5 September 2024
The King of Sweden visited the TRIWA project
The TRIWA project recently received a visit from the King of Sweden and County Governor Lotta Finstorp. The visit took place in Tornedalen and aimed to provide information about the extensive efforts underway to restore the waterways and wetlands around the Torne River.
The project, which began in 2023 and will run until 2030, focuses on restoring biodiversity by improving conditions along 820 km of the river’s tributaries and addressing over 400 migration barriers.
During the visit, the King of Sweden and Finstorp were given insight into the work, which is the largest of its kind in Europe and is being carried out in close collaboration between Sweden and Finland. In addition to restoring natural habitats, the project aims to improve water quality and study the effects of climate change on ecosystems.
Sweden’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, as well as Finland’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, also participated in the visit, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in protecting and preserving our aquatic environments.
The Applied Geochemistry research group at Luleå University of Technology is closely monitoring water quality before and after the restoration measures. Early results indicate that drought periods in the area lead to increased mobilisation of elements when the water flow returns, emphasising the need for a deeper understanding of the water cycle and its environmental impacts.
“The TRIWA Life project site visit and discussions with the King, environmental ministers, and scientists provided an inspiring insight into the important transnational environmental restoration projects taking place within Norrbotten and northern Finland. Learning about the many different facets of environmental restoration, as well as the high level of collaboration between governments and research institutions, was very exciting, and the day was well spent outside in the natural beauty of the Torne River Valley,” says Katelyn Murphy, PhD Student in Applied Geochemistry.
Published:
Updated: