Why Social-Ecological-Technological Systematic Perspective Can Enhance Urban Flood Resilience? A Literature Review

Urban flood has emerged as a global problem due to rapid urbanization and climate change, resulting in significant economic losses. To address this issue, urban flood resilience (UFR) has been introduced as a concept to guide flood management strategies and reduce flood risks. However, most research in this field focuses on individual aspects of social, ecological, or technological components, overlooking the interrelationships among these components. This paper explores whether social-ecological-technological systematic (SETS) perspective can enhance UFR. Firstly, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to highlight the importance of linking social, ecological, and technological components in UFR research. The analysis revealed that the SETS perspective is closely connected to key terms such as governance, ecosystem, and green infrastructure, underscoring its relevance in UFR studies. Secondly, an analysis of the social, ecological, and technological components in urban flood resilience assessment was performed. The study found that these components are directly or indirectly associated with UFR indicators, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive SETS approach to evaluate and enhance flood resilience. Lastly, three case studies on flood risk management were examined to provide evidence of the effectiveness of SETS in enhancing UFR. These case studies demonstrated how the SETS perspective can contribute to conceptual and theoretical innovation in the field of urban flood resilience by capturing the evolving nature of SETS elements, assessing flood vulnerability, and integrating SETS with smart city plans. Overall, this paper highlights the importance of adopting a social-ecological-technological systematic perspective to enhance urban flood resilience. The findings suggest that considering cities and urban regions as dynamic SETS, and understanding the interactions among social, ecological, and technological components, can lead to more effective flood management strategies and ultimately reduce the damage caused by urban flooding.