Watch: Could recycled wastewater be indeed a global solution to water scarcity?
In case you missed it, find here the recording of the seminar presentation held 16 July 2025.
Speaker: Distinguished Prof. Emeritus Ariel Dinar | School of Public Policy, University of California, Riverside (UCR), United States. Moderator: Prof. Djiby Thiam | Director: WPE – Water and Production Economics, University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa.
Water scarcity has been deteriorated in many parts of the world due to multiple causes, including population growth, lifestyle changes, increased demand for food and the impacts of climate change. Recent assessments suggest that the volume of wastewater locally and globally is increasing, providing larger volumes of wastewater appropriate for irrigation. Are more available wastewater resources the only condition for the relaxation of water scarcity globally? Additional considerations need to be included in the analysis of the role of treated wastewater in irrigated agriculture. The seminar will present work and discuss aspects related to difficulties in using treated wastewater for irrigated agriculture and how these difficulties may be addressed. Issues will include: the ability-to-pay for treated wastewater; a stable and acceptable allocation of treated wastewater among users; distribution among the polluters and the users of costs and benefits associated with the use of wastewater for irrigation; and creation of compensation mechanisms to attract potential users to remain part of the wastewater treatment and re-use ‘game’. More
This seminar is part of the UCT-UCR Seminar Series: Water Economics and Politics, a collaboration between the University of Cape Town (UCT) and University of California, Riverside (UCR). Subscribe to our mailing list to receive updates on upcoming sessions.