Circular Water

All life is interconnected and dependent on having a healthy planet. To restore our planet’s health, we need to restore the health of all the systems supporting life: social, environmental and economic. The hydrological cycle is the most critical of these because all life needs water to survive and a disrupted hydrological cycle is causing more frequent extreme weather events and accelerating climate change. Water vapor and clouds account for 66 to 85 percent of the greenhouse effect and amplify global warming.

Circular Water emulates and helps to restore the hydrological cycle by collecting, cleaning and re-using water.  At the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre we’re demonstrating how managing water can also reduce the risk of extreme weather events becoming disasters.

At the Centre stormwater is collected, filtered, and stored in an underground tank for firefighting. Part of that water is then pumped back up to the bushfire sprinkler system on the Centre. Overflow returns to the stormwater system and the tank.

A balanced hydrological cycle supports the replenishment of groundwater, maintains river flows, and sustains wetlands, which are vital for biodiversity and agricultural productivity. It also plays a significant role in carbon sequestration, as water availability influences the growth and health of forests and other vegetation that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Restoring this cycle helps mitigate climate change by supporting ecosystems that act as carbon sinks, and by storing water underground, in soil and in all living things rather than in the atmosphere. 

Learn how you can manage water to restore the health of the planet and reduce the risk of disaster below: