RT Report
T1 Wastewater – Turning Problem to Solution - UNEP Rapid Response Assessment
A1 United Nations Environment Programme, 
A2 Avraham, Aviad
A2 Baker, Elaine
A2 Bernstein, Roy
A2 Corbin, Christopher
A2 Corcoran, Emily
A2 Ddiba, Daniel
A2 Dagerskog, Linus
A2 Fettback, Tim
A2 Garleff, Lüder
A2 Gross, Amit
A2 Hosney, Hadeel
A2 Jones, Edward
A2 Mahjoub, Olfa
A2 Mihaylova, Bistra
A2 Moreo, Pedro
A2 Muhamba, Charles
A2 Pires, Alex
A2 Qadir, Manzoor
A2 van Rensburg, Pierre
A2 Schäfer, Arnold
A2 Schurig, Hendrik
A2 Simha, Prithvi
A2 Singh, Avantika
A2 Thevenon, Florian
A2 Thygesen, Kristina
A2 Zandaryaa, Sarantuyaa
A2 Zennaro, Riccardo
K1 nutrient
K1 wastewater
PB United Nations Environment Programme
YR 2023
FD 2023-08
LK https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/43142
UL https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/43142
NO This report reviews progress in wastewater management a decade after an earlier global assessment and evaluates how wastewater can be transformed from an environmental liability into a resource. It sets out the scale of untreated discharges, associated risks to biodiversity and human health, and the limited proportion currently reused. Drawing on case studies and global data, it examines technological, economic and governance approaches for water recycling, nutrient and energy recovery, and heat extraction. The report analyses barriers including social acceptability, financing, regulatory coherence and data gaps, and highlights the need for systemic, circular management models supported by policy integration, capacity-building, monitoring and inclusive stakeholder engagement across sectors and scales.
DS UN Environment Document Repository
RD Sep 21, 2026