From Principles to Design: Sustainable Urban Drainage with Decentralized and Nature-Based Solutions in Developing Economies

As extreme weather events become more frequent, urban drainage systems face unprecedented challenges. Traditional centralized drainage systems are increasingly unable to meet the sustainable development needs of modern cities, particularly in dealing with heavy rainfall, urban flooding, and pollution control, especially in developing countries. This chapter focuses on the design of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) for stormwater and sewage management in developing country megacities. It explores their key role in enhancing urban climate resilience. By introducing green infrastructure, ecological infiltration facilities, and low-impact development (LID) technologies, a multilayered, adaptable, and resilient urban drainage network is constructed. Additionally, this chapter combines practical case studies with data to analyze the effectiveness of various drainage designs for flood mitigation, water quality improvement, and greenhouse gas reduction. The research findings indicate that integrating decentralized drainage concepts with sewage management can significantly enhance urban resistance to climate change and provide innovative pathways for future urban infrastructure design. This study offers theoretical support and practical reference for building climate-resilient cities and low-carbon drainage systems.