Session at DNC 2017 // Wastewater Reuse in Nexus Perspective: Environmental, Economic, and Societal Opportunities

Session at the Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 "SDGs and Nexus Approach - Monitoring and Implementation", 17-19 May 2017 The fit for purpose wastewater treatment is cost-effective and reduces the demand for freshwater and fertilisers, which is particularly important for small-holder farmers. Besides directly contributing to food and energy security, the multifunctional land-use systems will reduce the removal and collection of biomass (for heating and cooking) in regions where this energy supply is particularly important, e.g. in urban transition zones in sub-Saharan Africa. Such a target-oriented reuse of wastewater will contribute to sustaining soil fertility and soil-related ecosystem services. Using wastewater in this way will also provide opportunities to enhance/develop the value chain of all products (food crops, energy crops, energy from wastewater, etc.). Capacity development at multiple levels is required to implement such an approach in a sustainable manner, which would address major issues of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1, 2, 6, 7, 13 and 15.

Objectives and expected outcome

The main objective of the seminar is to showcase how the reuse of wastewater in multifunctional land-use systems may improve soil productivity and enhance food and non-food value chains. This should be an interesting option particularly in urban to peri-urban transition zones where wastewater infrastructure is lacking or poorly developed, while agricultural land-use is playing a role (mainly for smallholder farmers).

Target audience

Water and wastewater managers, scientists and decision makers, NGOs, stakeholders from agriculture, livestock and bioenergy sector

Agenda

11:00 am Wastewater as a resource in a circular economy
Stefan Uhlenbrook, UNESCO, Italy 11:10 am The importance of laws and legal frameworks to provide norms and guidelines in support of effective and sustainable wastewater management.
PhD Florian Thevenon, WaterLex, Switzerland 11:20 am Nexus-Oriented Approach for Sharing Water Resources: Development of Eco-industrial Parks in the Catchment of Zayandeh Rud River, Iran
Janis Von Koerber, University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg, Germany Added-value from the nexus of wastewater treatment, crop production and the generation of bioenergy: A case study on reusing wastewater and sludge in crop production in Braunschweig (Germany)
Oliver Maaß, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany Constructed wetlands as the nexus of water, waste and energy
Prof. Paul Gremillion, Northern Arizona University, United States 11:50 am Sustainable and safe reuse of wastewater and human waste in food production in peri-urban areas of Karnataka, India
Girija R, Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination (CDD Society), India Source: DNC 2017 website