This presentation depicts five examples of circular economy used in water resource management. Circular Economy aims at reducing waste by introducing the concept of reuse/recycle/refurbish of products thereby reducing pollution and energy use which in turn makes a project sustainable as well as cost-effective.
8. Circular Economy and Water Conservation
• “One of the most important sources for living
organisms is water”.. Agócsová and
Chodasová,2021
• “If water use continues down this path, by 2030
demand for freshwater will exceed viable resources
by 40%.”…Martin and Steichen,2018
• This doesn’t include the depletion of water
availability due to pollution. That is why the main
problem in water is “lack of it.”
• The ever-growing population and uncontrolled
extraction of natural resources along with
conversion of land use to satisfy their growing
need has increased demand pressure on water
resources.
• Due to change in climate the average
temperature has risen manifold.
• Antarctica is recording its highest temperature
ever in 2021.
• “For the water sector – all institutions and
individuals responsible for managing the water
cycle – transitioning to a circular economy presents
an opportunity to accelerate and scale-up recent
scientific and technological advances that support
greater efficiency in the sector.”
• According to IWA, the three major obstacles
towards sustainable management of water
resources; “1) water scarcity, 2) increasing energy
prices, and 3) nutrient loading” was well managed
by the introduction of “demand management,
resource diversification, operational optimization
and nutrient recovery.”
• With respect to implementing the circular
economy concept there are two significant
drawbacks: “an impeding regulatory environment
and opaque market conditions”.…IWA,2016.
• Here five examples are shown where the
transition to circular economy is demonstrated for
9. Five Examples of Circular
Economy in Water Conservation
Dr. Mrinmoy Majumder
http://www.mrinmoymajumder.com
10. EXAMPLE : 1 : ZERO WASTE
MANAGEMENT IN
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
How the three principles of Circular Economy is
adopted :
Design out waste and pollution: : Transformation of waste
materials into fertilizers together with recovery of water
resources.
Keep products and materials in use by :Anaerobic digestion of
sewage sludges enables new added-value bioproducts to be
obtained along with recovery of water.
Eco-innovative fertilizers developed and
produced from valorized sludges. Elaborated novel
biotechnologies ensure closing the organic waste management
cycles.
Refer to : Kaszycki, Paweł, Marcin Głodniok, and Przemysław Petryszak.
"Towards a bio-based circular economy in organic waste management
wastewater treatment–The Polish perspective." New Biotechnology 61
(2021): 80-89.
LOCATION : POLAND INDUSTRY : BIOGAS PRODUCTION
POINT OF CONCERN : Post-fermentation eutrophic sludge
Liquors and environmentally hazardous wastewater
11. EXAMPLE 2 :
WATER-FOOD
NEXUS IN
MENA
COUNTRIES
How the three principles of Circular Economy is
adopted :
Design out waste and pollution: : Wastewater recycling as a salient
and highly relevant development in the Middle East and Northern
African(MENA) region to minimize waste by recycling the same.
Keep products and materials in use by reusing the wastewater and
producing not only treated water also byproducts that can be
generated by different treatment mechanisms
Refer to : Al-Saidi, Mohammad, and Sudeh Dehnavi. "Toward a Circular Economy
in the MENA Region: Insights from the Water-Food Nexus." Economic
Development in the MENA Region: New Perspectives (2021): 139.
LOCATION : MENA Countries INDUSTRY : WATER FOOD NEXUS
POINT OF CONCERN : Resource depletion, import dependence
and environmental degradation
12. EXAMPLE 3 : RAINWATER
HARVESTING, RECYCLING AND
REUSE.
How the three principles of Circular Economy is
adopted :
Design out waste and pollution: : Capturing and reusing rainwater in
urban areas and recycling wastewater.
Keep products and materials in use by :Harvesting of rainwater and
reusing the same ensure closed loop process of production where the
same raw material is used multiple times
Introduction of Green Infrastructure like Retention Tank,
Green Roof or Green Trail or Grass Covered Tram Tracks to prevent
water from infiltrating and there by saving the resources for reuse.
Refer to : Agócsová, Ágnes, and Zuzana Chodasová. "Innovative Methods in
Sustainable Urban Development and Water Management." (2021).
LOCATION : CZECH REPUBLIC INDUSTRY : URBAN WATER
MANAGEMENT POINT OF CONCERN : Water Scarcity
13. Example 4:
Mine waste
reuse and
reprocessin
g
How the three principles of Circular Economy is
adopted :
Design out waste and pollution: : Reusing and Recycling the legacy
stock of metals can reduce the stored stock which will in turn reduce
the water pollution due to the contamination from such unused
metals.
Keep products and materials in use by Reprocessing the unused
stock and reusing the wastewater produced during the reprocessing
can reduce waste and keep the raw materials in cycle.
Refer to : Bodénan, Françoise, Yannick Ménard, and Patrick d'Hugues. "Mine waste
reuse and reprocessing: an important step for the implementation of the circular
economy in Europe." In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, pp. EGU21-
7764. 2021.
LOCATION : EU Countries INDUSTRY : Mining
POINT OF CONCERN : Waste Mineral or Unused Stocks
14. Example 5 : Drone as a Service
(DaaS) in promoting cleaner
agricultural production
How the three principles of Circular Economy is
adopted :
Design out waste and pollution: Monitoring the plant health using
Drones and optimization of pesticide and water application using
Artificial Intelligence.
Keep products and materials in use by virtualizing the farming process
with the help of cloud and remote monitoring by swam of drones and
using ISM hierarchical Model for decision making.
Refer to : Mahroof, Kamran, Amizan Omar, Nripendra P
. Rana, Uthayasankar
Sivarajah, and Vishanth Weerakkody. "Drone as a Service (DaaS) in promoting
cleaner agricultural production and Circular Economy for ethical Sustainable
Supply Chain development." Journal of Cleaner Production 287 (2021): 125522.
LOCATION : Global INDUSTRY : Agriculture
POINT OF CONCERN : Hazard due to pesticide and
unproductive workers
16. Conclusion
• Main concept of Circular Economy is to not waste
anything and environment such that resources can be
managed optimally with respect to production and
economy.
• It promotes the concept of productive use of materials,
not to consume but to use the material, instruments etc.
as much as possible until it exhaust its utility.
• This area of research with respect to water management is
still at a nascent stage.
• Potential is high : However, to implement new and
innovative designs knowledge upgradation is must.
• In case of Circular Economy concepts of soft
computations is essential.
• Area where circular economy can be used : wastewater
management, water-energy-food nexus and sustainable
agriculture
17. Reference
• Agócsová, Ágnes, and Zuzana Chodasová. "Innovative Methods in Sustainable Urban Development and Water
Management." (2021).
• Al-Saidi, Mohammad, and Sudeh Dehnavi. "Toward a Circular Economy in the MENA Region: Insights from the
Water-Food Nexus." Economic Development in the MENA Region: New Perspectives (2021): 139.
• Bodénan, Françoise, Yannick Ménard, and Patrick d'Hugues. "Mine waste reuse and reprocessing: an important step
for the implementation of the circular economy in Europe." In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, pp.
EGU21-7764. 2021.
• IWA,“Water Utility Pathways in a Circular Economy.”,International Water Association. https://www.iwa-
network.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IWA_Circular_Economy_screen-1.pdf. (2016)
• Kaszycki, Paweł, Marcin Głodniok, and Przemysław Petryszak. "Towards a bio-based circular economy in organic
waste management and wastewater treatment–The Polish perspective." New Biotechnology 61 (2021): 80-89.
• Martin , Nick, and Tristan Steichen, “The Circular Economy of the Water Cycle.” Greenbiz. GreenBiz Group Inc,
November 16, 2018. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/circular-economy-water-cycle. (2018)
• Mahroof, Kamran, Amizan Omar, Nripendra P. Rana, Uthayasankar Sivarajah, and Vishanth Weerakkody. "Drone as
a Service (DaaS) in promoting cleaner agricultural production and Circular Economy for ethical Sustainable Supply
Chain development." Journal of Cleaner Production 287 (2021): 125522.