Performance Evaluation of Urban Storm-Water Drainage System Under Extreme Rainfall: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56830/IJSIE202604Keywords:
Urban storm-water drainage systems, extreme rainfall, climate change adaptation, green infrastructure, artificial intelligenceAbstract
Urban storm-water drainage systems (USDS) face new challenges associated with the intensification of rainfall extremes because of climate change and urbanization. This systematic review evaluates the efficiency of traditional and innovative storm-water management systems under conditions of rainfall extremes based on the evidence from 25 peer-reviewed studies and case studies published from 2000 to 2026. The methodology used in this review is aligned with the PRISMA guidelines and involves systematic literature searches in the following databases: ScienceDirect, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and specialized databases. Major findings include the inefficiency of conventional grey infrastructure built under stationary climate assumptions because of the forecasted rainfall intensification by 20-80%, which outmatches the design capabilities. Green infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, permeable pavements, sustainable urban drainage systems) demonstrates strong performance with regard to runoff reduction (15-50%) and peak flow reduction, however, it faces scalability and maintenance problems. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and green infrastructure is identified as a revolutionary approach, allowing for real-time adaptive management and predictive optimization. Comparing conventional and hybrid drainage systems allows identifying that hybrid systems provide 18% of cost reduction and 50% lower detention volume. The case studies (examples of implementation of hybrid drainage systems) from Malmö, New York City, Ann Arbor, and Changsha are discussed in details. Nevertheless, there is still a considerable gap in the literature concerning standard performance evaluation metrics, long-term maintenance guidelines, and the integration of the non-stationary climate into the design criteria. This review provides recommendations for urban planners and researchers to improve the performance of storm-water systems in the changing climate conditions.
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