Circular economy approaches can strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services while driving climate resilience, inclusion and wider sustainability. CIRCLE WASH is a two-year research project contributing new thinking and case study insights about the potential of circular economy ideas for WASH service systems.
Aims
- Identify how WASH systems and services can draw on circular economy approaches to achieve inclusion and climate resilience.
- Inform sector narratives about circular economy - emphasising system-wide perspectives, diverse circular options, progressive realisation, inclusion and climate resilience.
- Bridge new thinking (conceptual developments) with practical realities (case study insights).
- Inspire ideas, collaboration and action. Generate shared visions and coproduce knowledge about circular economy-informed pathways to realise inclusive, climate resilient WASH.
Activities
CIRCLE WASH has three research phases: concepts, case studies and pathways.
The concepts phase integrates ideas from circular economy, climate resilience and social inclusion – developing a conceptually rigorous and practically relevant frame to explore circular WASH opportunities. Timing: 2023.
Case studies in Vietnam (Ha Tinh Province) and Kiribati (Line Islands Group) will bring WASH and related stakeholders together to identify and assess a range of circular WASH opportunities for rural and urban contexts. Timing: 2023-2024
Collaborative visioning and knowledge co-production with institutions in case study contexts will articulate pathways to preferred futures. Timing: 2024.
All activities are underpinned by a transdisciplinary research approach prioritising collaboration and valuing diverse knowledge types.
RESEARCH OUTPUTS
Situation analysis knowledge brief: Kiritimati Island, Kiribati (2024) (Blog)
Circular Economy for WASH (2024) (Learning brief prepared with UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Region)
Circular Economy Principles Applied to WASH Service Systems (2024) (SIWI World Water Week)
The 8Rs framework for circular water and sanitation systems: leveraging circular economy thinking for safe, resilient and inclusive services (2024) (Journal article)
Situation analysis knowledge brief: Ha Tinh, Vietnam (2024) (Knowledge brief)
8Rs Framework for Circular Water and Sanitation (2023) (Framework)
8Rs Framework for Circular Water and Sanitation (2023) (Framework in Vietnamese)
Circularity for Climate-resilient and Equitable WASH (2023) (Project brief)
Researchers
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Research Director -
Senior Research Consultant -
Research Principal -
Professor and Research Director -
Program Lead - Resource Stewardship -
Research Assistant -
Dinh Van DaoResearcher, Institute of Water Resource Economics and Management
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Dang Ngoc HanhResearcher, Institute of Water Resource Economics and Management
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Vu Thi Mai HienResearcher, Institute of Water Resource Economics and Management
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Avidandan TaronResearcher, International Water Management Institute
Year
- 2023-2024
Client
- GHD - DFAT Water for Women Fund
Partner
- Institute for Water Resource Economics and Management (IWM)
- UNICEF
- International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
SDGs
This project is working towards UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 13.
