Nature-Based Solutions and the Circular Water Economy: Advancing Integrated Sustainability

This article draws on insights from two of my books — and — to explore the strategic integration of nature-based approaches and circularity in water systems. Both frameworks offer complementary solutions for building climate-resilient, sustainable infrastructure and resource management.

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are actions that leverage natural processes to address pressing societal challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss. These include interventions like wetland restoration, green roofs, reforestation, and river rehabilitation. NBS not only enhance ecological integrity but also deliver measurable benefits such as improved water quality, flood mitigation, and increased groundwater recharge.

The Circular Water Economy, on the other hand, rethinks the traditional linear approach to water — extract, use, dispose — and replaces it with a closed-loop model. This model emphasizes reducing water extraction, reusing treated wastewater, and recovering valuable resources like energy and nutrients from water flows. It aligns with broader circular economy principles that seek to eliminate waste, maximize efficiency, and regenerate natural capital.

Bringing these two frameworks together allows for a more holistic transformation of water systems. While the circular model often focuses on engineered infrastructure and efficiency upgrades, NBS provide the ecological foundation that supports long-term system stability. For instance, green urban corridors not only manage stormwater but also serve as biodiversity corridors and microclimate regulators. Similarly, constructed wetlands can be integrated into water reuse schemes, offering both treatment and habitat benefits.

To enable this integration at scale, supportive governance is essential. This includes regulatory reform, institutional coordination, and the alignment of urban planning, infrastructure investment, and financial tools with circular and nature-based objectives. Cross-sectoral collaboration is key to mainstreaming these concepts across water, energy, land use, and climate strategies.

Financing mechanisms must evolve to recognize the full value of integrated approaches. Instruments such as green bonds, blended finance, and performance-based funding can support scalable investment in circular NBS initiatives. Critically, valuation tools should be expanded to reflect co-benefits such as carbon sequestration, ecosystem restoration, and social resilience.

Globally, there is a growing movement to merge nature-based and circular approaches into unified strategies that meet sustainability targets while adapting to environmental pressures. Doing so contributes to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to clean water (SDG 6), sustainable cities (SDG 11), and climate action (SDG 13).

As the water sector evolves, the combined application of Nature-Based Solutions and Circular Water Economy principles represents not only a technical advancement, but a necessary systems shift toward regeneration, resilience, and long-term sustainability.

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