Official Position Statement Approved by WEF
Date of Approval: March 2, 2026
Expiration Date: March 2, 2031
The traditional "take-use-dispose" water model, currently utilized by utilities and industry across the globe, is unsustainable in the face of climate change, growing demand, and aging infrastructure. A Circular Water Economy focuses on reducing waste, recovering nutrients and energy, and regenerating nature within the water cycle. It promotes treating water as a renewable and restorable resource by using advanced technologies, reducing pollution, and closing water loops across industries. The Circular Water Economy transforms the “take-use-dispose” approach by minimizing waste, reclaiming value, optimizing existing resources, and restoring ecosystems through Reduce, Recover, Regenerate principles—a model central to WEF’s vision for resilient and inclusive water management. WEF calls on governments, utilities, industries, and communities to embrace the core framework of Reduce, Recover, Regenerate as foundational to modern water stewardship. By doing so, we can secure water resilience, create economic value, and foster environmental renewal for generations to come.
