Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences in 2025
2026-02-06
Nature-Based Water Treatment Systems: Global Progress, Performance Metrics, and Sustainability Outcomes
Authors
-
Hong Wang
Zhengzhou Institute for Advanced Research, Henan Polytechnic University, Zhengzhou 451464, China
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i3.12924Abstract
Nature-based water treatment systems are becoming a promising substitute to conventional wastewater treatment technologies because of their potential to advance water quality while providing larger environmental and socio-economic benefits. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of global performance metrics, progress, and sustainability aids linked with these systems. The study tracks a structured narrative review approach, drawing on peer-reviewed literature from the main scientific databases published primarily over the past decade. Articles were chosen based on their relevance to system typology, treatment performance, implementation context, and sustainability assessment. The review evaluates a wide range of systems, including constructed wetlands, biofiltration and bioretention systems, riparian buffers, floodplain restoration interventions, floating treatment wetlands, and hybrid nature-engineered solutions. In different climatic and socio-economic conditions, these systems establish substantial pollutant removal capability, generally obtaining organic matter and suspended solids removal efficiencies above 70–90%, nutrient reductions normally ranging from 40–80%, and variable pathogen attenuation depending on hydraulic and environmental conditions. Performance, however, is strongly influenced by design configuration, hydraulic loading, substrate properties, vegetation composition, and climatic variability. Beyond treatment effectiveness, the synthesis highlights the multifunctional sustainability outcomes of nature-based systems, including reduced energy and chemical inputs, enhanced biodiversity, climate resilience, and improved social and landscape values. By combining global execution trends with relative sustainability perspectives, this review provides new insights into the scalability, long-term performance, and ecosystem-service integration of nature-based water treatment systems within future resilient water management strategies.
Keywords:
Nature-Based Water Treatment; Constructed Wetlands; Water Quality Performance; Sustainability Outcomes; Ecosystem ServicesReferences
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Wang, H. (2026). Nature-Based Water Treatment Systems: Global Progress, Performance Metrics, and Sustainability Outcomes. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(3), 51–70. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i3.12924
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