Integrating Engineered and Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Stormwater Management

Urban areas increasingly face the challenge of effectively managing water resources to minimize both flooding and freshwater scarcity. Hydrometeorological consequences of climate change exacerbate the effects of surface sealing and increased runoff in urban areas, the overexploitation of available water resources, water pollution, and aging infrastructures. These issues highlight the need for new robust and reliable techniques to manage flooding and improve the quality of surface runoff. The effective integration of robust engineering and design standards, novel material technologies, and innovative blue-green infrastructure solutions can serve to reconnect the urban hydrologic cycle, enhancing the resilience of urban areas to climate change. Engineered blue-green-gray systems that combine urban waterways with functional vegetation, geo- or bio-based filter materials, and related technologies can create holistic systems for sustainable management of urban stormwater quantity and quality.