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Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have been proven to effectively mitigate and solve resource depletion and climate-related challenges in urban areas. The COST (Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action CA17133 entitled “Implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) for building a resourceful circular city” has established seven urban circularity challenges (UCC) that can be addressed effectively with NBS. This paper presents the outcomes of five elucidation workshops with more than 20 European experts from different backgrounds. These international workshops were used to examine the effectiveness of NBS to address UCC and foster NBS implementation towards circular urban water management. A major outcome was the identification of the two most relevant challenges for water resources in urban areas: ‘Restoring and maintaining the water cycle’ (UCC1) and ‘Water and waste treatment, recovery, and reuse’ (UCC2). s Moreover, significant synergies with ‘Nutrient recovery and reuse’, ‘Material recovery and reuse’, ‘Food and biomass production’, ‘Energy efficiency and recovery’, and ‘Building system recovery’ were identified. Additionally, the paper presents real-life case studies to demonstrate how different NBS and supporting units can contribute to the UCC. Finally, a case-based semi-quantitative assessment of the presented NBS was performed. Most notably, this paper identifies the most typically employed NBS that enable processes for UCC1 and UCC2. While current consensus is well established by experts in individual NBS, we presently highlight the potential to address UCC by combining different NBS and synergize enabling processes. This study presents a new paradigm and aims to enhance awareness on the ability of NBS to solve multiple urban circularity issues.

The development and application of appropriate Circular Economy indicators is an issue that concerns both the scientific and the business community, as well as decision makers. The existing gap between research, policy and practice could be bridged by using a dynamic indicators selection approach that combines both expert and participatory practices. This study aims to develop such a novel approach for the selection of indicators based on views and needs of practitioners, whilst considering the complex interdependencies of the indicators and determining their importance. Twenty circularity indicators for the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems nexus are selected and ranked by different stakeholders. The interrelationships of the indicators are identified using the Interpretive Structural Model, resulting in six levels of importance. Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis further enabled the classification of the twenty indicators into four categories based on their driving and dependence power. The results indicate that seven indicators—one related to regeneration of natural environment principle, four related to keep resources in use, and two related to design out negative externalities—are the driving indicators to Circular Economy. The approach can be applied to other sets of indicators as well, enabling their prioritization and implementation with other systems.

Water losses are in focus of water supply management in last decades. Basic and widely accepted indicator is ILI Index, but is insufficient, when water resources are abundant, treatment costs low and energy consumption miniscule due to gravity. In such situation several authors introduced more detailed analysis defining “Economic Level of Leakage” (ELL) in short run. This analysis provides an insight into shadow market of leakages that is defined by marginal cost of water supplied on supply side and by marginal cost of repairs to mitigate water loss on demand side and provide empirical example based on real water supply system (WSS) data.

K identifikaciji problematike varstva okolja je v začetnih fazah pristopila že Vlada Republike Slovenije, ki je v sprejetih dokumentih, med drugimi tudi v Nacionalnem programu varstva okolja in v Operativnem programu razvoja okoljske in prometne infrastrukture 2007–2013, že začrtala smernice za obvladovanje problematike razmerij med naravo in družbo, prav tako pa tudi oskrbe s pitno vodo. Problematika oskrbe s pitno vodo v Pomurski regiji se odraža predvsem na področjih neustrezne zaščite vodnih virov in zajetij podzemne vode, na nerazviti javni vodooskrbi, ki ne omogoča oskrbe celotnega prebivalstva s pitno vodo, kot tudi z nezadostnimi zmogljivostmi zagotavljanja varne in kakovostne oskrbe z vodo. K reševanju problematike je Vlada Republike Slovenije pristopila s projektom vzpostavitve novega neodvisnega regionalnega vodnega sistema, katerega poglavitni cilj je zagotovitev trajnostne, nemotene in kakovostne oskrbe s pitno vodo vsem prebivalcem Pomurja. Za zagotovitev ustrezne oskrbe s pitno vodo je treba vzpostaviti oziroma zgraditi potrebno infrastrukturo, ki zajema vodne vire s črpališči, zajetji in čistilnimi napravami, transportne vodovode, primarne ter sekundarne vodovode. Zaradi enormnega obsega potrebne infrastrukture in njenih investicijskih vrednosti se je projekt izvedbe celotnega sistema oskrbe s pitno vodo razdelil v dve obdobno ločeni fazi. Lastništvo nad infrastrukturo transportnega tipa, ki vključuje vodne vire, transportne in skupne vodovode, bo med občinami razdeljeno po določenem ključu. Glede na delež lastništva nad infrastrukturo transportnega tipa bodo občine morale zagotavljati sredstva za njeno vzdrževanje oziroma pokrivati stroške amortizacije te infrastrukture. K tem stroškom je treba prišteti še stroške vzdrževanja oziroma amortizacije primarnih in sekundarnih vodovodov, torej infrastrukture primarnega tipa, ki jih bodo občine krile individualno, in sicer v okviru svojih meja. Vsota teh stroškov se bo odražala v višini omrežnine kot delu cene pitne vode v posamezni občini. Glede na dve obdobno ločeni fazi izvedbe investicije bo tudi končna cena pitne vode naraščala skladno s stopnjo realizacije investicij. Tako lastništvo, strošek amortizacije infrastrukture transportnega tipa kot tudi višino omrežnine za posamezno občino smo izračunavali po treh ključih: D. število vodomerov v posamezni občini (predvideni števci so pokazatelj porabe vode in s tem uporabe infrastrukture), E. število prebivalstva v posamezni občini (število prebivalstva je pokazatelj porabe vode in s tem uporabe infrastrukture), F. predvidena poraba vode v posamezni občini v letu 2056 (predvidena količina porabljene vode (v l/s) je pokazatelj uporabe infrastrukture). Strošek amortizacije infrastrukture primarnega tipa se ne spreminja, in to ne glede na uporabljen način izračuna, saj je lastniški delež oziroma investicija posamezne občine vedno enaka. Rezultati izračunov so različni in glede na že v sklepnem delu predstavljeno dejstvo, torej da lahko porabo vode v prihodnosti le predvidimo, tako kot lahko le predvidimo tudi porast oziroma padec prebivalstva in njuna nihanja, je pri izračunu omrežnine transporta verjetno najbolj smiselno in realno uporabiti princip izračuna glede na število vodomerov, saj informacije o številu vodomerov v posamezni občini izhajajo tudi iz dejanske instalirane moči. Ker je omrežnina le del cene pitne vode in ker smo pri podanih izračunih omrežnine zajeli le stroške amortizacije predvidene infrastrukture, je z vidika cene pitne vode treba upoštevati še dodaten dvig končne cene pitne vode za končnega porabnika, saj le-ta vključuje tudi vodarino in vodna povračila. Identification of the environmental protection problematic was one of the main priorities of the Government of Republic of Slovenia (in following text: Government of RS). The directives for controlling problems between nature and society as also Potable water supply were indicated by the Government of RS in the National Environment Protection Action Program documents and Operational Program of Environmental and Transport Infrastructure Development. The potable water supply problematic on the Pomurje region is reflected in the inadequate protection of water wells and ground water reservoirs, insufficient public water supply which does not provide enough water for the total population, as well as insufficient capacity to ensure safe and quality water supply. Government of RS approached to these problems with a project to establish a new and independent regional water supply system of which the priority objective is to ensure sustainable, stable and quality water supply system for all inhabitants of Pomurje region. To assure a suitable supply of potable water it is necessary to build an adequate infrastructure which includes water wells with pumping stations, treatment plants, transport waterworks, primary and secondary waterworks. Due to the enormous extents of required infrastructure, realization of the project was divided into two periodically separate phases. Ownership over the infrastructure of transport type, that includes water wells, transport and total waterworks, will be divided among municipalities according to a specified key. Proportionally to the individual ownership over the transport infrastructure, each municipality will have to assure financial means to cover the amortization costs of the infrastructure. To this costs, the cost of maintenance and amortization of the primary and secondary waterworks and facilities should be added. Municipalities will cover amortization costs of primary infrastructure individually according to the municipal borders. The sum of all costs will be reflected inside the network charges, as part of the potable water price of the individual municipality. And regarding to the two separated stages of investment realization, the final price of potable water will rise according to the investment realization rate. Ownership, as also amortization costs of transport type infrastructure and the amount of network charges for individual municipality were calculated according to three different keys: A. Number of all water gauges in the individual municipality (predicted number of water gauges indicates water consumption and therefor the use of the infrastructure) B. Population number in the individual municipality (Population number indicates water consumption and therefor the use of the infrastructure) C. Predicted water use in the individual municipality in the year 2056 (Predicted water consumption (in liter per second (l/s)) indicates the use of the infrastructure) The amortization cost of the primary infrastructure does not change regardless to the calculation method, because the ownership share or investment of individual municipality is always the same. Calculation results are different and regarding the already presented fact, that the future water consumption as well as population oscillation can only be predicted and not assured, the most sensible and realistic calculating method would be to consider the number of water gauges. The information on the number of water gauges in each municipality stem from the actual installed capacity. We calculated only amortization of the foreseen infrastructure that is only a part of network charge. And network charge is only part of potable water price. To calculate final price of potable water for the end user, we have to consider also water rate and water refunds.