 Capacity needed |
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13% increase in ppl per km sewer |
Sweden is currently one of the fastest growing countries in Europe in terms number of inhabitants. During 2016, Sweden’s population exceeded 10 million, and by 2070 the population is expected to be approximately 12.7 million. Similarly, the population in Norway was 5.4 million in 2020, and is expected to be approximately 6.1 million in 2060. This growth will result in greater demands on underground infrastructure and other underground infrastructure that is already today ignored maintenance-wise. Population growth will also increase pressure on the existing infrastructure as it was built several decades ago and for a significantly smaller population size, leading to a disproportion of capacity.
Other consequences of population growth are increased demand of new connections to the underground infrastructure grid, which will grow by approximately 1.9 percent per annum in Norva24’s current markets and consequently also drives the industry market growth. The increased preferences for separate systems for sewage, rainwater and abandonment of mixed solutions further contributes to the general UIM market growth.
The urbanization that is currently taking place is expected to accelerate with the current and ongoing population growth. Population growth and urbanization, combined with climate change, such as higher average temperatures and more severe rain and extreme weather, place additional pressure on the out-dated underground infrastructure, especially in urban areas. The need for a functioning underground infrastructure is essential for all members of society, and well-managed and maintained underground infrastructure is essential to cope with increasing urbanization and capacity demand. Therefore, significant investments are required to accommodate the expected increased pressure on the underground infrastructure as well as achieving sustainable management of the systems.