Tradeoffs and synergies in the climate, land, energy and water systems of Nordic River basins
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
OP-Pohjola auditorium (L6), Linnanmaa
Topic of the dissertation
Tradeoffs and synergies in the climate, land, energy and water systems of Nordic River basins
Doctoral candidate
Master of Science - Environmental Engineering Zeeshan Virk
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Technology, Water, Energy and Environmental Engineering
Subject of study
Environmental Engineering
Opponent
Professor Daanish Mustafa, King's College London
Custos
Professor Björn Klöve, University of Oulu
Mapping trade-offs in the Anthropocene: What the Nexus approach reveals about the interconnected Nordic resource systems
This thesis explores how climate change and human activities are transforming water, energy, and land systems in two Nordic river basins, the Kemijoki in Finland and the Otta in Norway. These systems are closely connected, so changes in one can create effects for the whole environment and society. The goal of the research was to better understand these impacts and support sustainable resource management.
In the Kemijoki River basin, this research examined how the electricity market affects river flows, local ecosystems, and communities. Hydropower plants often change water flow in the river rapidly to meet energy demand, a practice known as hydropeaking. The research found that this creates strong impacts for the river's environment, especially in shallow shoreline areas that provide important benefits for communities and society. A possible improvement measure, i.e. reducing the fluctuations of water flow in the river by 50% was modeled and tested. Results showed that this could reduce ecological impacts by about 3% and improve social conditions, although it would slightly reduce hydropower revenue (by around 1%).
In the Otta River basin Norway, the focus was on how climate change is shifting the balance of carbon stored in the forests and farmland from 1985 to 2025. Warming temperatures are pushing the upper limits of forests at higher elevations thus increasing the forest cover. This allows the area to capture more carbon from the atmosphere. Even though agricultural activities still produce emissions, mainly from the use of diesel fuel, the basin was found to a net store of carbon.
To bring these insights together, the thesis also developed a new integrated assessment framework using the “nexus” approach. This framework links water, energy, and land systems in a way that reflects their real-world interactions. It improves on existing methods by combining different techniques and multi-dimensional data data, helping researchers and decision-makers understand how climate and human actions jointly shape the Nordic environments.
In the Kemijoki River basin, this research examined how the electricity market affects river flows, local ecosystems, and communities. Hydropower plants often change water flow in the river rapidly to meet energy demand, a practice known as hydropeaking. The research found that this creates strong impacts for the river's environment, especially in shallow shoreline areas that provide important benefits for communities and society. A possible improvement measure, i.e. reducing the fluctuations of water flow in the river by 50% was modeled and tested. Results showed that this could reduce ecological impacts by about 3% and improve social conditions, although it would slightly reduce hydropower revenue (by around 1%).
In the Otta River basin Norway, the focus was on how climate change is shifting the balance of carbon stored in the forests and farmland from 1985 to 2025. Warming temperatures are pushing the upper limits of forests at higher elevations thus increasing the forest cover. This allows the area to capture more carbon from the atmosphere. Even though agricultural activities still produce emissions, mainly from the use of diesel fuel, the basin was found to a net store of carbon.
To bring these insights together, the thesis also developed a new integrated assessment framework using the “nexus” approach. This framework links water, energy, and land systems in a way that reflects their real-world interactions. It improves on existing methods by combining different techniques and multi-dimensional data data, helping researchers and decision-makers understand how climate and human actions jointly shape the Nordic environments.
Created 17.11.2025 | Updated 19.11.2025