Operationalising circular economy and resilience in water management systems in an increasingly uncertain world

Intensifying pressures on urban water management systems have increased interest in circular solutions. Circularity alone, however, cannot ensure reliable services in a deeply uncertain world unless coupled with resilience to chronic and acute climate stresses. While existing circularity-resilience frameworks provide conceptual guidance, their implementation in water management systems remains limited in practice. In this study, we identify strategies and their implementation practices to address recurring challenges in operationalising circularity and resilience thinking in water resource management and governance. We do this by reviewing and synthesising insights from 25 leading and emerging examples from around the world. The synthesised strategies, each implemented through multiple practices, are: building foresight and flexibility through scenario-based and adaptive approaches that account for socio-hydrological uncertainties; balancing competing priorities through value-centred methods and integrated financing to meet diverse societal water needs; and enabling coherent action through cross-sectoral collaborations and science-practice partnerships to address fragmented governance.