Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practice
Study region: Canadian urban regions. Study focus: This paper examines nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban flood mitigation, assessing various practices such as bioretention cells, green roofs, permeable pavements, and rainwater harvesting in the context of Canadian cities. New hydrological insig...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182500285X |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849422092562333696 |
|---|---|
| author | Ali Zoghi Émilie Bilodeau Muhammad Naveed Khaliq Yeowon Kim Jean-Luc Martel Jennifer Drake |
| author_facet | Ali Zoghi Émilie Bilodeau Muhammad Naveed Khaliq Yeowon Kim Jean-Luc Martel Jennifer Drake |
| author_sort | Ali Zoghi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Study region: Canadian urban regions. Study focus: This paper examines nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban flood mitigation, assessing various practices such as bioretention cells, green roofs, permeable pavements, and rainwater harvesting in the context of Canadian cities. New hydrological insights for the region: The findings reveal that NBS are increasingly recognized as effective tools for managing urban stormwater and improving flood resilience. However, there is a significant gap between research and practice, with many municipalities still in the pilot project phase. Challenges include lack of region-specific design guidelines, especially for cold climates, and insufficient long-term performance and monitoring data. The paper highlights the need for more studies on assessing NBS effectiveness in northern regions, which remain under-researched. Additionally, the integration of NBS with traditional grey infrastructure is critical to maximizing flood mitigation benefits. The review also identifies the importance of developing cost-effective strategies and improved modeling tools to support the broader implementation of NBS. Future research should focus on evaluating NBS combinations, understanding their adaptive capacity in a warming climate, and addressing data gaps to bridge the divide between academic findings and practical applications of NBS. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6023f8167f0540d0a0dbce8745128d95 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2214-5818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-6023f8167f0540d0a0dbce8745128d952025-08-20T03:31:15ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-08-016010246010.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102460Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practiceAli Zoghi0Émilie Bilodeau1Muhammad Naveed Khaliq2Yeowon Kim3Jean-Luc Martel4Jennifer Drake5Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, CanadaHydrology, Climate, and Climate Change Laboratory, École de technologie supérieure, 1100 Notre-Dame Street West, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaOcean, Coastal, and River Engineering Research Center, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, CanadaGraduate School of Energy and Environment, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, South KoreaHydrology, Climate, and Climate Change Laboratory, École de technologie supérieure, 1100 Notre-Dame Street West, Montreal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada; Corresponding author.Study region: Canadian urban regions. Study focus: This paper examines nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban flood mitigation, assessing various practices such as bioretention cells, green roofs, permeable pavements, and rainwater harvesting in the context of Canadian cities. New hydrological insights for the region: The findings reveal that NBS are increasingly recognized as effective tools for managing urban stormwater and improving flood resilience. However, there is a significant gap between research and practice, with many municipalities still in the pilot project phase. Challenges include lack of region-specific design guidelines, especially for cold climates, and insufficient long-term performance and monitoring data. The paper highlights the need for more studies on assessing NBS effectiveness in northern regions, which remain under-researched. Additionally, the integration of NBS with traditional grey infrastructure is critical to maximizing flood mitigation benefits. The review also identifies the importance of developing cost-effective strategies and improved modeling tools to support the broader implementation of NBS. Future research should focus on evaluating NBS combinations, understanding their adaptive capacity in a warming climate, and addressing data gaps to bridge the divide between academic findings and practical applications of NBS.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182500285XBlue-green infrastructureFlood-resilienceNature-based solutionsUrban floodingUrban land use planning |
| spellingShingle | Ali Zoghi Émilie Bilodeau Muhammad Naveed Khaliq Yeowon Kim Jean-Luc Martel Jennifer Drake Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practice Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies Blue-green infrastructure Flood-resilience Nature-based solutions Urban flooding Urban land use planning |
| title | Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practice |
| title_full | Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practice |
| title_fullStr | Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practice |
| title_short | Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation in Canadian urban centers: A review of the state of research and practice |
| title_sort | nature based solutions for flood mitigation in canadian urban centers a review of the state of research and practice |
| topic | Blue-green infrastructure Flood-resilience Nature-based solutions Urban flooding Urban land use planning |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182500285X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alizoghi naturebasedsolutionsforfloodmitigationincanadianurbancentersareviewofthestateofresearchandpractice AT emiliebilodeau naturebasedsolutionsforfloodmitigationincanadianurbancentersareviewofthestateofresearchandpractice AT muhammadnaveedkhaliq naturebasedsolutionsforfloodmitigationincanadianurbancentersareviewofthestateofresearchandpractice AT yeowonkim naturebasedsolutionsforfloodmitigationincanadianurbancentersareviewofthestateofresearchandpractice AT jeanlucmartel naturebasedsolutionsforfloodmitigationincanadianurbancentersareviewofthestateofresearchandpractice AT jenniferdrake naturebasedsolutionsforfloodmitigationincanadianurbancentersareviewofthestateofresearchandpractice |