Water - Food – Energy Nexus Transitions needed in science and technology

Huub Rijnaarts, Albert Janssen, Remko Boom

World Water Exploitation

10-10 2

Future changes in the state – climate as

driving force

IPCC 2007

Percentage changes in average annual runoff projected by four

climate models for the period 2090-2099, relative to 1980-1999

Anthropogenic driving forces influencing

water use / water availability

Population growth

Increased consumption

Increased agricultural production

Increased industrial production

ww

w.w

ate

rfootp

rint

.org

Future Pressures on water & environment

Water use / extraction of water

6

New Concepts and Technologies

“Food”

Consuming biomass

products

Producing biomass

Solar

Energy

Human input using

Fossil & current

resources

Depletion

Accumulation

Pollution Deteriorated ecosystem

Loss in biodiversity

Decreased human

livability + chemicals

Emission

Reduction

Integrative

Concepts &

Technology

Restoration

Integrative

Concepts &

Technology

Cyclic Metabolism and Technologies

Reusable Water, Recoverable Minerals, Solar Energy

New circular metabolism, driven by solar energy

From Carboculture to Helioculture

Non - renewable energy,

water, materials

Emissions to soil,

water and air

Sources - and - sinks

Re-used and recycled waste

materials, gases and liquids

Harvesting of water,

wind

and energy

Use 1

Use 2

Use n

Qs

Qsupplied

Qr Qr Qr

Qs

Q

U

A

L

I

T

Y

High

Supply Demand

Source 1

Source 2

Conversion

Emissions

2 kind of losses:

Qs = quality surplus supplied

Qr = unused quality of the remaining flow

Cascading & recycling, to become solar energy

driven Resources qualities in Urban systems

Multi sourcing, to become solar energy driven

Water accounting for (agro)industrial operations and its application to energy Pathways; Joost Schornagel, Frank Niele, Ernst Worrell, Maike Böggemannd Resources, Conservation and Recycling 61 (2012) 1– 15

Sea water desalination: 40.000 ppm

Sustainable = no waste, solar energy

10

Energy

consumed

Brine

produced

[Salt]

diluate

CDI

ROSCR

ED

RO

Drinking

Water

standard

Desalination, Brackish water: < 4000 ppm

Sustainable = no waste; solar energy

11

Energy

consumed

Brine

produced

[Salt]

diluate CDI

ED

RO

Drinking

Water

standard

ROSCR

The Biobased Economy

Biomassa Fossielegrondstoffen

CxHZN

CxHy

CxHZO

CxHy

Bouwstenen

CxHZN

CxHZOy(OCHz)w

CxHZOy

CxHzOyNSv

CxHZO

Biologischebouwstenen

Biochemische route Petrochemische route

amine

lignine

olie/vet

eiwit

koolhydraten

Oil/fats

Proteins

Carbohydrates

Biomass Fossil resources

Biochemical Petrochemical

Again a linear economy? NO!

Recovery and Reuse of Resources: Water, Carbon and Minerals

Biobased = Circular Economy

P R O D U K T EN

B I O M A S S

Terra

Biobasica

Water

Minerals Ca, Si, P, K, N, S, Me

Residue Carbon

Water Minerals Carbon Consumption Production

Linked with Topsector Water and Agro/Food

Propositions

The Socio-technical change needed to deal adequately with the water-energy-food issue requires new concepts that originate from inter- & transdisciplinary interactions

Our current scientific evaluation systems (i.e. H-index based) award primarily uni-disciplinary excellence; this needs to change to let science contribute to this change

WIMEK/Sense and other graduate schools must and can play a role in changing this awarding system and promote inter- and transdisciplinary research and training

Thank you

Huub Rijnaarts

Albert Janssen

Remko Boom

Acknowledgement:

Frank Niele