Exploring How Circular Economy Approaches Can Drive Inclusive, Climate-Resilient WASH (Circle WASH)
The University of Technology Sydney - Institute for Sustainable Futures
Climate Resilience Research (WRA-CR04)
Led by the University of Technology Sydney - Institute for Sustainable Futures, Circle WASH is a collaborative research project identifying how circular economy and system resilience approaches can drive climate-resilient, inclusive WASH. Researchers are exploring concepts, case studies and pathways to implement circular solutions.
Research theme: Circular economy approaches for climate-resilient, inclusive WASH
Research focus: Deepening an understanding of the application of circular economy and system resilience approaches in shaping climate-resilient, inclusive WASH.
Locations: Line Islands, Kiribati, and Ha Tinh province, Vietnam
Partners: University of Technology Sydney - Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF), Institute for Water Resources Economics and Management, UNICEF Pacific, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Key Research Questions:
How can WASH systems and services draw on circular economy approaches to achieve inclusion and climate resilience?
Sub-questions:
- Conceptual integration: How can we integrate concepts from circular economy, climate resilience and inclusive WASH to inform planning for and implementation of climate resilient, inclusive WASH service systems and wider societal resilience?
- Case study application: How might concepts (from sub-question 1) be applied to WASH service systems in Vietnam (Ha Tinh province) and Kiribati (Line Islands) to identify and assess contextually appropriate opportunities associated with circular approaches to WASH service delivery?
- Pathways to preferred futures: How can collaborative visioning and knowledge co-production methods support institutions in case study contexts to capitalise on circular economy opportunities to drive climate resilient, inclusive WASH systems and services?
"Through this research, we have the opportunity to apply conceptual thinking around the circular economy to real world WASH contexts. Circular economy ideas have captured our collective imagination and are increasingly reflected in policies and plans. Through this research we want to ensure WASH sector responses make the most of opportunities presented — achieving universal, sustainable services that drive climate resilience and inclusion.”
Naomi Carrard, Research Director, University of Technology Sydney - Institute for Sustainable Futures
Research Description
Led by UTS-ISF, this research project focuses on integrating circular economy principles and practices into the WASH sector to enhance climate resilience and inclusivity. It addresses the need for better integration of practice across WASH and related sectors, recognising the potential of circular economy approaches to identify and operationalise linkages.
Working in partnership with the IWMI, the Institute for Water Resources Economics and Management, and UNICEF Pacific, the research adopts a transdisciplinary approach, incorporating diverse knowledge systems to address the complex, dynamic nature of WASH services as social-ecological systems (SES). It recognises the importance of SES resilience in maintaining essential water and sanitation services by absorbing climate hazards and reorganising components to accommodate the impacts. By considering the unpredictable nature of social-environmental interactions and dealing with uncertainty, SES resilience principles offer a novel approach to building climate resilience in the WASH sector.
The research project has three objectives:
- To strengthen climate-resilient, inclusive, safely managed WASH services by integrating circular economy principles and practices in WASH institutions and service delivery approaches.
- To identify potential benefits and synergies where circular approaches strengthen the climate resilience and inclusivity of WASH services.
- To assess potential trade-offs and perverse outcomes.
The significance of this research lies in its contribution to addressing the climate resilience challenges faced by the WASH sector. The impacts of climate change, including intensified climate hazards, increased uncertainty, and deepened vulnerabilities, affect the provision of WASH services and exacerbate existing inequalities.
The research focuses on specific climate vulnerabilities in Kiribati and Vietnam. In Kiribati, heatwaves, droughts, cyclones, saline intrusion, wave-driven flooding, and permanent inundation pose risks, exacerbated by geographic isolation and dependence on international aid. Limited rainfall and sea-level rise impact water availability, and wave-driven flooding threatens freshwater supply. In Vietnam, rising sea levels, saline intrusion, heat stress, and water resource pressure affect coastal and low-lying regions, particularly vulnerable populations reliant on natural resources. Droughts impact drinking water availability, while flooding threatens water quality, safety and accessibility.
By exploring innovative approaches and incorporating climate resilience explicitly into the identification and assessment of circular options, the research aims to enhance the resilience of WASH systems and services and contribute to wider societal resilience.
The research outcomes are being utilised by WASH sector organisations to critically engage with circular economy approaches and strengthen WASH services planning for inclusion and climate resilience. Research outcomes are informing ongoing decision-making and guiding future WASH investments by articulating the foundational role of WASH in building climate resilience.
In Kiribati, research findings are supporting efforts to strengthen WASH services for rapidly growing, climate vulnerable urban areas, and in Vietnam, to progress the national circular economy and rural WASH policies. Findings will also inform global sector innovation for resilient, inclusive WASH services and systems.
Identified points of complementarity and intersection with related initiatives, such as water reuse, recycling and solid waste management at country and international levels, are also enabling knowledge sharing and potential collaboration.
A family water hole in Ha Tinh province, Vietnam; discharged water is captured and stored for domestic reuse by the family members (Institute for Water Resources Economics and Management / Dinh Van Dao)
Pathways to impact
- Transdisciplinary approach: incorporating diverse knowledge systems to address a real-world problem.
- Circular economy concepts: offering new opportunities and complementing existing efforts for climate-resilient inclusive WASH, while also identifying strategies to support comprehensive sustainability in other areas such as waste, water, energy and resources.
- Futures thinking approach: fostering a paradigm shift in institutional mindsets that contributes to sustainability.
- Cross-sectoral linkages: facilitating collaboration at both the country and local levels, promoting practical application of new framings, technologies, and institutional reforms for enhancing efficiency in the WASH sector.
- Social-ecological systems principles: applying SES resilience principles to WASH as a novel approach that considers nature-society interactions and uncertainty, addressing weaknesses in traditional resilience-building approaches.
“This research is timely for Vietnam. We have a national directive supporting circular economy across all sectors, and now is the chance to operationalise the policy in ways that strengthen the sustainability of rural WASH and our resilience to climate change.”
Dinh Van Dao, Vice Director, Institute for Water Resources Economics and Management
Water for Women is proud to be partnering with the University of Technology Sydney – Institute for Sustainable Futures, Institute for Water Resources Economics and Management, UNICEF Pacific, and the International Water Management Institute for this important research work.
Feature photo: A community money box positioned near a community water ATM enables voluntary contributions from community members while collecting water from the water ATM. This money is used for the cost of electricity to run the water treatment machine, as a small cost recovery concept (Institute for Water Resources Economics and Management / Dinh Van Dao)
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