PEOPLE 2023 Short Course

Circular Economy Solutions for Tackling Water-Related Challenges and Achieving SDG 6

Date: Monday, August 7, 2023
Time: TBD (90 minutes)
Location: Concordia University, Montreal, Canada; Room TBD

Course Description：
In this course, we will highlight the current gaps and needs in circularity practices in the water sector, emphasize the importance of integrating circular economy-focused advances and innovations into water management strategies to achieve SDGs. Through discussions on the roles of various stakeholders, we noted the need for a coordinated and collaborative effort to create a sustainable and circular water management system that benefits all. The workshop session will highlight the potential of circularity-focused innovations in agriculture, aquaculture, and industry competitiveness to promote sustainable production chains that are inclusive and aim for water-sensitive economic growth. By prioritizing the sustainable circulation of water through the adoption of circular economy principles, integrated management of water resources and wastewater could help reduce inequalities, promote local community development, and enhance the resilience of informal systems, indigenous communities, and gender sensitive water planning and policies. Overall, the workshop will showcase and discuss best practices and explore a framework for effective integration of circularity into water management strategies while answering the set of questions outlined below.

•Q1: What are the main challenges to establish effective circular economy systems, policies institutions in the water sector via national and regional collaboration, and how can they be overcome?

•Q2: How to ensure that organized and ad hoc collaboration for circularity in the context of specific goals and targets like SDG is boosted, can this approach help transform into long-term sustainability partnership and practice?

•Q3: What are the most effective ways to foster cooperation in establishing circularity in the water sector? On what basis should social inclusion take place in such scenarios?

•Q4: Does circularity governance require its own institutional setup, such as committees and commissions, or should it be integrated in regional/sectoral organizations, such as the wastewater management authorities and environmental impact assessment frameworks?

Learning outcomes
1. Better the understanding of key areas for integrating circular economy-focused advances and innovations into water management and how can this contribute to the achievement of SDGs.

2. Boost understanding of current gaps and needs within existing practices of circularity in the water sector and how existing frameworks can influence future water strategies.

3. Enhance understanding the potential of circularity-focused innovations in water use in agriculture, aquaculture, and industry competitiveness in global supply chains committed to local sustainable development toward inclusive and water sensitive economic growth.

4. Boost understanding of strategies for integrating water security into economic, social, and environmental aspects of urban and regional planning to reduce inequalities, promote local community development, and enhance the resilience of informal systems, how to ensure that these models are sensitive of setting of indigenous communities, and need of gender groups.

5. Develop understanding of integrated management approaches for water resources and wastewater that prioritize the sustainable circulation of water through the adoption of circular economy principles.

6. Understand the roles of youth, civil societies, and entrepreneurs in driving pro-environmental business practices and innovation in the water sector.

7. Explore how a coordinated and collaborative effort from a diverse group of stakeholders can create a sustainable and circular water management system that benefits all and contributes to the implementation of SDG 6 and other related SDGs.