D2.2. Final report on Data Harmonization

This deliverable (D2.2) is the final deliverable of Task2.1, which focuses on three main objectives: assessing harmonization needs within the consortium, exploring solutions to challenges, and evaluating the urban drainage community's broader needs. In agreement with the Water4All Partnership, which is analysing needs for data harmonization in the Water sector – we adjusted our strategic goals for this reporting period to three strategic areas: i) develop data harmonization concepts and standards, work on ii) implementations to facilitate the practical application of the concepts and, iii) establishing promoting best practices for data sharing and re-use in the Urban Drainage System (UDS) community.

In the first reporting period, a core consortium was established to guide harmonisation efforts. The group met monthly to evaluate progress, ensure alignment, and maintain momentum toward achieving the work package goals. The consortium identified Zenodo as the primary platform for data sharing, based on its open-access nature, automatic DOI assignment, support for a variety of content types, and long-term data preservation capabilities. Additionally, a simplified Data Management Plan (DMP) template was developed, incorporating feedback from researchers and addressing issues such as licensing to ensure improved data accessibility.

The second reporting period focused on advancing three key areas of WP2:

• Development of data harmonisation concepts and standards: A thorough review of existing Urban Drainage Systems (UDS) glossaries, vocabularies, and established standards/ontologies (e.g., INSPIRE, OGC, ISO, SSN/SOSA, GEMET, and EnvThes) was conducted. This review provided the foundation for developing a controlled vocabulary tailored for Co-UDlabs, which will serve as the basis for a new ontology designed to meet the urban drainage community's specific needs.
• Implementation of corresponding tools: To facilitate data sharing and reproducible workflows, the project adopted platforms such as Zenodo, OpenAIRE, and Renku. Furthermore, the integration of OGC standards, such as the SensorThings API, enabled real-time data sharing of WOLL-type data, enhancing the exchange of up-to-date information across the consortium.
• Promotion of best practices for FAIR data and reproducible research: The WP2 team actively engaged in knowledge exchange and dissemination. Notable efforts included presenting findings at the International Conference on Urban Drainage (ICUD) 2024, organizing a collaborative exchange at the University of La Coruña, and contributing educational materials to the European Junior Scientist Workshop 2024 to foster a collaborative environment for data sharing and harmonisation in the urban drainage community.

WP2’s outcomes significantly contribute to the Co-UDlabs project by promoting collaboration and transparency between research infrastructures and the urban drainage community. It has established a robust research infrastructure supporting the European Open Science Cloud, enabling open science and seamless data sharing, which are crucial for advancing urban drainage research. These efforts align with EU policies on open science, data spaces, and sustainable urban development.