Nature-based solutions as enablers of circularity in water systems - a review on assessment methodologies, tools and indicators

Nika, Elisa (author), Gusmaroli, Lucia (author), Ghafourian, Matia (author), Atanasova, Nataša (author), Buttiglieri, Gianluigi (author), Katsou, Evina (author)

ater has been pushed into a linear model, which is increasingly acknowledged of causing cumulativeemissions of pollutants, waste stocks, and impacting on the irreversible deterioration of water and otherresources. Moving towards a circular model in the water sector, the configuration of future waterinfrastructure changes through the integration of grey and green infrastructure, forming Nature-basedSolutions (NBS) as an integral component that connects human-managed to nature-managed watersystems. In this study, a thorough appraisal of the latest literature is conducted, providing an overview ofthe existing tools, methodologies and indicators that have been used to assess NBS for water manage-ment, as well as complete water systems considering the need of assessing both anthropogenic andnatural elements. Furthermore, facilitators and barriers with respect to existing policies and regulationson NBS and circularity have been identified. The study concludes that the co-benefits of NBS for watermanagement are not adequately assessed. A holistic methodology assessing complete water systemsfrom a circularity perspective is still needed integrating existing tools (i.e. hydro-biogeochemicalmodels), methods (i.e. MFA-based and LCA) and incorporating existing and/or newly-developedindicators.

• Language: English
• Keywords: nature-based solutions, water systems, circular economy, assessment methods, key performance indicators
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 1-19
• Numbering: Letn. 183, št. sept. 115988
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-120989
• UDC: 628.1+628.3
• ISSN on article: 0043-1354
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115988
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23012099
• Publication date in RUL: 28.09.2020

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Water research
• Shortened title: Water res.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0043-1354
• COBISS.SI-ID: 26617344

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.
• Licensing start date: 28.09.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: vodarstvo, ekologija, modeliranje, sonaravne rešitve, vodni sistemi, krožna ekonomija, metode vrednotenja, indikatorji uspešnosti

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Project number: CA 17133
• Name: Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city
• Acronym: CircularCities