With more than half the global population living in urban areas, cities face increasing water challenges. The world’s urban population is estimated to double by 2050. This will lead to increasing water demand in urban areas and consequently to water scarcity and the overexploitation of water resources. It will also result in more wastewater generation. The more wastewater is discharged, the more water resources become polluted. Climate change is estimated to exacerbate water stresses in urban areas, affecting the urban water cycle and the quality, and availability of water resources. The growing volume of wastewater generated in cities can be reused and reclaimed for various uses, along with the recovery of valuable resources such as energy and nutrients.

The session provides an opportunity to engage in an interactive discussion with leading international experts and high-level policy-makers on rethinking the urban water cycle through a circular economy lense. Based on the principles of reducing waste and pollution, reusing resources, and replenishing the nature, the circular economy approach offers opportunities for cities to overcome water challenges, make urban water services more sustainable and reliable, and build resilience to climate change impacts towards the achievement of the SDG6 (water) and SDG11 (sustainable cities).

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