Bangkok, 1 April 2026: In support of advancing the Framework for the Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), ERIA convened the International Workshop on Reverse Supply Chain and Water Utility Pathways for the Circular Economy at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok. Held from 30 March to 1 April 2026, the workshop brought together around 20 experts from academia, industry, and policy institutions.

The workshop explored opportunities and challenges for governments and businesses in facilitating both domestic and cross-border reverse supply chains to support a resource-efficient circular economy. Discussions focused on firm-level cost optimisation, trade facilitation mechanisms, and the development of frameworks to scale up circular business models – particularly in the context of water utilities transitioning towards circular systems.

In his opening remarks, Dr Ekbordin Winijkul, Dean of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at AIT, highlighted that the circular economy represents a fundamental transformation, requiring societies to move beyond incremental improvements towards systemic innovation. He underscored the importance of rethinking waste as a resource and viewing constraints as opportunities for sustainable solutions.

Dr Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Research Fellow for Innovation at ERIA, outlined the workshop’s objectives and emphasised the need to bridge the gap between policy ambition and practical implementation of circular economy approaches in ASEAN. He highlighted the role of reverse supply chains in enabling resource recovery and building resilience, while positioning the water sector as a key driver of circular transformation. The workshop also aimed to generate actionable policy insights and practical recommendations to support scalable solutions.

The first day featured four thematic presentations by Prof. Sivanappan Kumar (AIT), Dr Qwanrudee Chotichanathawewong (National Research Council of Thailand), Ms Sooksiri Chamsuk (UNIDO), and Dr Ancha Srinivasan (Asian Development Bank). These sessions provided insights into reverse logistics and value creation, the progress and challenges of circular economy implementation in Thailand, and the role of circular approaches in water management and regional sustainability.

Subsequent discussions focused on reverse supply chains, with contributions from Prof. Krishnamurthy Ramanathan (Western Sydney University), Prof. Jootae Kim (Dankook University), and Dr Sudipta Bose (University of Newcastle). The sessions examined theoretical foundations, practical applications, case studies, and economic modelling approaches, highlighting both opportunities and cost-related challenges in developing efficient cross-border reverse supply chain systems.

The second day began with a presentation on innovation in circular economy implementation by Dr Krishnan S. Raghavan (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham). This was followed by country-level presentations on circular pathways in water utilities:

• Prof. Arumugam Sathasivan (Western Sydney University) – Australia
• Dr Pu Jian (Toyo University) – Japan
• Dr Guntur Adisurya Ismail (Bandung Institute of Technology) – Indonesia
• Dr Mohana Sundaram (AIT) and Dr Anish Ghimire (AIT) – Thailand
• Representatives of C&G Analytica – Malaysia
• Dr Lai Van Manh (Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment) – Viet Nam
• Janani GX (Independent Consultant) – India

These sessions highlighted diverse approaches to integrating circular principles into water systems, including resource recovery, efficiency improvements, and governance innovations.

The programme concluded with field visits to the Bangkhen Water Treatment Plant and the Bang Sue Wastewater Treatment Plant on the third day. These visits showcased Thailand’s practical efforts in water and wastewater management, demonstrating how circular economy principles can enhance resource efficiency, strengthen sustainability, and improve service delivery.

The workshop proceedings are expected to be published by ERIA to support the implementation of ASEAN’s circular economy framework at the sectoral level.