The thick shelled river mussel (Unio crassus) has a fragmented distribution in southern Sweden. It is a threatened and protected species. In both the Swedish red list and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Unio crassus is classified as Endangered (EN). Causes for this classification are for instance differentiated bottom substrate and deterioration in water quality. In this study, habitat preferences of Unio crassus were investigated to assist in future restoration work.

This study shows how to plan a pond with an ecosystem which although it will have turtles living in it will not need to be cared. I will also demonstrate how this pond would be designed to work in the natural landscape on Mallorca. The background to the study is that I am interested to investigate how plants that we in Sweden are using as indoor plants are growing in their natural landscape and how to build a land-scape with them. The study highlights different cleaning-systems that can be used to clean a pond in a natural way. A comparison will be made between the conditions of an exterminated turtle-species which will live in this environment and a species that is easier to care for.

The housing sector uses 40 % of the energy in Sweden and half of the electricity usage. Theuse of energy is the main reason to the increasing rate of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.This is the main motive but also a wish of higher safety, that is a higher rate of selfsufficientenergy production in Sweden, we want to decrease the need of using fossil fuel. Now whenthe energy price rise, the interest in energy issues increase and more people discuss thepossibility of reducing the usage of fossil fuel. A change to renewable energy such as sun,wind and water is the only solution where we can get a sustainable development.One way to contribute to a better use of energy is to build in the principle of passive house.The house is being built with a thick and tight insulation. If you use a heat-exchanger withhigh degree of efficiency and a final heating battery on the ventilation system, the heat fromlamps, devices and the ones living in the house should be enough to fulfil the criteria ofliving.

In some coastal areas in Sweden water shortage sometimes appears because the withdrawal of groundwater is greater than the groundwater recharge. It creates a situation where the available groundwater is insufficient to support residents and businesses with drinking water. The high withdrawal of groundwater also creates a risk for saltwater intrusion to drinking water wells. The problem most commonly occurs during the summer when the groundwater recharge is low, but the population is high, due to tourism and summer residents.The purpose of this study was to investigate how local water supply in areas affected by water shortage can be solved as sustainable as possible. The work was divided into three parts where the first part comprised of a literature review on water systems in which four different options were investigated: artificial groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, desalination and water reuse.

The European Union is struggling to maintain democracy and tries to increase the participation among the citizens in Europe. The European Citizens? Initiative, ECI, is a platform established by the European Commission to allow citizens to propose new legislation. ?Water and sanitation are a human right! Water is a public good, not a commodity!? is the first ECI that has met the requirements.

This study is focused on small scale water and wastewater handling in Sweden. The study is divided into two major parts; the first describes common methods for water- and wastewater handling and the second part is a case study on three small and expensive systems in Gällivare municipality, in the north of Sweden. In the case study, abilitys for the local government to hand over unwanted systems to the water users is investigated and found to be a plausible solution to cut costs for two out of the three studied systems. In the third case, water and wastewater systems is not recommended to be handed over but other ways of cutting costs are suggested..

Utvecklingen av Living Labs kan förklaras av framförallt tre utvecklingar. För det första en uppfattning om att vissa behov i samhället inte kan tillgodoses av enskilda organisationer. För det andra att innovation allt mer betraktas som öppna system och slutligen att användaren har erkänts en större roll i innovationsprocesser. Living Labs är en experimentell innovationsmiljö som definieras av: ? användarens delaktighet i fokus ? tvärsektoriell samverkan; mellan näringsliv, offentlig verksamhet och ideella aktörer ? öppenhet ? utvecklingsarbetet sker i verkliga miljöer Detta relativt nya fenomen uppvisar en rik variation av uttryck och de olika nyckelattributen som grundar begreppet Living Labs tillskrivs olika vikt. Studien ämnar besvara frågeställningen: Vilket samband finns mellan de organisatoriska kompromisserna och Living Labs konceptets nyckelattribut? Studien är en komparativ undersökning av två Living Labs som har tagit mycket olika uttryck.

The aim with this study was to increase the knowledge about as well as shed light on hidden refugees? living conditions by compiling research about hidden refugees? living conditions and complete this research by doing a field survey with people with different knowledge and experience of hidden refugees? living conditions. The result was analyzed on the basis of Nussbaum?s list of ten human abilities and the convention of human rights. The study showed that hidden refugees' living conditions are experienced as very critical, and characterized by lack of human rights as well as means to utilize and develop their abilities.

Periods of hypoxia are a recurring issue in Brunnsviken. Main factors that trigger hypoxia in Brunnsviken are eutrophication  due to anthropogenic emission of nutrients, stratification in the water column due to salinity and temperature differences  that prevents mixing and a sill inlet that prevents water exchange. As an attempt to improve the oxygen levels, bottom water is pumped from Brunnsviken causing aerated surface water to flow back into the basin.  The objective of this Master?s thesis was to study the change in dissolved oxygen levels due to pumping.

The non-governmental organization Gram Vikas primary concern is to establish clean water in remote areas inhabited by often aggrieved tribals and low caste communities. Gram Vikas? slogan is Water for dignity. It refers to that everybody, regardless whereupon the social ladder you are, are entitled to the most fundamental elements for a dignified life. The purpose of this essay is to highlight the factors that are important for a shift to a more equal and sustainable living.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, OTEC, a technology using the temperature difference between cold deep seawater and warm surface water, can extract the work in the form of electricity. OTEC gives also synergies of drinkable fresh water. The temperature difference has an impact on the efficiency of the technology, which means that the feasibility of OTEC is geographically limited. The project intends to explore the possibility of replacing the atoll Tarawa?s present electricity generation with an OTEC plant and to explore synergies. In the present situation all of Tarawa?s electricity is generated by fossil fuels.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, OTEC, a technology using the temperature difference between cold deep seawater and warm surface water, can extract the work in the form of electricity. OTEC gives also synergies of drinkable fresh water. The temperature difference has an impact on the efficiency of the technology, which means that the feasibility of OTEC is geographically limited. The project intends to explore the possibility of replacing the atoll Tarawa?s present electricity generation with an OTEC plant and to explore synergies. In the present situation all of Tarawa?s electricity is generated by fossil fuels.

I?ve chosen a subject that's close to my heart, as a student who has experiences the need of a change in the traditional student living.I've focused my theses on ?nding the key ingredients for improving an individuals time as a student. In a time when students are struggling to ?nd accommodation that ful?lls the need of being close to university, close to social places, adequate size and affordable. This is close to impossible! This is not just a problem in Stockholm but an international dilemma.The heart of my thesis is, how can we create clever ways of student accommodation with emphasis on community and a more sustainable way of living?Only when we start embracing change and by breaking out of our traditional individual living, can we then start to realise and recognise the bene?ts of working, studying and living together.

Heat is distributed to the district heating customers through pipes with water as a heat carrier. The district heating system is complex. To decide what is leakages from the district heating net versus what is the water consumption of the plant, is difficult. Therefore, the purpose of this master thesis is to establish a model where the district heating net?s leakages but also the water consumption of the plant can be followed daily. The project is performed at Vattenfall´s district heating power plant in Uppsala. Information is gathered through discussions, drawings of the plant and guided tours of the plant.

AimsThe aim of this study was to conclude whether women living and staff working in a women´s shelter feel experience a need of physical activity in the shelter and also what thoughts women living and staff working in the shelter have regarding possible access to physical activity. Following questions were adressed: Does women living and staff working in the shelter experience that there is a need of physical activity in the shelter? What does women living, and staff working, in the shelter think about the physical activity conducted in the shelter? Why does the women living in the shelter choose to participate in the physical activity? Are there any connections between symptoms which battered women can suffer from and symptoms which scientific studies say can be reduced by physical activity?MethodsThe study is based on five interviews in order to understand and illustrate how women living in a shelter relate to physical activity. The answers from the interviews has been correlated to scientific results and other literature in the area. Literature studies have also derived background information as well as a deeper knowledge regarding in what way violence against women affect the abused woman.ResultsThe results show a need for physical activity at the women?s shelter where this study was conducted.