farm water use and identify development opportunities to reduce and recycle water use.

The model is primarily designed for Finnish farms, and it also includes sections suitable for greenhouse production. Outside the scope of the water assessment model is the management of water in agricultural fields; however, the excluded factors have been considered in the ongoing development of the work. The assessment model covers areas from water procurement to wastewater treatment. Good initial data helps to anticipate problems and reduce risks, which makes planning and development work more efficient. The model highlights themes that can be used to guide planning towards sustainable solutions.

The master's thesis is written in Finnish, and can be accessed here.