Urban Stormwater Management: Comparative Analysis of Traditional and Sustainable Approaches for Ecological Restoration

With the intensification of global urbanization and climate change, the natural hydrological cycle has been significantly disrupted, resulting in increased frequency of flooding, increased pollution from non-point sources, and degradation of ecosystems. This study systematically reviews traditional and sustainable stormwater management methods, focusing on their technical characteristics and application effects in urban ecological restoration. Through case studies, the paper discusses the application results of low impact development (LID), sponge city and intelligent stormwater management system. For example, in the Sponge City pilot in Suzhou, the nitrogen and phosphorus reduction rates in stormwater wetlands reached 62% and 46%, respectively, while the vegetation-filtered zones significantly increased biodiversity. This study found that, compared to traditional centralized management methods with rapid drainage as the goal, the sustainable approach not only significantly improves water quality, but also enhances the climate resilience of cities through ecological restoration and resource optimization. The significance of this study is to integrate nature-based solutions with advanced technologies, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for urban water management and ecological restoration. It offers innovative pathways to tackle climate challenges and directs future interdisciplinary stormwater management research and practices.