Effective Storm Water Management in The Urban Area – A Case Study

Abstract

Urbanization and climate change have negative effects on the changes of natural precipitation and runoff regime, which results with more frequent floods and landslides. Besides of the increased quantity of the stormwater that drainage channels have to collect, neg- ative consequences of urbanization are also evident through increased pollution of runoff stormwater. Stormwater has immense impacts on urban flooding and water quality, leaving the marginalized and the impoverished disproportionately impacted by and vulnerable to stormwater hazards. However, the environmental health concerns of socially and econom- ically marginalized individuals are largely underestimated. Therefore stormwater manage- ment should be adapted to these changes so that the negative effects of new hydrological conditions of precipitation and runoff and stormwater pollution in the urban areas are mitigated. By 2050 the world population will grow to about 9 billion contributing to deep changes in urban areas structure. This would increase the effect of water deficiency and along with projected climate changes the impact of urban flooding, urban heat islands or drought. Stormwater threats can be mitigated with the application of stormwater management meth- ods named differently such as ‘Sustainable (Urban) Drainage Systems’ (SUDS), ‘Low Impact Development’ (LID) or ‘Best Management Practices’ (BMPs). This method includes differ- ent techniques such as Green roof, Rain barrels and cisterns, Infiltration basin, Detention Ponds, Retention Ponds, Green walls, Porous pavements, Bioretention basins, Bioswales. The aim of the research includes a study of the effectiveness of urban stormwater manage- ment techniques for the case study area. The concept of urban stormwater management techniques refers to the ability to provide and manage this primary resource in quantitative and qualitative terms in order to satisfy the future needs of population. The storm wa- ter management techniques provides several benefits: mitigation of the urban heat island effects, reduction of air pollution, additionally, It induces important hydraulic advantages acting as an effective tool for reducing flood risk in urban area with runoff reduction, attenuation and delay of the peak flow. The results confirm that bioretention basin, Permeable pavement, Grassed swale, Infiltration basin are effective techniques for the reduction of total runoff volume of rainwater falling on their area.