Comprehensive performance evaluation of stormwater management measures for sponge city construction: A case study in Gui'an New District, China

Climate change and rapid urbanization have increased pressure on drainage systems, posing new challenges to preventing and controlling urban waterlogging. In 2013, China proposed the Sponge City, a strategic measure for urban waterlogging control. This study quantifies the effects of stormwater management measures in runoff reduction for different levels of rainfall and conducts a one-dimensional visual analysis of urban waterlogging risks. At the same time, the best cost-effective scheme is determined based on life-cycle cost, analytic hierarchy process, and regret decision theory. The results showed stormwater management measures could realize the function of runoff control and waterlogging prevention, especially under low precipitation. However, these measures were still not enough to eliminate waterlogging risk. Combined measures have stronger runoff control capabilities than single measures. Considering economic, environmental, and operational impacts comprehensively, the combined measures of bio-retention (BR), permeable pavement (PP), and green roof (GR) were determined as the best cost-effective scheme because of the lowest regret value. The proposed method is helpful to provide reference and decision-making basis for the construction of sponge cities in the future.