Tapio Katko
Tampere University, Civil Engineering, Emeritus
- Associate Professor, Non-fiction author, Dr. Tapio S. KATKO (Civ. Eng) is currently a Visiting Senior Expert at Tampe... moreAssociate Professor, Non-fiction author, Dr. Tapio S. KATKO (Civ. Eng) is currently a Visiting Senior Expert at Tampere University, Faculty of Built Environment, Finland since his formal retirement 1st October 2019. From June 2010 until February 2020 Katko served as the holder of UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Water Services. In 1998–2017 he acted as the leader of the multi- and interdisciplinary research team “Capacity Development in Water and Environmental Services (CADWES)” at Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Finland. www.cadwes.com, and as the co-leader in 2017–19 together with his successor. His professional career of 46 years covers working abroad for five years including Southern Africa region and the USA. His publications include 232 Peer review scientific articles; 57 Non–refereed articles; 40 Scientific books; 235 Publications for professional communities; 62 Publications for the general public; 3 Public artistic and design activities; and 3 Theses. He has received six international and six national prizes or honors. His research areas cover long-term development of water services (history and futures) including sanitation as well as management, institutions, policy and governance of water services.(Associate Professor, Non-fiction author, Dr. Tapio S. KATKO (Civ. Eng) is currently a Visiting Senior Expert at Tampere University, Faculty of Built Environment, Finland since his formal retirement 1st October 2019. From June 2010 until February 2020 Katko served as the holder of UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Water Services. In 1998–2017 he acted as the leader of the multi- and interdisciplinary research team “Capacity Development in Water and Environmental Services (CADWES)” at Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Finland. www.cadwes.com, and as the co-leader in 2017–19 together with his successor. His professional career of 46 years covers working abroad for five years including Southern Africa region and the USA. His publications include 232 Peer review scientific articles; 57 Non–refereed articles; 40 Scientific books; 235 Publications for professional communities; 62 Publications for the general public; 3 Public artistic and design activities; and 3 Theses. He has received six international and six national prizes or honors. His research areas cover long-term development of water services (history and futures) including sanitation as well as management, institutions, policy and governance of water services.)edit
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History shows how water is a key driving force in development and communities. Sustainable Development Goal 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation,” shows the priority of water services while water also connects many other development sectors.... more
History shows how water is a key driving force in development and communities. Sustainable Development Goal 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation,” shows the priority of water services while water also connects many other development sectors. The chapter analyzes international water collaboration after the Second World War, professional associations, the role of the UN, wider views on water management, and long-term policy trends. In spite of the increased global efforts there are still 2.1 billion people without safely managed water services, 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation, and almost one billion have to practice open defecation. Since earlier policies on free water and water services privatization both failed, we need more realistic reforms and overall capacity building. In developing economies access to water services is a major challenge, whereas in developed societies more efforts are needed for upgrading the ageing infrastructure. Reaching many of the SDGs, not onl...
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Since the late 1800s, the source selection – surface water or groundwater – for urban water supply has faced several policy changes in Finland. First, groundwater was favored. In 1920, driven by cost and reliability issues, one major city... more
Since the late 1800s, the source selection – surface water or groundwater – for urban water supply has faced several policy changes in Finland. First, groundwater was favored. In 1920, driven by cost and reliability issues, one major city turned to surface water which was a sourcing determination for the country. After WWII, groundwater gradually gained preference motivated by reliability, including managed aquifer recharge since 1970. Instead of identified policy decisions, this shift was based on accumulated strategy. Since the 1980s security issues have favored groundwater while environmental concerns manifest themselves controversially. As a sub-study, treated lake water and groundwater were tasted by 167 persons of whom 86% preferred the latter. An additional expert survey (n=14) showed several benefits for groundwater. Combining these findings, groundwater has several advantages over surface water for Finnish urban water. Yet, for the futures, we need to keep both water source...
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This study aimed to compare Community Managed Projects (CMP) approach with the conventional approaches (Non-CMP) in the case of Ethiopia. The data collection methods include a household survey (n=1806), community representative interviews... more
This study aimed to compare Community Managed Projects (CMP) approach with the conventional approaches (Non-CMP) in the case of Ethiopia. The data collection methods include a household survey (n=1806), community representative interviews (n=49), focus group discussions with district water experts (n=48) and observations of water systems (n=49). The data were collected from seven districts of two regions of Ethiopia. The study shows that CMP have a better platform to involve the community than non-CMP. In terms of reducing distances to water points, all approaches succeeded. However, the intended amount of water supplied is not achieved in all the cases: only 25% of CMP users and 18% of non-CMP users are able to get water according to the national standard, 15 L per capita per day. Fee collection in the approaches has a high disparity in favour of CMP. To keep long-lasting services, three requirements need to be particularly fulfilled: quantity, quality and accessibility. Key words:...
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Sweden and Finland have a long joint history separated in 1809 when Finland became an autonomous Grand Dutchy under the Russian Tsar. The water service sector started developing in urban areas during the latter part of the 19 th century.... more
Sweden and Finland have a long joint history separated in 1809 when Finland became an autonomous Grand Dutchy under the Russian Tsar. The water service sector started developing in urban areas during the latter part of the 19 th century. The similarities and differences between Finland and Sweden in the water and wastewater services evolution are described. In a questionnaire, 28 water experts from Finland and Sweden assessed the most important long-term strategic decisions in the sector in the two countries concerning the overall development. In Finland, the most important change came with the Water Act of 1962. It allowed for the first time water pollution control of wastewater discharge from industry and municipalities. Polluters were forced to apply for permit for requiring treatment and allowing for discharging their wastewaters. The most important change in Sweden was when the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency was started in 1968. The Swedish EPA was the first national a...
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Painetun kirjan ISBN: 952-91-5020-2. Kaksikielinen teos, ruotsinkielinen nimeke: Aqua Borgoensis : kallorna berattar : vattenverket 1913-2003.
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This article discusses the role played by water-services cooperatives in Finland, and provides an overview of the situation, in the context of Nordic countries. Water cooperatives have a long history in Finland, dating back to the early... more
This article discusses the role played by water-services cooperatives in Finland, and provides an overview of the situation, in the context of Nordic countries. Water cooperatives have a long history in Finland, dating back to the early Twentieth Century, though most cooperatives in existence were created since the 1950s. Cooperatives have been responsible for the provision of water and sanitation services particularly in rural areas, but also in small and medium cities. Currently, around 10 percent of the country’s population is supplied by around 1,500 water cooperatives. The article concludes with a review of the challenges and opportunities facing water cooperatives in a context of rising user expectations and stricter service standards.
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The development of Finnish water management in international contextWater management in both clean and waste water is an essential technological system in any urban society. In this article the longterm development of Finnish water... more
The development of Finnish water management in international contextWater management in both clean and waste water is an essential technological system in any urban society. In this article the longterm development of Finnish water management technologies is discussed in a wider international context. The article discusses variousessential facets of water management systems from the 19th century to the present day. These are technology development and transfer between experts, the role of environmental factors to methodsand technologies chosen, the construction of relevant institutions and management infrastructures, and the significance of societal factors to the system and vice versa. Finland presents a particular case in the international context with widespread rural systems managed my municipally built and end-user owned co-operatives. Finnish clean and waste water management in any given locality is typically combined to one managing entity. The waste water fee act of 1974 can...
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This article explores the possibility of incorporating traditional water management experiences into modern water management. After the literature review, two case studies are presented from Borana and Konso communities in southern... more
This article explores the possibility of incorporating traditional water management experiences into modern water management. After the literature review, two case studies are presented from Borana and Konso communities in southern Ethiopia. The study was conducted through interviews, discussions, and observations. The two cases were selected due to their long existence. Both communities have their own water source types, depending on local hydrogeological conditions. Borana is known for the so-called Ella (wells) and Konso for Harta (ponds), which have been managed for more than five centuries. All government and development partners strive to achieve sustainable services in water supply and sanitation. Therefore, they design various management packages to engage the communities and keep the systems sustainable. However, the management components are often designed with little attention to local customs and traditions. The cases in the two communities show that traditional knowledg...
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This paper aims at shedding light on the significance of water epidemics and their potential positive impacts on improving preparedness in water and sanitation services. We explore the water epidemic of Nokia in 2007 and... more
This paper aims at shedding light on the significance of water epidemics and their potential positive impacts on improving preparedness in water and sanitation services. We explore the water epidemic of Nokia in 2007 and preparedness-related reactions since then. The corona case confirms the fundamental role of clean water for well-being in communities, the need for sound management of water services to proactively promote public health, as well as the need for expanding conventional water and environmental engineering education and research to offer more holistic views.
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Since the late 1800s, the source selectionsurface water or groundwaterfor urban water supply has faced several policy changes in Finland. First, groundwater was favored. In 1920, driven by cost and reliability issues, one major city... more
Since the late 1800s, the source selectionsurface water or groundwaterfor urban water supply has faced several policy changes in Finland. First, groundwater was favored. In 1920, driven by cost and reliability issues, one major city turned to surface water which was a sourcing determination for the country. After WWII, groundwater gradually gained preference motivated by reliability, including managed aquifer recharge since 1970. Instead of identified policy decisions, this shift was based on accumulated strategy. Since the 1980s security issues have favored groundwater while environmental concerns manifest themselves controversially. As a sub-study, treated lake water and groundwater were tasted by 167 persons of whom 86% preferred the latter. An additional expert survey (n=14) showed several benefits for groundwater. Combining these findings, groundwater has several advantages over surface water for Finnish urban water. Yet, for the futures, we need to keep both water sources in as good condition as possible.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
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There are several ways of arranging rural water supply. One of these is through water cooperatives that have been established to provide water supply, irrigation, and/or sewerage services. Water cooperatives are found in developed... more
There are several ways of arranging rural water supply. One of these is through water cooperatives that have been established to provide water supply, irrigation, and/or sewerage services. Water cooperatives are found in developed countries such as Finland, Denmark, Austria, Canada, and United States, and in developing countries in South America, such as Bolivia and Chile. Water cooperatives or their equivalent organizations that exist in Kenya are called self-help water projects. Yet, surprisingly little attention has been paid to this option even in countries with rich tradition of cooperatives in other sectors. In this study, Finland and Kenya were selected for a comparative analysis of the identified features of water cooperatives. Best practices observed in the features with differences could be shared between the two countries.
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Contents: Part One: Early Systems and Innovations Part Two: Period of Slow Development Part Three: Modern Urban Infrastructure Part Four: Future Challenges in Water Supply and Sanitation Services and Environmental Health
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Jo yli sata vuotta sitten Riihimäki oli kuulu hyvästä pohjavedestään. Pohjavesi onkin yksi Riihimäen vesihuollon peruspilareista. Ensimmäinen varsinainen viemäri rakennettiin Kauppakadulle Junailijankadulta Pohjoiselle Rautatienkadulle... more
Jo yli sata vuotta sitten Riihimäki oli kuulu hyvästä pohjavedestään. Pohjavesi onkin yksi Riihimäen vesihuollon peruspilareista. Ensimmäinen varsinainen viemäri rakennettiin Kauppakadulle Junailijankadulta Pohjoiselle Rautatienkadulle vuonna 1921. ... Puhdasvesipuolella tultiin Riihimäellä ...
Water is a matter of life. At its 58th session, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a draft resolution, without a vote, proclaiming 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action Water for Life. This recommendation, which... more
Water is a matter of life. At its 58th session, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a draft resolution, without a vote, proclaiming 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action Water for Life. This recommendation, which came at the close of the International Year of ...
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Kirja-arvio Martti Leppärannan, Lauri Arvolan ja Timo Huttulan teoksesta "Suomalainen järvikirja". Minerva Kustannus Oy, Helsinki. 2021. (338 s.)
Water services, that is, water supply and wastewater disposal, are traditionally the responsibility of local governments. Many municipalities have joined forces to meet the challenges of increasing water quality requirements, aging... more
Water services, that is, water supply and wastewater disposal, are traditionally the responsibility of local governments. Many municipalities have joined forces to meet the challenges of increasing water quality requirements, aging infrastructures, and decreasing fiscal resources. Regional cooperation is claimed to generate benefits in various ways, but there are challenges to this assumption. This article assesses the benefits and challenges of regional cooperation through the following categories: economies of scale, socioeconomic and spatial disparities, autonomy and legitimacy, by comparing Finnish experiences with previous research findings. Our assessment concludes that the benefits and challenges of regional cooperation are not straightforward, not only dependent on the local context but also on the level and tradition of cooperation, especially on the degree of organizational autonomy.
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Urban water services can be considered a part of municipal services, including the technical solution from water source to water treatment and distribution, and also wastewater collection, treatment, and discharge back to natural waters.... more
Urban water services can be considered a part of municipal services, including the technical solution from water source to water treatment and distribution, and also wastewater collection, treatment, and discharge back to natural waters. The main aspect is how comprehensive water services concerning the whole society should be considered in urban development. This article emphasizes the necessary role of water services in community technical services and analyzes its critical functions. To keep urban water services on a sound environmental and health level even in externally or internally changing situations is considered sustainable and resilient. In our study, we used sequential PESTEL SWOT analysis to review the results of previous studies. The conclusions and recommendations are based on practices and governance of urban water services in Finland. Furthermore, the significance of water services for the economic development of a community cannot be ignored.
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Vesi on luonnontuote ja Kangasalan luonto on ollut kunnalle leimaa-antava aina Zacharias Topeliuksen sanoittaman ”Kesäpäivä Kangasalla” -laulun syntyajoista asti. Kirjan nimeksi valittu ”Luonnollisesti vettä” ilmentää veden käyttöön... more
Vesi on luonnontuote ja Kangasalan luonto on ollut kunnalle leimaa-antava aina Zacharias Topeliuksen sanoittaman ”Kesäpäivä Kangasalla” -laulun syntyajoista asti. Kirjan nimeksi valittu ”Luonnollisesti vettä” ilmentää veden käyttöön liittyvää uonnonyhteyttä. Kunnallinen vesihuolto tavoittaa päivittäin kunnan asukkaita todennäköisesti enemmän kuin mikään muu kunnalta saatava palvelu. Aikamme länsimainen ihminen pitää useita teknisiä palveluja itsestäänselvyytenä. Tähän liittyy paradoksi, että nämä nykyihmisille elintärkeät palvelut ovat oikeastaan olemassa vasta sitten, kun ne eivät toimi. Historiateos haluaa valottaa toistaiseksi vielä ilmeisen tuntematonta Kangasalan vedenkäytön ja vesilaitostoiminnan historiallista kehityskulkua. Kangasalan valtuusto päätti 31. toukokuuta olympiavuonna 1952 antaa kunnanhallitukselle tehtäväksi ryhtyä järjestämään Kirkonkylälle vesihuoltoa. Kuntalaisten yhteisen tahdon ilmaisijana valtuuston päätös on täten sopiva ajankohta vesilaitoksen virallisen historian alkamisajankohdaksi