CIRQUA - Integrated Approaches at Local Scale for Enhancing Water Reuse Efficiency and Sustainable SoilFertilization from Wastewater’s Recovered Nutrients

The recently ended decade was by far the hottest ever period recorded on Earth, characterized by climate severity and extreme weather events. Water shortages in the Mediterranean basin have negatively impacted economic status, due to climate change, posing serious threats to food security, exacerbating social inequalities and affecting cultural heritage. The combined effects of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, overpopulation and urbanization, desertification, unsustainable land and freshwater management have expanded the water-scarce regions worldwide, a fact that increase arid soils, which are vulnerable to support soil fertility, livestock and wildlife, and effective, resilient solutions to preserve water resources should be developed to mitigate climate change impact and to strengthen local economies. The southern Mediterranean basin suffers from extreme water scarcity, with the annual water flow per person being lower than 500 m3. Even EU Mediterranean Countries like France with sufficient water supplies may suffer from water scarcity due to the dual effects of climate change and increasing demand. According to a recent report released by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Cyprus, Morocco, Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Portugal, Egypt and Italy are on top of the list of countries with "high water stress", ranking at the 19th, 22nd, 26th, 28th, 30th, 32nd, 41st 43rd and 44th positions worldwide, respectively. As a consequence of the global warming, sea level will rise up to 1 m by the end of the century, causing saltwater intrusion, increasing the salinization of coastal aquifers. Moreover, desertified areas have expanded, reporting in Tunisia for example, which is considered as an extremely water stressed country, economic losses from desertification greater than $100 million. In fact, the SDG indicator 6.4.2 (UN water, SDG6) related to the level of water stress, is considered as critical in Tunisia, estimated overall at 121.07% (2017). In Morocco, over-exploitation of groundwater, accentuated by climate change, is causing groundwater levels to fall by up to 2 m per year depending on the region. In Egypt, climate change causes sea level rise in coastal zone, affecting the country’s economy, whereas construction of dams in upstream countries will decrease the Egyptian Nile water share. As the Mediterranean population is expected to expand by another 75 million by 2050, food supply and local food production are growing concerns in the region. Drylands are particularly susceptible to land degradation because of scarce and variable rainfall as well as poor soil fertility. Soil fertility can be lost through the loss of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, or a decline in the amount of organic matter in the soil. For example, soil erosion by water causes global losses of as much as 42 million tons of nitrogen every year. On farmed land, this inevitably needs to be replaced through fertilizers at significant cost. Soils can also suffer from salinization – an increase in salt content – and acidification from overuse of chemical fertilizers. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 outlines a new set of goals towards a water efficient global strategy, targeting effective wastewater recycling and safe water reuse that will lead to soil fertility. These are also top priority in the “Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Water” and “Blueprint to safeguard Europe's water resources”. The restriction of available water resources and the energy-consuming desalination processes denote the necessity for water reclamation through sustainable approaches.

CIRQUA will create an innovative, highly efficient water and soil management method by implementing novel hybrid wastewater and biomass reuse approaches. These approaches are based on the combination of NBS, such as CWs, the use of advanced nanomaterials, like MOFs, the advantages of photocatalysis, the enhancement of fertility through nitrogen fixation, as well as the implementation of new PI practices.

The expected results and impact of the project are an increase in cross-border contacts and social initiatives regarding water and soil management, resource-saving innovation in agriculture, reduced environmental footprint in terms of water efficiency estimation, field evaluation of nanostructured fertilizer, development of precision agriculture models, and enhanced soil fertility from non-conventional resources. The project aims to increase water efficiency and quality, promote sustainable water management, and engage local communities in environmental initiatives. In summary, the project's comprehensive approach will not only address immediate agricultural challenges but will also contribute to broader environmental and social benefits.