Sustainable Management of Urban Stormwater at Sub-watershed Level

Urbanization directly impacts water quantity and quality owing to construction of urban infrastructure and changes in landscape and runoff conveyance networks. Urbanization transforms natural areas such as forests and grasslands to impervious surfaces including roads, roofs and parking lots. The increased percentage of impervious surfaces leads to an increase in runoff volume, whilst a variety of anthropogenic activities produce a range of pollutants such as nutrients, solids and organic matter, which accumulate on catchment surfaces. As a result, both hydrologic and water quality characteristics are significantly affected. Urban Stormwater Management may have to focus on localized collection, treatment, reuse and groundwater recharging (rather than on collection and conveyance of the stormwater beyond the urban limits/boundaries), but without causing urban floods and pollution of urban groundwater resources. Consequently a holistic approach is needed with the focus on much needed strategy of stormwater collection, treatment, reuse and groundwater recharging within the urban limits in a decentralized manner.

Autorentext

Dr. A.S. Arora promovierte in Umweltwissenschaften und -technik mit Spezialisierung auf städtisches Regenwassermanagement an der Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab, INDIEN. Dr. Arora arbeitet derzeit als Rektor der naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Marwadi University, Rajkot, Indien.