Evaluation of Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment Principles in the Research Filed of Circular Water Management

This chapter examines the integration of sustainability principles, waste recovery strategies, and modern research assessment approaches to advance circular economy objectives. It highlights how the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) principles promote transparent, qualitative, and impact-oriented research evaluation, supporting interdisciplinary work essential for sustainable water and waste management. Nexus water-material/fertilizer-energy are presented within the framework of water use cycle combined with modelling efforts to illustrate evolving pressures on water resources. The chapter highlights industrial and urban symbiosis as mechanisms for circular water management through resource conservation, reducing freshwater demand, and transforming waste into water-related valuable inputs, thereby strengthening regional resilience. Application of CoARA principles linked to industrial/urban symbiosis and LCA methodology is proposed for the concept of ECONEXUS project to identify the main steps in the practical model, to ensure an accurate and timely assessment of emerging technologies related to water—energy—materials/fertilizers nexus. Regulatory gaps, infrastructure constraints, and socio-economic barriers are identified in scaling innovative technologies in practice and advancing integrative modelling tools are considered as future research. Overall, the chapter positions circular water management, industrial symbiosis, and CoARA aligned research methodologies as mutually reinforcing pillars supporting sustainable development, ecosystem economic value creation, and long-term societal well-being.