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)

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

• Language: English
• Keywords: nature-based solutions, water systems, circular economy, assessment methods, key performance indicators
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 183, art. 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, International Water Association
• 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.

Secondary language

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