Meet FRONT Associate professor Aleksi Räsänen: “In environmental research the most interesting questions are the most complex ones to formulate”
When asked about the most intriguing questions his research aims to address right now, Aleksi Räsänen highlights the complexity of formulating these questions in environmental research.
"There are many different interesting questions, and we are trying to think about what are the most interesting and important ones that can be answered in our research. The reason why the most interesting questions are interesting is because they are difficult to formulate," he explains.
One example of this was in water-related case study for Kiiminkijoki. Räsänen´s group concluded recently a project on developing a land use sector climate roadmap for the Kiiminkijoki river catchment. In the beginning, climate change mitigation was as the primary target of the project.
“However, it became evident that climate action does not resonate strongly with local and regional stakeholders. Instead, changes in the local environment, especially the improvement of water quality, were considered consensually important. Therefore, we directed the focus of the work from climate action to water quality while climate change and other targets were kept as secondary objectives.”
Räsänen's research is intricately connected to the themes of the FRONT programme, as he applies various methods to study human-environment relationships. His current projects include assessing the success of peatland restoration (SOINTU), exploring land use justice for green transitions (JUSTGREEN), and developing digital high-resolution verification tools for documenting peatland restoration and changes (DigiPeat).
In environmental resilience preservation and restoration of it´s essential basic structures and functions through risk management
Defining resilience in his field of study, Räsänen refers to multiple definitions, such as those found in the Sendai Framework Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction.
"In this definition resilience is considered as the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner. It includes preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management.”
Looking ahead, Räsänen envisions a future where his research group focuses on inter- and transdisciplinary environmental research, facilitated by the funding and collaboration opportunities provided by the FRONT programme.
"I am happy with the funding I got from FRONT. I am expecting good collaboration with other researchers," he shares.
Outside of work, Räsänen finds inspiration and relaxation through physical activities.
"While being outdoors doing cross country skiing, biking, or doing something else physical," he says, is where he gets his best ideas and builds his own resilience.