Fostering Community Governance of Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Stormwater Management: A System Dynamics Analysis of Power Decentralization

The integration of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban stormwater management holds transformative potential, promising enhanced adaptive capacities and numerous benefits for community well-being. Acknowledging the localized nature of NBS projects, primarily managed at the community level, this study delves into the prospects of integrating community governance into the planning, implementation, and success of NBS initiatives, especially in the context of urban flooding.

With the overarching goal of identifying strategic leverage points for enhancing community governance structures in urban NBS implementation, the research employs a System Dynamics modeling approach, to investigate the impact of decentralizing decision-making authority to local communities on the scalability and sustainability of NBS in urban stormwater management. The analysis probes dynamic interactions and causal relationships among decentralized decision-making structures and critical variables such as community participation, institutional frameworks, and resource allocation that define community governance. Emphasizing a comprehensive understanding of feedback mechanisms, the study seeks to unravel processes shaping the adaptive capacities of NBS over time, particularly within the intricate context of adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The study strives to provide insights into the mechanisms governing scalable integration, underscoring the vital role of community involvement and participatory governance in Nature-based flood solutions and in doing so, offering a crucial foundation for fostering sustainable and resilient urban development amid the escalating challenges posed by urban flooding and climate change.