Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Network on Water-Energy-Food Nexus for a low-carbon economy in Europe & beyond, Brussels, Belçika, 04 Haziran 2025, ss.1, (Özet Bildiri)
The Porsuk Sub-basin is subject to
intense urbanisation, agriculture, and industrial activities. These sectors
exert considerable pressure on the basin’s water resources, threatening the
availability of its already limited freshwater reserves due to increasing water
stress. To address this issue in a more sustainable manner, various strategies
have been proposed. Among them, the Circular Economy approach promoted by the
EU Green Deal aims to retain resources in use for as long as possible, maximise
their value, and enable their recovery, renewal, and reuse. There exists a
strong interconnection between water, energy, food, and ecosystems, referred to
as the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus. This concept underscores the
interdependent nature of these components and recognises that interventions in
one sector have direct implications for the others. Although the literature
evaluates the benefits of circular systems using a variety of indicators, such
indicators often fail to directly capture basin-specific characteristics. To
address this limitation, the present study introduces a methodological
framework for assessing circular water economy models within the WEFE Nexus,
with an emphasis on sustainable water management at the basin scale. Within
this framework, 52 alternative scenarios were developed, representing different
configurations across agricultural, industrial, and urban sectors. The
environmental performance of these scenarios was assessed using a climate
related indicator: CO₂ emissions. Scenario outputs—such as volumes of reused
water, treatment requirements, and alternative water sources—were quantified in
terms of their associated CO₂ emissions to facilitate a consistent and
meaningful comparison. This approach enables the identification of
environmentally favourable circular water economy alternatives at the
macro-basin scale, based on their emission-related impacts.