Integrated green-grey-blue system: a bibliometric analysis-based review

The Integrated Green-Grey-Blue System (IGGBS) represents an advanced strategy for sustainable stormwater management, critically enhancing water resource efficiency and urban resilience. This study utilizes the Web of Science Core Database, R language’s Bibliometrix tool, and CiteSpace software to comprehensively review the research developments in IGGBS. The objective is to integrate international experiences and address current challenges and future directions. The findings indicate: (1) International research on IGGBS has shown consistent growth, with notable increases in China from 2020 to 2023, underscoring its significance in the development of sponge cities; (2) The majority of the studies are published in Q1 category journals of the Journal Citation Reports, predominantly authored by scholars from developed nations such as the USA, UK, and Germany, with fewer contributions from Chinese researchers; (3) IGGBS research is intricately linked with ecosystem services, climate change, urbanization, and resilience theory, trending towards more precise indicators and diverse objectives. Furthermore, the study highlights a gap between theoretical research and practical implementation, pointing to a lack of comprehensive exploration of coupling relationships and future uncertainties. It suggests the necessity to enhance evaluation systems, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement, closely aligned with policy, to facilitate the broader adoption and management of IGGBS.