Unfolding sense of water: Care across boundaries (SoW) is a transdisciplinary project conducted by researchers from the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Natural Resources Institute (LUKE), and Aalto University’s Design Department’s Emprica research group. The project is funded by the Academy of Finland.

Caring relationships with the environment emerge from a personal process based on a sense of place—a perception of belonging to and acting as part of one’s surroundings. In the Sense of Water project, we explore the way in which personal narratives, emotions and actions translate to collective care for water. We use a transdisciplinary co-research approach that crosses different disciplines and utilizes art-based methods to bridge different types of knowledges, emotions and practices and people together.

The societal challenges we face due to climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental crises call for novel ways to understand ecological changes and mobilize legitimate actions. Complementary, more diverse, and inclusive ways of knowing and means of communication including narratives, concepts and emotions have been revealed to be effective for capturing and conveying deeper meanings, and for integrating tacit knowledge across different socio-economic and cultural groups. They can also foster individual and collective care for the environment and other humans and give hope and meaning needed for action.

This project aims to provide understanding on the way in which ecological changes are experienced on a personal and interpersonal level through water in different geographical, social, and cultural contexts; how knowledge, emotions and practices underpin perceptions of environmental change and consequent actions; and how to enhance new narratives and water literacy towards caring of and for water.

In this research, we compose the boundary concept sense of water. We mobilize this concept in various hydrosocial communities to explore how the personal translates into collective care for water. During the research process we integrate science and art to engage people who are dependent on access to clean and sufficient amounts of water, or subject to hydrological changes or who live with, by and from water ecosystems. Towards the end of the project the interlinked findings and creative outcomes are opened for public viewing and engagement through the exhibition Sense of Water.

The consortium is formed by SYKE and LUKE, and Aalto University is a collaborative partner.

The project team in Pyhäselkä, Joensuu 2023. Photo: Jukka Hirvonen

Research team

Katriina Soini, Principal Investigator, Natural Resources Institute Finland, +358295326550
https://www.luke.fi/en/experts/katriina-soini

Kati Mirjami Pitkänen, Principal Investigator, Finnish Environment Institute, +358 295 251 101
https://www.syke.fi/en-US/Experts/Kati_Pitkanen(60160)

Maarit Mäkelä, Aalto University
https://empirica.aalto.fi/current-members/maarit-makela

Riikka Latva-Somppi, Aalto University
https://empirica.aalto.fi/current-members/riikka-latva-somppi

Kristina Svels, Natural Resources Institute Finland
https://www.luke.fi/en/experts/kristina-svels

Juha Hiedanpää, Natural Resources Institute Finland
https://www.luke.fi/en/experts/juha-hiedanpaa

Himansu Mishra, Natural Resources Institute Finland
https://www.luke.fi/en/experts/himansu-mishra

Taru Peltola, Finnish Environment Institute
https://www.syke.fi/en-US/Experts/Taru_Peltola(46065)

Mia Pihlajamäki, Natural Resources Institute Finland
https://www.luke.fi/en/experts/mia-pihlajamaki

Matti Salo, Natural Resources Institute Finland
https://www.luke.fi/en/experts/matti-salo

Inka Santala, Finnish Environment Institute
https://www.syke.fi/fi-FI/Asiantuntijat/Inka_Santala(66110)

Additional Information

This project is funded by the Academy of Finland (Project number 349983).

Sense of Water, 2022–26

Research team

Additional Information

Soil Laboratory