Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Wetland and waterways mitigation plays a critical role in compensating for unavoidable ecological impacts associated with infrastructure development and land-use change. Although research in this field has expanded considerably over the past three decades, its thematic evolution, intellectual structure, and collaborative landscape have not been comprehensively synthesized. This study presents a bibliometric review of wetland and waterway mitigation research published between 1996 and 2026. A total of 437 publications, retrieved from Web of Science core collection and Scopus following a PRISMA-guided screening process, were analyzed using SciMAT and VOSviewer. SciMAT was applied to examine thematic evolution across four periods (1996–2002, 2003–2010, 2011–2018, and 2019–2026), while VOSviewer was used to analyze author collaboration, country collaboration, and author citation networks. The results reveal sustained growth in scientific output and a thematic shift from foundational wetland mitigation and ecological compensation toward restoration effectiveness, environmental impact assessment, and ecosystem-based management. The United States emerged as the leading contributor to international collaboration, supported by relatively small group of influential authors. The review also identifies key research gaps, including long-term restoration evaluation, standardized assessment frameworks, geographical disparities in research, and the integration of advanced geospatial and decision-support technologies. These findings provide valuable insights into future research, environmental policy, and the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.</p>