Climate Change Adaptation of Laksam Municipality: A Planning Framework for Sustainable Urban Stormwater Management (SUSM)

Abstract

Laksam Municipality in Bangladesh, a floodplain area, is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including seasonal floods due to excessive rainfall and rising water levels. A Sustainable Urban Stormwater Management (SUSM) planning framework is crucial for climate change adaptation in municipalities, focusing on environmental and social benefits alongside traditional drainage concerns, ensuring inclusive urban stormwater management. The study aims to create a comprehensive, practical framework for sustainable stormwater solutions in the municipality to mitigate climate change risks and improve urban resilience. The author used a three-step process to write this paper: identifying the watershed characteristics and assessing the existing storm drainage system, rainfall patterns analysis, and drainage priority setting based on multiple factors for the city’s drainage network and flood-prone area management. Factors like physical feature surveys, GIS data, land use and structural density, drainage basins and sub-basins, drainage outfalls, potential flood-prone areas, and stakeholder consultation are considered for community participation. However, the implementation of sustainable stormwater management approach in third-world urban context is challenging due to socio-cultural dynamics and slow development. Understanding the capabilities, trade-offs, and synergies of the existing storm drainage system is essential to overcoming these challenges. Non-regulatory interventions like education and participatory planning can help raise awareness about SUSM’s benefits. The research concludes by emphasizing the necessity of implementing a thorough approach to the SUSM framework in order to improve water quality, build a sustainable urban environment, and increase Laksam Municipality’s resistance to floods.