Making waves: Benefits of “Big Science” - mobilising research infrastructures for urban drainage

IF 12.8 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Water Research Pub Date : 2027-01-15 Epub Date: 2026-10-16 DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2026.127158

Abigail Legge, Simon Tait, Francois Clemens-Meyer, Jose Anta, Andy Nichols

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Urban drainage (UD) faces major challenges internationally, including climate change, deteriorating infrastructure, and new emerging pollutants. Its innovation capacity is constrained by fragmented national research efforts. Adopting a “Big Science” transnational access (TNA) approach, centred on open, distributed Research Infrastructures (RIs), can accelerate progress by strengthening collaboration, harmonising protocols, and enabling FAIR-aligned, quality-assured data workflows. The Co-UDlabs project demonstrates how transnational access to distributed RIs can mobilise expertise, broaden stakeholder and industry participation, and generate robust evidence for policy and operational practice. Scaling this model across Europe and beyond could reduce duplication, enhance trust in innovation, and support long-term transformation of the UD sector. Big Science principles can help better position UD as a strategic field for societal investment essential for urban resilience and the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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掀起波澜：“大科学”的好处——调动城市排水研究基础设施

城市排水（UD）在国际上面临着重大挑战，包括气候变化、基础设施恶化和新出现的污染物。它的创新能力受到分散的国家研究努力的限制。采用以开放、分布式研究基础设施（RIs）为中心的“大科学”跨国获取（TNA）方法可以通过加强协作、协调协议和实现公平一致、有质量保证的数据工作流程来加速进展。Co-UDlabs项目展示了跨国访问分布式RIs如何能够调动专业知识，扩大利益相关者和行业参与，并为政策和业务实践提供有力的证据。在整个欧洲和其他地区推广这一模式可以减少重复，增强对创新的信任，并支持UD部门的长期转型。大科学原则可以帮助更好地将城市发展定位为对城市韧性和实现联合国可持续发展目标至关重要的社会投资战略领域。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Water Research 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

20.80

自引率

9.40%

发文量

1307

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Water Research, along with its open access companion journal Water Research X, serves as a platform for publishing original research papers covering various aspects of the science and technology related to the anthropogenic water cycle, water quality, and its management worldwide. The audience targeted by the journal comprises biologists, chemical engineers, chemists, civil engineers, environmental engineers, limnologists, and microbiologists. The scope of the journal include: •Treatment processes for water and wastewaters (municipal, agricultural, industrial, and on-site treatment), including resource recovery and residuals management; •Urban hydrology including sewer systems, stormwater management, and green infrastructure; •Drinking water treatment and distribution; •Potable and non-potable water reuse; •Sanitation, public health, and risk assessment; •Anaerobic digestion, solid and hazardous waste management, including source characterization and the effects and control of leachates and gaseous emissions; •Contaminants (chemical, microbial, anthropogenic particles such as nanoparticles or microplastics) and related water quality sensing, monitoring, fate, and assessment; •Anthropogenic impacts on inland, tidal, coastal and urban waters, focusing on surface and ground waters, and point and non-point sources of pollution; •Environmental restoration, linked to surface water, groundwater and groundwater remediation; •Analysis of the interfaces between sediments and water, and between water and atmosphere, focusing specifically on anthropogenic impacts; •Mathematical modelling, systems analysis, machine learning, and beneficial use of big data related to the anthropogenic water cycle; •Socio-economic, policy, and regulations studies.