New InterLink: March 2021 edition

When I flip through this issue of InterLink, it strikes me that the primary articles are about one of two things. Very large products for large projects, all of which handle the challenges of a secure and stable water supply or climate protection; or on digitisation and automation of water supply. Major themes that are highly relevant and very apparent on the global agenda.

Covid-19 has to a large extent demonstrated the importance of mobility in the operation of water and wastewater, which belongs to the critical infrastructure of our societies. The operational staff must be able to operate a water supply despite assembly bans and distance requirements. Water is a necessity of life, and if the water supply collapses, the whole society will collapse.

The same goes for climate protection: water is the first indicator that something is wrong. Either there is too much or too little water. The UN estimates that by 2030, more than 700 million people will have moved because of water. Either away from too much water, or even closer to water because they have come to live in a drought-stricken area. When we experience too much water in the form of cloudbursts and floods, we also see massive pollution because the drainage systems cannot handle the large amounts of water, and we see massive pollution of the drinking water network. As you can read in this edition, AVK can deliver on all these fronts. And there will be more projects of a similar nature, because whether the changes are man-made or not, the world is undergoing a change.

AVK welcomes the green transition. We have a lot to offer in relation to the green transition, and we are happy to participate in discussions where the importance of water for all the other major challenges such as energy, health, livability and societal development is discussed.

As something completely new in the fight to reduce our carbon footprint, the Danish government has launched a new and exciting project: The establishment of an energy island in the North Sea. Read an introduction on page 28.

Happy spring (in the northern hemisphere) and enjoy reading.

Michael Ramlau-Hansen