Trying to convince people to preserve water can often feel like a thankless task. Headline’s declaring a “hosepipe ban” are never good news, especially when it comes to persuading proud homeowners from keeping their beloved lawns as green as possible.
But authorities on the Swedish island of Gotland have found an unusual way to make water conservation fun in the guise of a competition to find the region’s “ugliest lawn”.
The competition started in 2022, when visitors started to return to the island after the pandemic and it has proved so successful that organizers have now expanded it to find the world’s “ugliest lawn”.
Gotland’s chief marketing officer Mimmi Gibson spoke in an interview about how authorities have been trying to actively address water shortage issues in Gotland since 2016.
But she said an influx of post-pandemic visitors and warm weather meant they were suddenly facing a situation where there was not going to be enough available.
“We are a highly popular tourist destination with many summer residents and visitors,” Gibson told me.
“Consequently, during the summer months, we collectively need to conserve water resources.
“This usually results in restrictions on garden watering,” she added.
“Not being able to water one’s lawn has been a source of shame and frustration for many. In response, we decided to turn this around and transform those who refrained from watering their lawns into climate heroes.”
Gibson admitted that a few residents “raised their eyebrows” when the competition was first launched, but she said it soon got people talking about water preservation and sustainability around the island.
Last year’s campaign went viral, reaching approximately 800 million people worldwide, and she said Gotland received numerous comments from people across the world who wanted their own locality to host a similar competition.
And more importantly, water consumption on the island decreased by 5% during the summer months following last year’s competition.
It has also been praised in an OECD report for having reduced water consumption and inspired debate around the water conservation issue.
And seven other Swedish municipalities are now running their own “ugliest lawn” competition and this year, it has been expanded to include the rest of the world too.
The organizers also received a boost from American actress and environmental campaigner, Shailene Woodley who helped launch the 2023 competition.
“It is abundantly clear that this is a global problem that we can only solve together,” added Gibson.
“Climate anxiety can often render us passive, which is counterproductive in every way. This campaign is one of the solutions that activate people, and many can participate in it.
“Hopefully, it can spark a conversation about our most vital resource and inspire people to think differently and contribute to a greater purpose—with a smile on their faces,” she said.
Gibson said they already had entrants for the world’s “ugliest lawn” competition from the U.S. and Great Britain.
The winner of last year’s “ugliest lawn” competition was Marcus Norström, who lives in lives in Visby, Gotland.
Norström said in an interview he thought it was a “fun way” to highlight the issue of water shortages.
“You can see there is a problem here every summer with people talking about it and writing about it,” he told me. “But the problem is not just here in Gotland, it’s in a lot of other countries as well.”
Entrants have until 25 December 2023 to take part, either by taking a picture of an ugly dry lawn from a public Instagram account with the hashtag #worldsugliestlawn or by emailing an image to [email protected].
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