The developed expert system is the proof of concept that stormwater control measures can be monitored with limited resources, in real-time, providing effective solutions for the long-term performance and maintenance of such systems. The fellow has brought the topic of stormwater control measure (or nature-based stormwater solution) asset management in the major international conference and believe to have contribute to the emerging awareness regarding this issue. The scientific impact of the project corresponds to new research leads on nature-based stormwater solutions asset management: mainly monitoring, understanding and, when sufficient data will be available, elaboration of deterioration models, and assessment of the impact of operation and maintenance strategies. These research aims at providing professional services for the global market.
Regarding the societal impact, according to the stakeholders involved in the project, the online access to real-time data is a key strategy to bring awareness and involvement toward inhabitants. This is the first steps to raise citizens and communities’ awareness and involvement in water management, and thus help them to become hydrocitizens. Moreover, enabling the long-term performance of such assets is fully align with the European Green Deal because these nature-based solutions are vital elements of the cities of the future: providing ecosystemic services while contributing both to climate mitigation and adaptation. The research carried out opens up new perspectives in monitoring the deterioration of stormwater control measures and elaborating appropriate strategies to cope with it, leading to cost reduction in a context of strong economical constraints, and improving the water resilience of cities. Overcoming asset management limitations will ensure the long-term viability of the green deal policy and provide a market for green jobs creation.
The Mind4Stormwater project medium-term (5 to 10 years) economic impact is important: not only nature-based solution asset management is a whole new market for water consultants, but indispensable monitoring of assets requires innovative monitoring to develop and commercialise. Increased networking activities toward the operational sector in the last year of the project, targeting cities, utilities, and SMEs, aimed to (i) demonstrate the benefits of low-cost monitoring systems to encourage innovation from the SMEs, and (ii) to support champion cities willing to follow this path, in the definition of the specifications of monitoring systems. Market development requires not only new products, but it also requires customers (cities and utilities). To date, the offer and the demand still do not match because IoT companies which are developing the products have a limited knowledge on water management, and cities haven’t yet really encompassed the potential of such systems. Work will continue after the end of the project in this direction.
