Call for papers - Nature-based solutions in waste-water management

Guest Editors

Sartaj Ahmad Bhat, PhD, River Basin Research Center, Gifu University, Japan
Prithvi Simha, PhD, Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 2 September 2024

BMC Environmental Science is calling for submissions to our Collection on Nature-based solutions in waste-water management.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) in waste-water treatment can provide sustainable alternatives to conventional methods. While some of these solutions have been around for centuries, recent innovations have enhanced the efficiency, scalability, and effectiveness of using natural processes and ecosystems for waste-water treatment. For example, vertical flow constructed wetlands have minimized the footprint required for treatment, while natural-based filtration media such as coconut coir, biochar, and modified soils have helped enhance pollutant removal. Additionally, incorporating sensors, real-time data analysis, and automation into nature-based treatment systems has allowed for better optimization and management of the treatment process. These advancements signify a promising future for nature-based solutions in waste-water management, promoting ecological resilience, nutrient recycling, and sustainable water use.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation and, SDG 13: Climate Action.

Submit to Collection

Meet the Guest Editors

Back to top

Sartaj Ahmad Bhat, PhD, River Basin Research Center, Gifu University, Japan

Dr Bhat is working as a JSPS Postdoctoral Researcher in the River Basin Research Center at Gifu University, Japan. He received his PhD in Environmental Sciences from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India in 2017. His primary research focuses on the development and evaluation of treatment technologies for organic waste and waste-water from domestic and industrial outlets as well as organic waste recycling, with a focus on the biological and sustainable treatment by earthworms. He has published more than 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals and edited over 14 books published by Elsevier Science, CRC Press, IWA, RSC, and Springer Nature. Dr Bhat is serving as an Associate/Academic Editor and Editorial Board Member/ Advisory Board Member of more than 15 journals published by Frontiers, Springer, Elsevier, PLOS, Wiley, and De Gruyter. Dr Bhat is a recipient of several prestigious awards such as the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue research at River Basin Research Center, Gifu University, Japan, the Basic Scientific Research Fellowship (BSR JRF, SRF) by the University Grants Commission (UGC) India, the DST-SERB National Postdoctoral Fellowship at CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur, India, and Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship by the Govt. of India. He has also received the 2020 Outstanding Reviewer Award from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, MDPI, and Top Peer Reviewer 2019 Award in Environment and Ecology by Web of Science and has more than 750 Verified Reviews and 70 Editor Records to his credit.

Prithvi Simha, PhD, Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Dr Prithvi Simha is a Researcher in Environmental Engineering at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and CTO of the university spin-off company Sanitation360 AB. He holds a PhD in Technology and an MSc in Environmental Sciences, Policy, & Management, with a background in chemical process engineering. Dr Simha is a contributing author to the flagship report of the United Nations Environment Program and Global Waste-water Initiative, titled ‘Wastewater – Turning Problem to Solution’, and is a member of the management committee for the Specialist Group on Resource-Oriented Sanitation of the International Water Association. His research focuses on developing technologies to safely recover and recycle resources from various types of waste-water. He is currently leading several projects researching techniques to valorize source-separated human urine as a concentrated crop fertilizer.

About the Collection

BMC Environmental Science is calling for submissions to our Collection on Nature-based solutions in waste-water management. This Collection aims to explore the applications, advancements, challenges, and mechanics of nature-based solutions in waste-water management.

Waste-water management represents a critical global challenge affecting many different aspects of human and environmental health. According to the latest estimates made by the United Nations, 44% of household waste-water generated globally is still being discarded without any treatment at all. Treating waste-water in centralized waste-water treatment plants with conventional technologies has limitations, as it can be energy-intensive and contribute to emissions of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. Climate change-induced altered precipitation patterns and rising temperatures can also overwhelm the biological treatment of waste-water in centralized treatment plants by affecting the efficiency of microbial activity.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) in waste-water treatment can provide sustainable alternatives to conventional methods. While some of these solutions have been around for centuries, recent innovations have enhanced the efficiency, scalability, and effectiveness of using natural processes and ecosystems for waste-water treatment. For example, vertical flow constructed wetlands have minimized the footprint required for treatment, while natural-based filtration media such as coconut coir, biochar, and modified soils have helped enhance pollutant removal. Additionally, incorporating sensors, real-time data analysis, and automation into nature-based treatment systems has allowed for better optimization and management of the treatment process. These advancements signify a promising future for nature-based solutions in waste-water management, promoting ecological resilience, nutrient recycling, and sustainable water use.

We invite researchers and experts from environmental science, ecology, water resource management, and urban planning, to contribute their work related to NBS for waste-water management, including but not limited to:

Innovations in the use of plants and microorganisms for waste-water treatment
Technological advancements in emerging NBS technologies
Design, implementation, and performance of NBS in waste-water treatment
Role of NBS in waste-water management for urban and rural areas
Impact on social-ecological systems of treating waste-water with NBS
NBS and decentralized sanitation systems
Waste-water source separation and NBS for waste-water treatment
Frameworks and business models to support NBS adoption
Planning and decision-making related to the implementation of NBS

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation and, SDG 13: Climate Action.

Image credit: Werner / stock.adobe.com

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

Back to top

This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Nature-based solutions in waste-water management" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.