The Sustainable Development Path of Ecological Treatment Technology for Rural Sewage: A Bibliometric Perspective

Due to the promotion of sustainable development goals and rapid economic development, the problem of rural sewage treatment is becoming increasingly severe. In order to understand the research hotspots, progress, and trends of ecological treatment technology for rural sewage at home and abroad, this article analyzes relevant literature published between 2000 and 2023 based on the core collection databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) using VOSviewer and CiteSpace visualization software. The research results indicate a continuous increase in attention to ecological treatment technologies for rural sewage, both domestically and internationally. Although China started relatively late in this field, it has developed rapidly. “China Water & Wastewater” has had a significant impact in related fields domestically, and a top-tier journal has not yet been founded by China internationally. The collaboration between research authors and institutions is evident, with CNKI focusing on exploring specific governance technologies, while WOS pays more attention to the overall governance framework and critical technologies. The research hotspots of ecological treatment technology for future village and town sewage include specific treatment technologies, treatment efficiency, overall treatment strategies, and environmental impact assessments. At the same time, cross-regional and cross-border cooperation should be strengthened, interdisciplinary collaboration should be promoted, open cooperation platforms should be established, diversified publishing channels should be supported, and research on microbial communities and non-point source pollution should be deepened.