Closing the loop: Nutrient recovery from Wastewater

Wastewater, a severe source of pollution faced by many countries globally, enters our environment in large quantities and affects the health of humans and ecosystems alike. This also has a major impact on socio-economic activities. Water is a finite resource and the demand from a rapidly growing population puts additional stress on our freshwater bodies and agricultural practices; and sustainable wastewater management shows great promise to fulfil this growing demand.

Half of the world’s food security is dependent on nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer use. Often an excessive application of these fertilizers ends up in our water bodies as agricultural run-off, generating wastewater rich in nutrients. When this wastewater pollutes freshwater and marine ecosystems, it can lead to loss of aquatic biodiversity caused by eutrophication and the creation of dead zones. The recovery and reuse of nutrients from wastewater could offset 13.4% of the global demand from fertilizers, hence addressing the social, environmental, and economic costs from wastewater.

This webinar, jointly organised by the Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI) and the Global Partnership on Nutrients Management (GPNM), taking place on 16 August 2023, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Nairobi time, aims to discuss the potential of treating wastewater to recover, recycle, and reuse nutrients, with a focus on nitrogen and phosphorus, and showcases examples and case studies from the work done in this area.