The frequency and magnitude of torrential rainfall events have increased in recent years due to climate change. Together with soil sealing in urban environments, this has increased surface runoff, which in many cases cannot be adequately handled by conventional drainage systems, causing flooding problems. In this scenario, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) have emerged as an alternative solution that can mitigate climate change impacts, reduce flood risk, improve quality of life and provide ecosystem services. However, despite these benefits, their application remains limited to specific areas, mainly for economic and social aspects, which are not usually considered in SUDS planning and development. This paper provides a review which addresses how the social and economic dimensions of SUDS have been studied. It also identifies the benefits, challenges and research gaps. Socio-economic aspects are clearly a constraint to SUDS implementation and maintenance. However, there is a clear lack of socio-economic research on SUDS: only 38 research articles were found, mainly concentrated in developed countries. The most frequently discussed methodologies were cost-benefit analysis, the Benefits of SUDS Tool, contingent valuation, surveys and participatory mapping approaches. The main reported benefits included biodiversity enhancement, amenity value, water quality improvement, health and well-being, and education. The main barriers relate to maintenance costs, stakeholder involvement, lack of public awareness, unclear responsibilities and governance limitations. The findings highlight the need to integrate socio-economic assessment into SUDS planning, strengthen public awareness and stakeholder participation, and expand research to developing regions across different urban and geographical contexts.
Bernal-Basurco et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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