Sustainable wastewater treatment, resources recovery and the SDGs

Abstract

In 2015, the world's leaders agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that describe a new agenda for sustainability. Given the large populations and environmental footprint of cities, SDG 11 'Sustainable cities and communities' should be considered a critical goal that will affect the achievements of several other SDGs. In particular, clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) provide the 'resource foundation' for cities. Water, food and energy form the so-called Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Achieving sustainable management of these resources requires use of a circular economy approach in which "waste" is recovered and reused. Here there is great potential for interactions between sectors in ways that can achieve multiple SDGs. For example, the safe treatment of wastewater can recover water, energy and nutrients, which in turn provide affordable energy and fertilizers to produce more food. (AU)