This study intends to enhance the understanding of the circular economy and ways to advance business ecosystems, productivity, and innovation. It will help the government and regulatory bodies in drafting their policies. The study also intends to present the sustainable consumption practice of rainwater harvesting through case studies. The study implies the case study approach on the primary data collected from Water Field Technologies Pvt. Ltd. which works in the field of water management and prominently rainwater harvesting. The purpose of the circular economy is to make the most of material resources by adhering to reducing, reusing, and recycling. A circular economy is a novel approach to value creation through innovative and sustainable practices thus, recycling and reusing the resources leads to their efficient utilization.
TopIntroduction
Against the backdrop of climate change, water scarcity has surfaced as a major concern across the world. Optimal and sustainable management of water is the only way to address this challenge. One of the oldest yet relatively implemented methods of rainwater harvesting serves as an efficient tool towards
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals underline this concern in SDG-6, which aims to Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Goal 6.1 specifies “by 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all”.
Using the case study of Water Field Technologies Pvt Ltd. with more than a decade of experience in the household and industrial domains, the economic impact of rainwater harvesting is assessed.
Rainwater harvesting can be used for secondary purposes or secondary water usage only. It is following the concept of collecting or catching the rain where and when it falls. It works to recharge the pits during the rainy season and utilize the water for the rest of the months. Rainwater can also be collected on the surface area which is the simplest method. In Asia, Rainwater harvesting is also known as the ‘freshwater expansion system’. The reason behind using Rainwater harvesting for secondary purposes is that it is the freshest form of water which does not consist of minerals and essential nutrients that a human body needs.
Rainwater Harvesting is useful for mitigating the demand for extra water that happens due to various reasons such as an increase in population, and an increase in industries and machinery that requires more water. It is also helpful in poor rural areas where people cannot afford water for their schools or agriculture if they don’t have wells of their own. In such times Rainwater Harvesting can act as a support system in carrying out irrigation for the field.
Similarly, looking at the current changing scenario of climate change includes acid rains, storms, floods, droughts, and increasing global warming are causing great harm to many of the natural resources going extinct. Similarly, the sudden increase in trends in rainfall is also one of the causes of climate change. In such situations Rainwater Harvesting works as a helping hand, it helps to reduce the use of the water from rivers, dams, lakes, and ponds for secondary purposes and can keep the use limited for primary purposes.
India receives enough rainfall which is sufficient for the country as such. But still, in some parts of India, there are a lot of problems related to water availability and supply. Many areas face the problem of water scarcity for drinking even after receiving good rain. This happens because of rain that falls here is actually short but falls in high intensity and therefore it is not enough for the people over there. That is why the role of Rainwater Harvesting is important, collection of rainwater can help such places meet their need for water. (Guhathakurta, 2016)