Water Cycle and Circular Economy: Developing a Circularity Assessment Framework for Complex Water Systems.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management
• Circular Economy Studies

Background:

• Linear economic models negatively impact vital water resources.
• Sector-specific circular economy approaches risk overlooking water and natural capital preservation.
• A holistic, multi-sectoral approach is needed for effective water circularity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, multi-sectoral circularity assessment framework (MSWCA) for water resources.
• To integrate socio-economic and environmental sectors for symbiotic water management.
• To enable investigation of feedback loops for assessing water and related resource circularity.

Main Methods:

• Developed a multi-sectoral systems approach (MSWCA) integrating urban water, agro-food, energy, industry, and waste handling.
• Incorporated the three core circular economy principles (reduce, reuse, recycle) into the framework.
• Created an indicator database for assessing multi-sectoral circularity, considering physical, technical, environmental, and economic aspects.

Main Results:

• The MSWCA framework provides a comprehensive method for evaluating water circularity across interconnected sectors.
• It facilitates the analysis of feedback loops between human and natural systems.
• The framework allows for a more accurate assessment of water and related resource circularity.

Conclusions:

• The MSWCA offers a game-changing approach to circularity assessment, prioritizing water resource preservation.
• Its multi-sectoral systems perspective is crucial for understanding and managing water in a circular economy.
• The framework is practically applicable, demonstrated through a conceptual application to a fictional city.