Orø contributes to this project as a case study with a track record of active civic engagement through the work of Genskabet.
Population: 1000 residents, 1200 holiday houses
Main water issues: Water management, Groundwater protection, Storm surges + sea level rise, Groundwater quality and quantity, Vulnerable supply, Degraded nature
Water management in Denmark is generally corporatised and centralised, however in Orø, classified as a rural area, some of the water supply is still local, and community based.
Orø in the Municipality of Holbæk has a series of water issues that are relevant for many other regions. Like other coastal areas, flooding from storm surges is a growing risk. The coastal areas must become prepared for radically wetter futures. (Municipality of Holbæk. 2022). Precipitation will also change, with more rainfall in spring, in autumn and especially in winter, while the summers are expected to have periods with heat and droughts. As Orø represents an area where farming and tourism are the major businesses, both will have to adapt to this change. Further, the risk of flooding in built areas from cloud bursts and linked rain events will increase with potential personal and material costs.
House owners, landowners and infrastructure managers are faced with finding solutions to deal with the risk. Another general problem that Orø shares with other regions is the concern for the groundwater quality and quantity. Hence the water supply is threatened by pollution from mainly former and current use of pesticides. As an island the local water supply is especially vulnerable, and it is noteworthy that local negotiations are ongoing to find solutions to create protected ground water areas. As a rural area with small cities and distributed settlements, the organisation of the water infrastructure is interesting as it consists of an array of both centralised infrastructures for water supply and waste water treatment as well as community organised solutions such as shared water works and finally individual and privately owned and managed facilities for water supply and wastewater treatment.
Partners leading the living lab in Orø: Genskabet and AAU. The project members Siri, Jonas, Birgitte and Henrik all live on the island.
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