33 and 56%. The analogue sewage reduction
potential is even larger. However, these values
are only valid for ideal conditions and must be
validated in the medium and long-term. In order
to reduce the total water deficit, it will be necessary to reduce water consumption in all sectors
as industrial water consumption currently
accounts for approximately 2% of total water
withdrawal in the catchment.
The practical implementation of an EIP
requires a relentless problem analysis, viable
solutions and the courage to overcome a potential
system challenge. The complexity of ecosystems
and industrial systems is currently too large to
allow a full understanding of all factors or to
allow management which incorporates planning
down to every last detail. The implementation of
EIPs in existing industrial parks is possible but is
difficult to implement due to the already existing
structures and arrangements and therefore, comparatively unlikely. The potential for linkage
according to the bilateral principle is significantly
larger in this case because of the lower conflict
potential and the lower complexity compared to
linkage according to the nucleus or cascade
principles.
The EIP concept should be the design philosophy for new industrial park developments,
which is based on benefit-sharing strategies
(Soliev et. al. 2015; Jalilov et. al. 2015; Belinskij
2015; Hensengerth 2015). The further development of the benefit-sharing concept on the
watershed scale may be conceptualized as “benefit shed” (Avellan et. al. 2017; Schneider and
Avellan 2019), through the assessment of
resource flows within a Nexus context. A benefit
shed is apparent when at least two physical
resource systems interact and thus form a Nexus
system, where stakeholders involved aim to
reveal mutual benefits through increased efficiency (Avellan et al. 2017; Schneider and
Avellan 2019; Schneider et al. 2019a, b), which
is particularly apparent in an industrial symbiosis
for wastewater sharing. Benefit sharing approaches as well as the benefit shed analysis process
present promising options for ensuring water
security. In the future, further activities could be
developed to evolve research from an IWRM to a
Water‐Waste-Energy‐Food Nexus. In order to
reduce water scarcity, the further scope might
consider re-linking all saved water volumes of
the respective sectors considered under a WaterEnergy-Food Nexus approach to ensure water
security in the long-term (Schneider et al. 2019a).
In further research, the potential to expand the
EIP concept and industrial symbiosis for all
resource flows between companies (e.g. energy,
material, heat) should be elaborated. Water as a
universal processing and transportation medium
is a good starting point for elaborating potentials
and prerequisites for installing EIPs. For holistic
sustainable development, other resources are of
great importance and should be targeted. Based
on the well-known types of industrial symbiosis
such as EIP, Eco-innovation Parks, Regional
Recycling or Utilization Network, Zero-Emission
Parks, Cradle to Cradle Business Innovation and
Improvement Zones, or Sustainable Industrial
and Business Areas, the concept of industrial
symbiosis also offers great potential for the new
developments of Industry 4.0. In Industry 4.0,
production meshes with state-of-the-art information and communication technology, driven by
the rapidly increasing digitization of the economy and society.
Acknowledgements The investigation was funded by
the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
(BMBF) within its funding measure “Integrated Water
Resources Management” as part of the framework programme “Research for Sustainability”. Reference code:
02WM1353A-G.
References
Avellan T, Roidt M, Emmer A, von Koerber J, Schneider P, Raber W (2017) Making the water-soil-waste
nexus work: framing the boundaries of resource flows;
Sustainability 9:1881. 10.3390/su9101881
Belinskij A (2015) Water-energy-food nexus within the
framework of international water law. Water 7:5396–
5415. https://doi.org/10.3390/w7105396
Benson D, Gain AK, Rouillard JJ (2015) Water governance in a comparative perspective: from IWRM to a
“Nexus” approach? Water Altern-An Interdisc J Water
Polit Dev 8:756–773
Nexus-Oriented Approach for Sharing Water Resources …
219
potential is even larger. However, these values
are only valid for ideal conditions and must be
validated in the medium and long-term. In order
to reduce the total water deficit, it will be necessary to reduce water consumption in all sectors
as industrial water consumption currently
accounts for approximately 2% of total water
withdrawal in the catchment.
The practical implementation of an EIP
requires a relentless problem analysis, viable
solutions and the courage to overcome a potential
system challenge. The complexity of ecosystems
and industrial systems is currently too large to
allow a full understanding of all factors or to
allow management which incorporates planning
down to every last detail. The implementation of
EIPs in existing industrial parks is possible but is
difficult to implement due to the already existing
structures and arrangements and therefore, comparatively unlikely. The potential for linkage
according to the bilateral principle is significantly
larger in this case because of the lower conflict
potential and the lower complexity compared to
linkage according to the nucleus or cascade
principles.
The EIP concept should be the design philosophy for new industrial park developments,
which is based on benefit-sharing strategies
(Soliev et. al. 2015; Jalilov et. al. 2015; Belinskij
2015; Hensengerth 2015). The further development of the benefit-sharing concept on the
watershed scale may be conceptualized as “benefit shed” (Avellan et. al. 2017; Schneider and
Avellan 2019), through the assessment of
resource flows within a Nexus context. A benefit
shed is apparent when at least two physical
resource systems interact and thus form a Nexus
system, where stakeholders involved aim to
reveal mutual benefits through increased efficiency (Avellan et al. 2017; Schneider and
Avellan 2019; Schneider et al. 2019a, b), which
is particularly apparent in an industrial symbiosis
for wastewater sharing. Benefit sharing approaches as well as the benefit shed analysis process
present promising options for ensuring water
security. In the future, further activities could be
developed to evolve research from an IWRM to a
Water‐Waste-Energy‐Food Nexus. In order to
reduce water scarcity, the further scope might
consider re-linking all saved water volumes of
the respective sectors considered under a WaterEnergy-Food Nexus approach to ensure water
security in the long-term (Schneider et al. 2019a).
In further research, the potential to expand the
EIP concept and industrial symbiosis for all
resource flows between companies (e.g. energy,
material, heat) should be elaborated. Water as a
universal processing and transportation medium
is a good starting point for elaborating potentials
and prerequisites for installing EIPs. For holistic
sustainable development, other resources are of
great importance and should be targeted. Based
on the well-known types of industrial symbiosis
such as EIP, Eco-innovation Parks, Regional
Recycling or Utilization Network, Zero-Emission
Parks, Cradle to Cradle Business Innovation and
Improvement Zones, or Sustainable Industrial
and Business Areas, the concept of industrial
symbiosis also offers great potential for the new
developments of Industry 4.0. In Industry 4.0,
production meshes with state-of-the-art information and communication technology, driven by
the rapidly increasing digitization of the economy and society.
Acknowledgements The investigation was funded by
the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
(BMBF) within its funding measure “Integrated Water
Resources Management” as part of the framework programme “Research for Sustainability”. Reference code:
02WM1353A-G.
References
Avellan T, Roidt M, Emmer A, von Koerber J, Schneider P, Raber W (2017) Making the water-soil-waste
nexus work: framing the boundaries of resource flows;
Sustainability 9:1881. 10.3390/su9101881
Belinskij A (2015) Water-energy-food nexus within the
framework of international water law. Water 7:5396–
5415. https://doi.org/10.3390/w7105396
Benson D, Gain AK, Rouillard JJ (2015) Water governance in a comparative perspective: from IWRM to a
“Nexus” approach? Water Altern-An Interdisc J Water
Polit Dev 8:756–773
Nexus-Oriented Approach for Sharing Water Resources …
219