Circular economy and water security learnings for Indian Government Officials
ISF researchers shared their expertise with a group of Indian colleagues via a short course learning experience in Sydney and Melbourne.
The UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) with Alluvium designed and delivered a short course for Indian government officials to support them to gain practical insights on circular economy and water security principles and case studies in Australia.
The course helped equip participants with an understanding of the circular economy principles for water security and wastewater management, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion in the water sector. The course facilitated knowledge exchanges between Indian and Australian water officials and provided opportunities for participants to network with Australian experts (academics, public and private sectors).
One participant reported in the final survey that “The course is very well structured. A lot has been covered in short time.” Another offered that “It was very enriching but a continuity on the learnings and implementation back in India has to be maintained. It can be a two-way learning process on sites, research, implementation and evaluation.”
The course not only exposed participants to circular economy theories and concepts, but also included engaging ways to understand their practical application through case studies, site visits and discussions to apply learnings to their real work responsibilities. It introduced them to a system thinking approach and recognition of the need for cross sectoral collaboration, essential in successful circular economy applications.
Participants visited the Central Park recycled water treatment plant, Sydney Olympic Park, St Mary’s Wastewater Treatment Plant as well as UTS’s NiCE (Nutrients in Circular Economy) project experiments and the Centre for Climate Change (C3) laboratories. The Central Park site saw participants engage and ask questions regarding the technical specifications of the recycling facility.
Classroom workshop
The guided tour of the St. Mary’s Wastewater Treatment Plant provided participants with an example of advanced gas generation and water treatment on the same site, which the participants had not seen before. The Olympic Park site visit showed a successful example of regeneration of a contaminated site with nature-based solutions combined with smart devices to manage waste and storm waters. Showcasing this successful development and planning was particularly valuable to the participants as they face similar problems in their projects.
They were also exposed to cutting-edge research at UTS. They learnt about the value of phosphorous, through urine capture research in the NiCE project and have visited the C3 algae laboratory which showed the participants different aspects of circular economy beyond just water recycling and reuse.
Participants found the course content relevant to their working life. One responded that they would “like to evaluate [their] projects on the basis of circularity”. Related to the session on gender equality, participants responded positively, adding that they had “not done enough for gender equality in my organisation” and “will facilitate change in recruitment and work rules/policies.”
The course was led by Dr. Melita Jazbec, Melita Grant and Prof. Pierre Mukheibir and supported by other members of ISF including Avni Kumar, Prof. Juliet Willetts and Varsha Sivagurunathan. The course was co-developed and delivered with the Alluvium team in Melbourne.
The Australia Awards “Supporting Water Security, Resilience and Transitioning to Circular Cities in India” Short Course was delivered by University of Technology Sydney and Alluvium International. The Australia Awards Short Course for South Asia is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Australia Awards are prestigious international Scholarships, Fellowships and Short Courses funded by the Australian Government. Australia Awards Short Courses offer the next generation of global leaders an opportunity to undertake short-term study, research and professional development opportunities in support of key development and foreign affairs priorities. Short Course opportunities build valuable people-to-people links both within Australia and within the Indo-Pacific region, enabling mid-career professionals and emerging leaders to tap into Australian expertise, gaining valuable skills and knowledge.
