This is why my focus is centrally on understanding how technologies, actor-related processes and policies affect this precious resource, with a particular interest in cities, peri-urban areas and regions.
My research focuses on the relationship between water, infrastructure and society with a core interest and specialisation in the field of science and technology studies (STS). From an STS perspective, I am driven by inter-disciplinary curiosity and the belief that water is crucial for sustainable development in cities and regions but that its sustainability is interdependent with societal, technological and cultural processes.
An important emphasis of my work is on combining theory with on the ground experiences and observations. I also mobilise historical and human geography perspectives in order to understand water more deeply and merge them with on the ground contemporary experiences. That ensures that my research insights always remain informed by the lived practices of people in different parts of the world and their historical contexts while at the same time advancing theoretical understandings of water.
While a central emphasis of my work has been on water infrastructure, I also have ongoing collaborations and interests in wastewater reuse, urban digitalisation and smart cities.
Research projects and collaboration
In my work and through specific projects and partnerships I actively collaborate with historians, human geographers, political scientists, artists, engineers, consultants and a range of decision-makers and experts from the public and private sector.
Ongoing research projects
2024 – 2028. Imagination as a tool for climate action: towards preparedness in the Swedish water sector (ImagineAction). Formas. Call: Extreme weather: effects, measures and solutions for a long-term sustainable and resilient society. 7MSEK (project leader)
2024 – 2028. Peri-urban water regimes and nature (PeriNature). Formas. 3MSEK (project leader)
2020 – 2024. Examining nature-society relations through urban infrastructure (NATURE). Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. 4MSEK (project leader). Project page:
Completed research projects
2019 – 2023. Making the water flow: Conflict(s) and cooperation between formal and informal urban water regimes in Asia and Africa(WaterFlow). Formas. Call: Future Research Leaders. 2MSEK (project leader)
2018 – 2022. Ensuring sustainability and equality of water and energy systems during actor-driven disruptive innovation(SEQWENS).Formas. Call: Nationella forskningsprogrammet för hållbart samhällsbyggande. (9MSEK) (co-investigator)