Vietnam and the world are facing growing pressure from water scarcity, environmental degradation, food security challenges, and climate change. With rapid urbanization placing mounting pressure on already strained water resources, there is an urgent need for sustainable and circular solutions that can support both urban living and agricultural development in the long term.
In this context, domestic wastewater should be considered as a reusable secondary resource. When properly treated, urban wastewater can become nutrient-rich irrigation water or liquid fertilizer for agricultural production. This approach can reduce pressure on freshwater resources, lessen dependence on synthetic fertilizers, and foster a more circular connection between cities and agriculture through the reuse of water and nutrients.
To realize this potential, wastewater treatment solutions must be effective, environmentally friendly, and suitable for practical implementation. Constructed wetlands are considered a promising nature-based approach that mimics the self-purifying capacity of natural ecosystems to remove pollutants from wastewater. When integrated with technologies such as photocatalysis and photocathodes, these systems can harness renewable solar energy to improve treatment efficiency and optimize water quality for agricultural use. This is a promising direction for turning urban wastewater into a productive resource and contributing to more self-sufficient and sustainable cities.
Amid these emerging opportunities, the VinFuture Foundation will host the InnovaConnect event themed “Towards Self-Sufficient Cities: Harnessing Urban Water Solutions for Agriculture” at Van Lang University, in celebration of World Environment Day.
The event aims to introduce and discuss solutions for regenerating urban wastewater for agricultural use, with a focus on circular water models connecting cities and agricultural production. The program also seeks to promote research collaboration and solution testing in Vietnam and several Southeast Asian countries.
The event will gather leading experts in their respective fields:
🔹 Prof. Adriaan Mels, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
🔹 Prof. Simon R. Bush, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
🔹 Dr. Nguyen Dang Khoa, Van Lang University, Vietnam
Join leading researchers and experts at the VinFuture InnovaConnect event on “Towards Self-Sufficient Cities: Harnessing Urban Water Solutions for Agriculture.”
👉 Registration link: https://forms.gle/vAR8H561WwsNk1QRA
⏰ 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM (GMT+7), June 5, 2026
🏫 Venue: Van Lang University (Vietnam)
💻 Online Access: via Zoom (the webinar link will be provided upon registration confirmation)
🌐 Language: English (with Vietnamese interpretation provided)
