Evaluating Urban Runoff in a Catchment of Güzelyurt: A Comparative Analysis of Traditional and LID Approaches

Global warming and climate change have become pressing environmental challenges, primarily caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. These activities release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, disrupting the natural balance of radiation and leading to rising global temperatures. The consequences of global warming include more frequent and severe heatwaves, changes in precipitation patterns, and increased risks of urban flooding. This research focuses on sustainable stormwater management as a strategy to mitigate urban flooding and adapt to climate change. The study area is the city of Güzelyurt in Northern Cyprus, characterized by a flat topography and limited stormwater infrastructure. The existing stormwater network is insufficient and prone to failures during rainfall events. The research compares the effectiveness and efficiency of two approaches: a traditional approach that involves resizing conduits, and a sustainable approach that implements Low-Impact Development (LID) strategies. LID strategies aim to mimic natural hydrological processes and include measures such as green infrastructure, permeable pavements, rainwater harvesting systems, and vegetative swales. By implementing these strategies, stormwater runoff can be controlled, mitigating the risk of flooding, improving water quality, promoting groundwater recharge, and reducing the demand for freshwater resources. The study utilizes the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) software to design the existing stormwater management network and simulate different scenarios. Through the evaluation of performance and analysis of results, the research results demonstrate that the implementation of LID strategies effectively doubled the existing rainfall handling capacity of the stormwater drainage system from 20 mm/h to 40 mm/h.