Advances in Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Stormwater Management

Abstract

Sustainable stormwater management has emerged as a cornerstone of resilient urban environmental engineering amid escalating pressures from climate change, rapid urbanization, and deteriorating water quality in receiving water bodies. This comprehensive review examines advances in environmental engineering approaches, technologies, and governance frameworks for sustainable stormwater management published between 2015 and 2025. We systematically assess innovations across four thematic pillars: (i) nature-based solutions and Low Impact Development (LID) technologies; (ii) integrated water sensitive urban design (WSUD); (iii) real-time monitoring and adaptive control systems; and (iv) policy, governance, and cross-cultural implementation strategies. Evidence drawn from over 130 peer-reviewed studies, policy documents, and engineering case studies across six continents demonstrates that contemporary sustainable stormwater practices can reduce surface runoff volumes by up to 90%, remove 85% of suspended solids, attenuate flood peaks by 25–40%, and recover up to 30% of potable water demand through stormwater harvesting. We introduce the Sustainable Stormwater Engineering Framework (SSEF), a globally adaptive decision-support structure that aligns technical performance benchmarks with socioeconomic realities, regulatory contexts, and community values across diverse cultural settings. The paper concludes by identifying critical research frontiers including circular economy integration, ecosystem services valuation, and cross-cultural knowledge transfer mechanisms necessary to mainstream sustainable stormwater engineering globally by 2035.