Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in Urban Drainage Planning: A Mini Review
https://doi.org/10.62157/ijsdfs.v3i1.108
Keywords:
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), Urban Drainage Planning, Stormwater Management, Green Infrastructure, Urban Flood MitigationAbstract
Rapid urbanization and climate change have significantly increased the frequency and intensity of urban flooding, highlighting the limitations of conventional drainage systems that rely on rapid stormwater conveyance. These systems often fail to address broader hydrological and environmental impacts, necessitating more sustainable and integrated approaches. This study aims to review the role of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in urban drainage planning and to synthesize current knowledge on their effectiveness, implementation, and emerging trends. A mini-review methodology was employed, involving a structured analysis of peer-reviewed literature published between 2014 and 2024. The findings indicate that SuDS, including green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, effectively reduce runoff, improve water quality, and enhance urban resilience by restoring natural hydrological processes. Additionally, the integration of hybrid green–grey infrastructure systems has gained increasing attention as a practical and adaptive strategy for urban stormwater management. However, the implementation of SuDS remains constrained by institutional, technical, and planning-related barriers. This review concludes that SuDS plays a critical role in advancing sustainable urban water management, and its successful integration requires supportive policies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and comprehensive urban planning frameworks.
References
Alves, A., Gersonius, B., Sanchez, A., Vojinovic, Z., & Kapelan, Z. (2018). Multi-criteria approach for selection of green and grey infrastructure to reduce flood risk and increase co-benefits. Water Resources Management, 32(7), 2505–2522. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-018-1943-3
Dhakal, K. P., & Chevalier, L. R. (2017). Managing urban stormwater for urban sustainability: Barriers and policy solutions for green infrastructure application. Journal of Environmental Management, 203, 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.07.065
Eckart, K., McPhee, Z., & Bolisetti, T. (2017). Performance and implementation of low impact development: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 607–608, 413–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.254
Fletcher, T. D., Andrieu, H., & Hamel, P. (2013). Understanding, management and modelling of urban hydrology and its consequences for receiving waters: A state of the art. Advances in Water Resources, 51, 261–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2012.09.001
Fletcher, T. D., Shuster, W., Hunt, W. F., Ashley, R., Butler, D., Arthur, S., Trowsdale, S., Barraud, S., Semadeni-Davies, A., Bertrand-Krajewski, J. L., Mikkelsen, P. S., Rivard, G., Uhl, M., Dagenais, D., & Viklander, M. (2015). SUDS, LID, BMPs, WSUD and more—The evolution and application of terminology surrounding urban drainage. Urban Water Journal, 12(7), 525–542. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2014.916314
Meerow, S., Newell, J. P., & Stults, M. (2016). Defining urban resilience: A review. Landscape and Urban Planning, 147, 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.11.011
Musa, M. A., & Idrus, S. (2020). Effect of hydraulic retention time on the treatment of real cattle slaughterhouse wastewater and biogas production from HUASB reactor. Water, 12(2), 490. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12020490
Oral, H. V., Carvalho, P., Gajewska, M., Ursino, N., Masi, F., van Hullebusch, E. D., et al. (2020). A review of nature-based solutions for urban water management in European circular cities: A critical assessment based on case studies and literature. Blue-Green Systems, 2(1), 112–136. https://doi.org/10.2166/bgs.2020.932
Wang, M., Jiang, Z., Ikram, R. M. A., Sun, C., Zhang, M., & Li, J. (2023). Global paradigm shifts in urban stormwater management optimization: A bibliometric analysis. Water, 15(23), 4122. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15234122
Zhou, Q. (2014). A review of sustainable urban drainage systems considering the climate change and urbanization impacts. Water, 6(4), 976–992. https://doi.org/10.3390/w6040976
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Authors

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
