Establishing an assessment system for constructed wetlands

This study explores wetland construction and operation status in Taiwan and develops indicators for a constructed wetland assessment system. The purpose of the integral assessment system is to assist constructed wetlands in moving forward to sustainable development. The system is divided into five components and 13 indicators including planning, design, construction, maintenance and monitoring, as well as project benefits. This study reviewed and integrated fourteen domestic project proposals for constructed wetland developments in Taiwan. Based on the results shown, experts then evaluated the importance of these features for constructed wetlands. The components of “planning” and “design”, along with the indicator “monitoring”, were found to be crucial for constructed wetlands. Expert questionnaire results are consistent with the results of the 14 case studies. Results also reveal that “construction” and “project benefit” are important for constructed wetland projects.