13561 - Urban Water Management in the Global South: Nature-Based Solutions and Circular Economy Approaches Modulübersicht

Module Number: 13561
Module Title:Urban Water Management in the Global South: Nature-Based Solutions and Circular Economy Approaches
  Städtische Wasserwirtschaft im Globalen Süden: Naturbasierte Lösungen und Ansätze der Kreislaufwirtschaft
Department: Faculty 2 - Environment and Natural Sciences
Responsible Staff Member:
  • Prof. Dr. habil. Abendroth, Christian
Language of Teaching / Examination:English
Duration:1 semester
Frequency of Offer: On special announcement
Credits: 6
Learning Outcome:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to critically analyze urban water management challenges in the Global South and design context-appropriate strategies that integrate Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and circular economy principles to enhance water security, improve water quality, promote resource recovery, and strengthen urban resilience under socio-environmental and institutional constraints.

Contents:

Part 1. Urban Water Challenges in the Global South. Introduces the structural, environmental, and governance challenges shaping urban water systems in rapidly urbanizing contexts.

Part 2. Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for Urban Water Management. Explores ecosystem-based strategies to address urban water quality, flooding, and climate resilience.

Part 3. Circular Economy Approaches in Urban Water Systems. Examines how resource recovery, reuse, and regenerative models can transform linear urban water systems.

Part 4. Applied Design Workshop and Case Studies. Applies concepts and tools through case studies and the development of an integrated urban water strategy proposal.

Recommended Prerequisites:None
Mandatory Prerequisites:None
Forms of Teaching and Proportion:
  • Lecture / 2 Hours per Week per Semester
  • Self organised studies / 150 Hours
Teaching Materials and Literature:
  • United Nations Environment Programme. (2022). Nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation. ISBN: 978-92-807-3897-1.
  • European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions – A summary for policy makers, Publications Office, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/521937Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission), & Arnbjerg-Nielsen, K. (2021). Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions: Appendix of methods. European Union. https://doi.org/10.2777/11361.
  • European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions – A handbook for practitioners, Publications Office of the European Union, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/244577.
  • Imran Ahmad and Norhayati Abdullah (eds). 2025. Nature-Based Technologies for Wastewater Treatment and Bioenergy Production. Doi: 10.2166/9781789064100. IWA Publishing.
  • McPhearson, T., Kabisch, N., & Frantzeskaki, N. (Eds.). (2023). Nature-Based Solutions for Cities. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved Feb 28, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800376762.
  • Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (2023)- Soluciones basadas en la naturaleza para ciudades resilientes al cambio climático – Perspectivas y experiencias de América Latina. Panama. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59117/20.500.11822/44437.
  • Katharine Cross, Katharina Tondera, Anacleto Rizzo, Lisa Andrews, Bernhard Pucher, Darja Istenic, Nathan Karres, Robert McDonald (Eds). (2021). Nature-Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment: A Series of Factsheets and Case Studies. https://doi.org/10.2166/9781789062267 ISBN (electronic): 9781789062267: IWA Publishing.
  • Castellar, J. A. C. et al. Nature-based solutions in the urban context: terminology, classification and scoring for urban challenges and ecosystem services. Sci. Total Environ. 779, 146237 (2021).
Module Examination:Continuous Assessment (MCA)
Assessment Mode for Module Examination:

3 Exercises (50%)

oral presentation, 20 minutes (25%)

short written examination 60 minutes (25%)

Evaluation of Module Examination:Performance Verification – graded
Limited Number of Participants:None
Part of the Study Programme:
  • no assignment
Remarks:None
Module Components:

Lecture

Components to be offered in the Current Semester: