Urban water-energy-food-climate nexus in integrated wastewater and reuse systems: Cyber-physical framework and innovations

Radini, Serena; Marinelli, Enrico; Akyol, Çağrı; Eusebi, Anna Laura; Vasilaki, V.; Mancini, Adriano; Frontoni, Emanuele; Bischetti, Gian Battista; Gandolfi, Claudio; Katsou, Evina; Fatone, Francesco

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117268

Cited by 51 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 143 publications

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“…Thus, future research efforts should provide a more detailed techno-economic and environmental analysis of the smart technologies (e.g., sensors) that receive major attention in the field of urban water monitoring. In addition, the digitalization-oriented analysis may be extended in additional areas, such as urban wastewater treatment (e.g., [67]), drinking water supply (e.g., [68]) or flooding prevention (e.g., [69]), that were considered beyond the scope of the current research. Building upon similar frameworks for smart water stewardship in agri-food systems (e.g., [70]), ensuing research should focus on developing a comprehensive framework for digital urban water management, to assist decision-and/or policy-makers in selecting the optimal technological interventions for efficiently monitoring and forecasting water use in urban settings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smart Technologies for Sustainable Water Management: An Urban Analysis

et al. 2021

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As projections highlight that half of the global population will be living in regions facing severe water scarcity by 2050, sustainable water management policies and practices are more imperative than ever. Following the Sustainable Development Goals for equitable water access and prudent use of natural resources, emerging digital technologies may foster efficient monitoring, control, optimization, and forecasting of freshwater consumption and pollution. Indicatively, the use of sensors, Internet of Things, machine learning, and big data analytics has been catalyzing smart water management. With two-thirds of the global population to be living in urban areas by 2050, this research focuses on the impact of digitization on sustainable urban water management. More specifically, existing scientific literature studies were explored for providing meaningful insights on smart water technologies implemented in urban contexts, emphasizing supply and distribution networks. The review analysis outcomes were classified according to three main pillars identified: (i) level of analysis (i.e., municipal or residential/industrial); (ii) technology used (e.g., sensors, algorithms); and (iii) research scope/focus (e.g., monitoring, optimization), with the use of a systematic approach. Overall, this study is expected to act as a methodological tool and guiding map of the most pertinent state-of-the-art research efforts to integrate digitalization in the field of water stewardship and improve urban sustainability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smart Technologies for Sustainable Water Management: An Urban Analysis

et al. 2021

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“…Also, the WEF nexus approach can help monitor and assess progress on the 2030 global agenda, making the implementation of SDGs more efficient and cost-effective (Naidoo et al, 2021). We can use the Nexus approach to evaluate and recognize trade-offs and create cooperation through feedback to achieve more integrated and cost-efficient planning, decision, implementation, supervision, and assessment (Radini et al, 2021). The use of distributed WEF networks and the SPSS model for the development, production, and use of these local WEF resources can empower local resources and increase local involvement in the mining, production, use, and disposal of these resources.…”

Section: Benefits Analysis Of Spss Applied To Distributed Wef Nexusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing and Defining of Designing Sustainable Product-Service Systems Applied to Distributed Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Gao

Vezzoli

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus significantly and effectively address sustainability issues internationally. However, there has been little attention paid to the WEF Nexus challenges related to sustainable livelihoods, such as resource access, resource security, and resource utilization. Given the need to establish design research, policy formulation, and resource management based on end-user needs, new research hypotheses and available models must be proposed on a small-scale scale of households and communities. This paper combines the Sustainable Product-Service System (SPSS) and Distributed Economies (DE), two prospective and intertwined models combining environmental, social, and economic sustainability with the WEF Nexus approach, to emphasize the shift to small-scale and highly localized WEF systems and the product and service system based on the satisfaction unit, i.e., designing SPSS applied to Distributed WEF Nexus. This paradigm shift is presented and detailed in an 11-dimensional canvas with an analytical, conceptual research approach to help to define and analyze the characteristics of existing solutions and promote innovative ideas or scenarios in a sustainable WEF nexus. The new 11-dimensional canvas tool, in particular, is thought to have the potential to become a basic research analysis and innovative strategic tool in this field after being tested and evaluated by forty companies, experts, and designers in China and Italy. Finally, despite considerable implementation obstacles, this innovative application of multi-mode integration still has the potential for win-win sustainability, to meet human needs for clean water, safe energy, and sufficient food, ultimately accelerating the transition to a sustainable society.

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“…Considering the major resource savings (including water and energy) and reduction in GHG emissions, farmers, policymakers, reclamation managers and agronomists recognize the necessity for WEFC nexus in integrated wastewater and reuse systems, and propose and implement innovative solutions based on this concept especially in the local dimension [43]. This approach can help to measure and monitor the indicators of the complex interactions between water treatment/reuse, carbon emission, energy consumption, smart agriculture and climate variability [17]. Furthermore, digitalization can improve the collection of the data required for the footprint assessments, providing a common space for their storage and elaboration.…”

Section: Benefits and Applications From Reuse Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the wastewater reuse-based agricultural sector, energy-carbon and water footprints are highly interconnected and exhibit a great example of the Water-Energy-Food-Climate (WEFC) nexus [17]. WWTPs are great energy carriers [18,19] and responsible for up to 26% of the GHG emissions of the whole water supply chain [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water-Energy-Food-Climate Nexus in an Integrated Peri-Urban Wastewater Treatment and Reuse System: From Theory to Practice

Marinelli,

Radini,

Akyol

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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This paper develops a framework for the identification, assessment and analysis of the water reuse-carbon-energy-food-climatic (WEFC) nexus in an integrated peri-urban wastewater treatment and reuse system. This methodology was applied to the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Peschiera Borromeo (Milan, Italy) and its peri-urban district to define the most possible affirmations and conflicts following the EU regulations 741/2020. Results of this work showed that transferring the WEFC nexus from theory to practice can realize sustainable resource management in the operating environment by providing a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, overall energy savings, reduction in water stress and optimization of agricultural practices. Particularly, it was found that if the plant configuration is upgraded to reach water quality class C for water reuse, instead of wastewater discharge, energy savings are estimated to reach up to 7.1% and carbon emissions are supposed to be reduced up to 2.7%. In addition, enhancing water quality from class C to class A resulted in increments in energy and carbon footprint of 5.7% and 1.7%, respectively. Nevertheless, higher quality crops can be cultivated with reclaimed water in class A, with bigger economic revenues and high recovery of nutrients (e.g., recovery of 154,450 kg N/y for tomato cultivation).

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Urban water-energy-food-climate nexus in integrated wastewater and reuse systems: Cyber-physical framework and innovations

Cited by 51 publications

References 143 publications

Smart Technologies for Sustainable Water Management: An Urban Analysis

Smart Technologies for Sustainable Water Management: An Urban Analysis

Characterizing and Defining of Designing Sustainable Product-Service Systems Applied to Distributed Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Water-Energy-Food-Climate Nexus in an Integrated Peri-Urban Wastewater Treatment and Reuse System: From Theory to Practice

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