Appropriate drainage systems for a changing climate

Sustainable drainage systems are increasingly seen as a better way of draining urban areas, being 'more natural', less resource intensive and offering water quantity and quality control with amenity benefits. Sustainable drainage systems 'greening' can also reduce heat island effects. However, little attention has been given to assessing the real value and sustainability of the approach and uncertainties remain over performance and robustness, as well as ownership and maintenance. Received wisdom suggests that sustainable drainage systems have potential to help cope with climate change, while offering wider sustainability benefits over traditional piped drainage. The inherent adaptability of sustainable drainage systems allows them to be implemented incrementally as climate change knowledge advances. This paper provides evidence from a range of initiatives to show how sustainable drainage systems can contribute to a portfolio approach to tackling the problems of climate change. The need for political intervention and enhanced stakeholder engagement to support this type of approach is highlighted.