AI-led circular economy vital for future waste management
Dr. Brajesh Kumar Dubey, Dean of Campus and Community Development and Professor of Environmental Engineering and Management at IIT Kharagpur, emphasized that AI-driven circular economy models will be pivotal in the future of waste management. He shared these insights during a workshop titled “Circular Economy and Sustainable Development: Nexus of Water Quality and Waste Management,” organized by the Civil Engineering Department of the GITAM School of Core Engineering.
Dr. Dubey highlighted the necessity of transitioning from the traditional “take–make–waste” economic model toward decoupling waste generation from economic growth. He warned that failing to address global waste challenges could escalate annual costs to over USD 600 billion by 2050, with widespread impacts on public health, economies, and ecosystems.
Describing the circular economy framework, Dr. Dubey explained that it focuses on redesigning systems to lessen reliance on finite resources and eliminate waste generation at the source. He pointed out that Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and big data analytics are already assisting industries in material tracking, resource optimization, and waste reduction throughout supply chains.
He further noted the potential benefits for Indian cities in managing organic waste through thermochemical or biochemical processes. Such methods can lower methane emissions, reduce landfill burdens, and produce energy along with value-added products.
Stressing the importance of sustainability as a core imperative, Dr. Dubey called for interdisciplinary approaches to confront accelerating climate change, resource depletion, and pollution. He encouraged future engineers to embrace systems-oriented thinking and integrate sustainability principles into both education and professional practice to effectively tackle long-term environmental challenges.
The workshop also featured presentations by Dr. Ashwani Kumar Tiwari, an environmental scientist from JNU, and Dr. Ganesh Kumar, a researcher from IIPE Visakhapatnam. Senior faculty members and conveners from GITAM actively participated in the event.