An Integrated Assessment Framework for Transition to Water Circularity

Nof Afghani, Johannes Hamhaber and Jos Frijns
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Nof Afghani: Faculty of Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems, TH Köln, 51105 Köln, Germany
Johannes Hamhaber: Faculty of Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems, TH Köln, 51105 Köln, Germany
Jos Frijns: KWR Water Research Institute, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: Changing our unsustainable linear water management pattern is necessary to face growing global water challenges. This article proposes an integrated framework to analyse and understand the role of different contextual conditions in the possible transition towards water circularity. Our framework combines a systematic multi-level perspective to explore the water system and the institutional work theory for technology legitimation. The framework consists of the following stages: (1) describing and understanding the water context, (2) assessment of the selected technologies’ circularity level, (3) assessment of the alternative circular technologies’ legitimacy, and (4) identification of the legitimation actions to support the upscale of alternative circular technologies. The practical applicability of the integrated assessment framework and its four assessment stages was demonstrated in the exploration of circular water technologies for the horticulture sector in Westland, the Netherlands. The results revealed the conditions that hinder or enable the legitimation of the circular water technologies, such as political environmentalism, trust in water governing authorities, and technical, financial, and knowledge capabilities.

Keywords: sustainability transition; water circularity; circular economy; legitimation; multi-level perspective; technological innovation system; institutional work (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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