Greenlandic water and sanitation systems-identifying system constellation and challenges

• Published in: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
• Main Authors: Hendriksen, Kåre, Hoffmann, Birgitte
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Context; Greenland; Infrastructure; Island operation; Sanitation; Socio-technical system; Sustainable development; Water systems; /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/clean_water_and_sanitation; name=SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation; greenlandic
• Online Access: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/da926b53-b95c-459a-8932-722698e3a060; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9556-6; https://rdcu.be/b1NoQ

A good water supply and wastewater management is essential for a local sustainable community development. This is emphasized in the new global goals of the UN Sustainable Development, where the sixth objective is to: "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all" (United Nations 2015). This obviously raises the question of how this can be achieved considering the very different conditions and cultures around the globe. This article presents the Greenlandic context and elucidates the current Greenland water supply system and wastewater management system from a socio-technical approach, focusing on the geographic, climatic and cultural challenges. The article identifies a diverse set of system constellations in different parts of Greenland and concludes with a discussion of health and quality of life implications.