Methodology for Allocation of Best Management Practices Integrated with the Urban Landscape

Best management practices (BMP) seek to mimic the pre-development hydrological behavior by increasing infiltration and reducing runoff. However, its use worldwide is still scarce. This work presented a methodology for prioritizing areas for the allocation of BMP to counteract the negative effects of urbanization. It was proposed the allocation of bioretention cells, rain gardens, permeable pavement, green roof, and native vegetation landscaping. The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to assess the efficiency of the practices used. The methodology for prioritizing areas identified places that most need intervention. This study showed that 93.7% of the studied catchment had a high and medium susceptibility to runoff generation. The methodology suggested that 54.2% of the catchment received some kind of BMP. The native vegetation landscaping was the most recommended practice. Despite the use of the BMP, some flooding points remained in the catchment, however, they decreased from 42 to 28. The runoff’s depth reduced from 85 to 23 mm while the infiltration increased from 12 to 38 mm. The methodology favored the upper areas of the catchment. It can be concluded that the allocation of the proposed practices showed good applicability. This work also allows local managers to take measures aiming the sustainability and water security and serves as a basis for future work and applications in other urban catchments.