Knowledge base dataset on nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment and stormwater management

Abstract

We introduce a knowledge base on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for wastewater treatment and stormwater management. The knowledge base includes (i) a catalogue of solutions and their variables, such as type of water that they can manage, ecosystem services provided, and operational constraints; (ii) a dataset of scientific publications related to each of the solutions included in the catalogue; and, (iii) a dataset of monitoring samples collected on treatment performance of NBS for wastewater treatment, including biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen, phosphate and pathogens (Escherichia Coli and Helminth eggs). Data collection methods employed to build the knowledge base included elicitation workshops, expert assessments, literature review and experimental data. A notable inclusion is the database of scientific publications, boasting 513 entries and providing a dynamic reference point for solution insights. Users can actively contribute to the database, ensuring its continuous enrichment and relevance. Whereas the goal of the knowledge base is to feed the algorithms developed in the Nat4Wat tool, this data can be used for several purposes, from modelling surface requirements for different NBS to being used as a sandbox for data science students. All the data can be accessed directly using a REST API of the Nat4Wat tool, which downloads the last version of the different datasets; or can be downloaded from a static repository where versions are regularly updated.