Document Type : review paper
Authors
1 esfahan
2 -
3 National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Today in the light of the competitive markets, diversity of products, political and economic evolutions, climate changes, depletion and pollution of a number of natural resources etc., the science of economy has extended its limits beyond the linear economy (production – distribution – consumption) and is moving towards a circular economy (production – consumption – recycle). In addition to the main objective, the reduction and recycling, or reusing of the waste from production processes, is the main ideal of circular economy. The topic of circular economy in the water and wastewater industry can be considered from the aspect of its specific features (simultaneous consumption of water and the generation of wastewater), negative impacts of wastewater on the environment, water scarcity caused by growing population, the intense competition among water consumers (agriculture, industry, and domestic), reduction of the per-capita water resources, consecutive droughts, and the reuse of wastewater in the course of sustainable development. While explaining the fundamentals of a circular economy, sustainable development, and reuse of wastewater, this paper tries to analyze and review the interaction of these components and the requirements and opportunities of the circular economy in the reuse of wastewater in the course of sustainable development. Also, in this study, using the economic value of water in different economic sectors of the country and the wastewater allocated to these sectors, the share of wastewater in creating the economic value added to the country in 1394 is calculated. The results show that the circular economy of wastewater will create IRR 2251 billion (0.02% of the total national value added) and that the correct management and planning for efficient reuse of wastewater can play an important role in the national economic value, water resources management, and sustainable development.
Keywords
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