Building Sustainable Water Systems thru Nature-Based Solutions

We face significant challenges as cities grow quickly and populations and economies expand. The loss of natural resources and the impacts of climate change add even more pressure on our man-made structures and the environment.

It is becoming increasingly clear that traditional problem-solving methods are inadequate for tackling today’s challenges. Similarly, there is a rising awareness of the value of collaborating with nature to address these complex issues effectively.

Drawing insights from his two books, “Nature-Based Solutions to 21st Century Challenges” and “Developing the Circular Water Economy”, Robert Brears presents how the integration of the two related frameworks—nature-based solutions and circular water economy — can provide a solution to achieve a climate-resilient and sustainable water system while protecting natural resources for future generations.

According to Brears, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are methods of utilising nature to address significant challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and wildlife decline. Examples include restoring wetlands, planting trees, building green roofs, and cleaning rivers. These actions benefit the environment and provide tangible benefits, such as cleaner water, reduced flooding, and improved groundwater storage.

On the other hand, the circular water economy adopts a new approach to water use. Instead of the traditional approach—taking water, using it, and discarding it—it focuses on implementing a closed-loop model. This approach emphasises using less water, recycling, and reusing treated wastewater. The process does not stop there; the residuals and byproducts left over from waste treatments can be recovered and reused as energy and nutrients.

In an urban environment, water is a vital resource for communities, businesses, and the environment, and it is connected across the entire supply chain. Both frameworks—NBS and circular economy—offer a new way of thinking, focusing on resource efficiency, waste minimisation, redesign, and zero emissions. They also imply that new tools and technology are necessary to meet sustainability and resilience goals.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are ecological engineering concepts inspired by nature that provide solutions to many pressing problems and various ecosystem services, such as enhanced biodiversity and improved well-being. NbS in urban water management can promote the transition to a circular water economy, a new way of thinking that focuses on using resources efficiently, reducing waste, redesigning systems, and aiming for zero emissions.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) and the circular water economy help tackle various environmental, social, and economic challenges by harnessing or mimicking the natural processes to manage finite resources such as water more sustainably.

A report, “Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management: A Primer,” aims to raise awareness of the multiple benefits of nature-based solutions. It provides an overview and comprehensive list of these benefits for water management and the wider community. These include reconnecting rivers to floodplains, establishing or conserving forests, utilising riparian buffers in streams and rivers, and protecting, restoring, or constructing wetlands.

The report identifies ways to expand the use of proven, integrated approaches that involve different stakeholders and targets water managers working at national, local, or river basin levels in developing countries and also for those involved in water management decisions such as people in business, industry, energy, farming, forestry, city planning, and local communities.

Brears’ book on the circular economy presents new research on policy innovations that promote the development of the circular water economy. It also presents case studies from key locations in various climates worldwide, showcasing different policy innovations to develop the circular water economy.

Click on the sources below to learn how nature-based solutions and a circular water economy can lead to more sustainable and resilient water management systems.