A Comprehensive Stormwater Management Framework: Evaluating and Identifying Flood Control Strategies Guided by an adapted SWOT Matrix

A Comprehensive Stormwater Management Framework: Evaluating and Identifying Flood Control Strategies Guided by an adapted SWOT Matrix | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A Comprehensive Stormwater Management Framework: Evaluating and Identifying Flood Control Strategies Guided by an adapted SWOT Matrix Osvaldo Moura Rezende, Paula Morais Canedo Magalhães, Maria Vitória Ribeiro Gomes, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8090080/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Urbanization significantly alters watershed runoff, increasing peak flows, reducing base flows, and degrading river ecosystems. Without adequate control measures, urbanization increases flood vulnerability, heightening flood risks and damaging urban infrastructure. Recent academic and technical perspectives emphasize the importance of efficient stormwater management, advocating for a systemic approach to address urban flooding risks. However, setting goals for stormwater management planning remains challenging due to its inherent complexity and multidisciplinary nature. This study introduces a novel framework, inspired by the SWOT analysis, designed to comprehensively evaluate urban flood potential and identify integrated flood control measures that combine natural and built environments demands. Applied to a real-world case study, the proposed framework demonstrated its feasibility and effectiveness in developing practical plans and proposing effective actions. Notably, the proposed method is adaptable and can be easily replicated in other regions, offering a scalable solution for improving urban flood resilience. Physical sciences/Engineering Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences Social science/Environmental studies Scientific community and society/Geography Social science/Geography Earth and environmental sciences/Hydrology Earth and environmental sciences/Natural hazards Scientific community and society/Water resources SWOT Matrix Stormwater Management Flood Risk Management Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 1 INTRODUCTION The removal of vegetation, the consequent increased impermeabilization and the implementation of artificial drainage systems are events associated with the urbanization process, and they substantially modify hydrological flow patterns. Urban watersheds exhibit more pronounced and rapid surface runoff responses, with reduced opportunities for water infiltration (Rosa et al., 2020 ). Consequently, this leads to higher peak flows, lower base flows, shorter concentration times, and the degradation of river ecosystems (Özer & Yalçiner Ercoşkun, 2024 ; Tan et al., 2023 ). Thus, the consequence of urbanization processes that do not consider this chain of consequences over hydrodynamics, particularly if implemented without adequate control and supporting infrastructure, is the increased likelihood of flooding in urban areas (Abd-Elhamid et al., 2020 ; Bibi & Kara, 2023 ; Hassan et al., 2022 ). These events result in significant damages to buildings and urban infrastructure, cause economic losses due to business and service disruptions, obstruct pedestrian movement and transportation systems, act as potential vectors for disease transmission, and interact with sewage and solid waste systems and degrade and impoverish dwellers of flood-prone areas (Cea & Costabile, 2022 ; Hu et al., 2020 ; Lu et al., 2024 ). As a result, these events may add to the process of expanding socio-territorial injustices and inequalities (Moulds et al., 2021 ). The adequate management of urban waters and reduction of flood risks in cities is an even more relevant topic in the context of climate change, which tends to exacerbate extreme events and may alter known hydrodynamic processes. Urban flooding, therefore, can be considered as a major disruptor of urban services, infrastructure networks, community facilities, and housing systems. Due to the wide-ranging impacts, it is essential for municipal authorities to develop comprehensive planning strategies aimed at controlling and mitigating these events (Bibi & Kara, 2023 ). Moreover, these strategies must account for ecological needs, urban interactions, landscaping, and socio-economic factors, among other aspects. Understanding the role of urbanization in exacerbating flood risks is crucial for ensuring that urban flood management and urban planning are effectively addressed. A clear and sensitive relationship exists between land use and the increased severity of flooding events (UFCOP, 2017 ). Historically, urban flooding has been perceived primarily as a direct consequence of excessive rainfall, as a natural misfortune, without sufficient consideration of the interactions between urbanization and the natural watershed that supports the city viability. These systems are inherently interdependent, requiring an integrated approach to work properly, especially in what relates to flood management (Cea & Costabile, 2022 ). Traditionally, engineering solutions have focused on improving the hydraulic capacity of rivers to manage the increased runoff generated by urban watersheds, without fully addressing the broader implications of these flows on the urban environment (Xu et al., 2023 ). Additionally, only in recent decades has urbanization itself been recognized as one of the main contributors to flooding in cities. Since the 1970s, there has been increasing awareness of the environmental issues related to urbanization, connecting nature more directly with human development (UFCOP, 2017 ). In urban planning, this understanding prompted a re-evaluation of land use practices, with urbanization emerging as an important factor in local environmental impact (Özer & Yalçiner Ercoşkun, 2024 ). (MCHARG, 1969 ) argues that integrating the ecology approach into urban planning and projects makes possible the restoration of the relationship between the natural environment and human settlements. In the last decades, the concept of sustainability has been progressively incorporated into urban planning, promoting an integrated approach that challenges the fragmented, sectorial planning practices of the past (Kalfas et al., 2023 ), in which different urban infrastructure sectors were managed separately by various government agencies and institutions, with little coordination. This approach supports integrated public policy planning that considers territorial impacts holistically. In the context of urban drainage systems, the approach presented in this study asserts that stormwater management solutions cannot be separated from integrated urban planning practices, similarly to what is proposed by other authors (Grigg, 2024 ; Özer & Yalçiner Ercoşkun, 2024 ). A key convergence point in this approach lies in the design of open spaces in a systematic way, composing a fully functional infrastructure system, which can also provide essential storage volumes for runoff management, thereby mitigating flooding at the watershed scale. Therefore, an integrated urban drainage planning strategy links stormwater management with territorial planning, simultaneously addressing stormwater-related issues, enhancing urban space, and revitalizing environmental conditions within urban areas. In turn, it encourages the adoption of urban planning standards that promote sustainable stormwater management. Recent academic and technical perspectives on urban flooding highlight the importance of addressing flooding at its source (Agonafir et al., 2023 ; Azadgar et al., 2024 ; Grigg, 2024 ; Xu et al., 2023 ). This approach involves distributing flood management actions across the urban landscape (Fletcher et al., 2013 ), aiming to reduce peak flows and flooding duration, facilitate groundwater recharge through increased infiltration, and restore, as much as possible, natural pre-urbanization hydrological conditions (Mascarenhas et al., 2007 ). In this context, more recently, the sponge city concept (Wang et al., 2020 ) has evolved into the sponge watershed approach (SWA), expanding the assessment to the entire river basins using the "source-flow-sink" method (Peng et al., 2022 ). The principles of each individual strategy of SWA can be described as: source , with absorbance and detention; flow , with deceleration and dissipation; and sink , with resilience and adaptation ( ibid ). According to Righetto ( 2009 ), urban stormwater management begins with a comprehensive functional understanding of the urban basin or sub-basin under consideration, through an assessment of its evolution until reaching the current conditions. This includes evaluating the natural drainage system combined with the understanding of urbanization processes and historical development. A second key step in the process involves diagnosing the existing drainage system, assessing current and future urbanization patterns, and examining government-established guidelines and regulation for land use and occupation, as well as the environmental protection laws. These elements can be addressed in Municipal Stormwater Management Plans, in combination with other urban plans and regulation (comprehensive and sectorial ones), which serve as tools for implementing effective solutions to control surface runoff and prevent flooding, providing municipalities with long-lasting, tangible benefits. Urban stormwater management plans involve both structural and non-structural measures, incorporating large and small-scale projects alongside planning and managing urban space occupancy within an integration with other urban sectoral plans and regulations. A robust and efficient Stormwater Management Plan is crucial for effective flood risk management. In this context, this study introduces a new approach to managing stormwater, considering the complexity of the integrated assessment required in the process. It aims to improve territorial planning by enabling a thorough multilayered assessment of the municipality's flood risk, considering both current conditions and future scenarios. This approach also aims to facilitate the identification of more adequate interventions to manage flooding, considering the multidisciplinary integration between natural and built environments, and the specific characteristics of the different regions within the watershed, such as the upstream, central, and downstream areas. The proposed methodology utilizes an adapted SWOT Matrix, a widely applied management tool in the business sector, which assesses both the internal and external environments of an organization to identify opportunities for improving performance (Abya et al., 2015 ). When adapted to be applied to urban planning and water resources management, the SWOT analysis sets the basis for identifying existing strengths and weaknesses (diagnosis of the current scenario), while also recognizing opportunities and threats for enhancing the complex urban system based on possible future scenarios (prognosis of the evolution of urban watershed behavior). Including an understanding of future development trends, in addition to current conditions, is essential when planning to intervene in an urban system. This integrated diagnosis-prognosis approach helps create a long-term resilience condition rather than addressing only the symptoms. The primary idea of this proposal, representing the innovative aspect of the study, involves creating a multiscale transient assessment based on SWOT principles. The first step involves collecting urban, environmental, institutional, legal, and socioeconomic data, which are then organized into thematic layers. By superimposing these layers, a comprehensive cross-vertical analysis can be performed, enabling the identification of strengths and weaknesses, leading to the current diagnosis. Subsequently, potential future scenarios are developed, taking into consideration local trends, potential investments, economic development, climate change, and other relevant factors. The transition from the current situation to a potential future condition, according to different scenarios, composes different prognoses that reveal opportunities and threats (in line with the adapted SWOT analysis). These opportunities and threats should be addressed in a formal action plan to respectively enhance positive outcomes and mitigate negative effects. The adapted SWOT matrix can assist in planning actions to alleviate urban stresses on the basin, thereby mitigating flood risks. Additionally, it provides essential insights for the design and implementation of stormwater drainage solutions across the watershed, considering multifunctional landscapes. Furthermore, this proposed approach is suitable for implementing strategies aligned with the concepts of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Blue-green Infrastructure (BGI), aiming to achieve a Sponge Watershed. Additionally, it is important to consider building grey-green infrastructures, which combine traditional engineering solutions with blue-green solutions in a hybrid approach, to transform the current pattern of urbanization into a more resilient and sustainable model. For illustrative purposes, the methodology was applied as a stormwater management tool in the municipality of Maricá, located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The results demonstrate an integrated planning solution that addresses multiple objectives, including flood risk mitigation, environmental enhancements, retrofit of urban spaces, and opportunities for ecosystem benefits. 2 METHOD The proposed framework is based on the SWOT Matrix (Figure 1), a structured planning technique, developed for strategic planning in business and marketing sectors. It uses four dimensions to set objectives of the business venture/project and to determine action planning by detecting internal and external factors, which are considered as advantages/disadvantages to reach that objective (Abya et al., 2015). The following summarizes four dimensions of SWOT: Strengths : internal characteristics of the business, which provide an advantage over others, Weaknesses : internal characteristics that pose the business at a disadvantage compared with others, Opportunities : external elements the project could exploit to its advantage, Threats : external elements in the environment, which could generate trouble for the business. Although it was originally developed for the business sector, this kind of analytic tool can be used in cities development planning as a management tool to support decision making in many urban sectors (Pazouki et al., 2017) such as Energy (Terrados et al., 2007), Tourism (Abya et al., 2015), Transportation (Hatefi, 2018), Earthquake and Flood Management (Estelaji et al., 2024) etc. In the method proposed in this paper, the SWOT Matrix is adapted to a new form, as a tool for territorial planning and stormwater management to guide actions and intervention projects for flood mitigation. In this context, the Strength and Weakness dimensions can be viewed as current characteristics of the environment that impact the drainage system (looking at the current situation of the territory), while Opportunities and Threats can be seen as future possibilities for enhancing the current characteristics (future scenarios). So, the adapted SWOT is divided into two steps: 1. territory diagnosis (Strength and Weakness); 2. territory prognosis (Opportunities and Threats). It is important to emphasize that, although the proposed methodology uses the adapted SWOT matrix as a basis for evaluating the functioning of the drainage system, it is not limited to this. The proposed methodology is divided into 4 phases: 1 ) Phase 1 – Territory characterization: This first phase consists of surveying and mapping the various characteristics that make up the territory, divided into five categories, based on (MCHARG, 1969) with one additional category: socio-political; geophysical; urban morphology; urban infrastructure; and fluvial dynamics. Socio-political : It aims to gather information about the political-administrative division of the territory, as well as its main socio-economic characteristics. Geophysical : It aims to observe the territory based on its physical characteristics, which influence the processes of flood formation and the interactions with the built environment. Urban morphology : This layer aims to gather information about the process of occupation of the municipal territory, allowing us to understand how current urbanization has consolidated and which natural aspects may have been irreversibly degraded. Urban infrastructure : The main objective of gathering information about the infrastructure is to understand the current stage of population coverage by essential urban services. Fluvial dynamics : This layer aims to understand the main current interactions between the built environment and the natural water cycle, enabling a better understanding of flood behavior. 2) Phase 2 – SWOT application : This second phase consists of the application of the adapted SWOT Matrix in stormwater management. In this new approach, the definition of the 4 dimensions in the SWOT analysis should be carried out as follows: Step 1. Diagnosis : this step includes the characterization of the study area, focusing on the operation of the drainage system, considering both physical and urban aspects. The focus of this phase is to identify what are the current and intrinsic characteristics of the region that positively impact the performance of the drainage system, and what characteristics have a negative impact. These characteristics will correspond to the Strength and Weakness dimensions. Step 2. Prognosis : this step includes the estimation of potential future scenarios for increased demand for stormwater management and urban drainage services. The focus of this phase is to evaluate the demand variation trends on the drainage system in order to determine which elements can be leveraged to improve its functioning and which ones may cause problems. These characteristics will correspond to the Opportunities and Threats dimensions. 3) Phase 3 – Definition of action categories : This third phase aims to define the action categories for each dimension defined in the previous phase. This phase constitutes the main difference between the proposed methodology and the traditional application of SWOT analysis. In this phase, each SWOT dimension is associated with an action category that guides the establishment of specific objectives. These action categories are defined as follows: Strength -> Enhance : Observe the existing Strengths in the municipality, which should be explored and/or optimized, aiming to improve the territory resilience to flooding. Weakness -> Mitigate : Analyze the existing Weaknesses in the municipality, focusing on negative aspects that should be addressed to reduce the risks of disasters related to flooding. Opportunities -> Ensure : Assess existing opportunities at the site of intervention, ensuring that the project will contribute to its consolidation in the future and will take advantage of this opportunity for its greater effectiveness. Threats -> Prevent : Assess the threats that exist at the whole analysed system and that may represent a barrier to the success of the project at the time of its implementation, ensuring that it is capable of redirecting this trend in order to neutralize it or divert its direct impacts for the success of the project and the transformation of the urban system towards its greater resilience in the face of flooding events. 4) Phase 4 – Consolidation : This phase consists of consolidating the specific objectives defined in the previous stage into general objectives for the Stormwater Management Plan according to its subprograms. Once these general objectives are defined, the targets for achieving them must be established, in accordance with the planning horizon, whether short, medium, or long-term. The general methodology framework can be seen in Figure 2. 3 STUDY AREA AND DATA Maricá is a Brazilian municipality located in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro (Figure 3), occupying an area of 361.572 km². Its territory encompasses one of the largest lagoon complexes in the state, known as Maricá-Guarapina (approximately 34.8 km², about 36% of the total territory), formed by Maricá Lagoon (18.2 km²), Barra Lagoon (8.1 km²), Guarapina Lagoon (6.4 km²), Padre Lagoon (2.1 km²), and Lagoa Brava (CBH Guanabara, 2022; IBGE, 2010). The municipality's topography is characterized by steep mountains, followed by flat areas where the Maricá-Guarapina lagoon complex and the Atlantic Ocean are located. These features tend to hinder local drainage, favouring the emergence of flood-prone areas and generating greater challenges in stormwater management. 3.1 Maricá Stormwater Management Plan In 2023, the Municipal Public Works Service Autarchy of Maricá (SOMAR), in collaboration with the Municipality of Maricá, commissioned the development of the Stormwater Management Plan - SMP (Miguez et al., 2024) . The aim of this plan is to recognize the territory through the collection of legal, institutional, physical (both natural and urban), socio-cultural, and economic information to support future projections and ultimately guide the proposition of various programs, measures and actions to ensure the proper functioning of the drainage system and its integration with the urban landscape, combining improvements in the quality of life within the municipality with opportunities for environmental and urban requalification. Moreover, it was established as a general premise that the plan should adopt an ecosystem-based approach to the management of rivers in urban areas, using the presence of water as an urban asset, but also, and primarily, as an element connecting the city with nature in a safe manner, minimizing conflicts and potential losses and damages. So, during its conception, the SMP was divided into three subprograms to encompass and support the projects and actions deemed necessary for the proper configuration of the drainage system in the Maricá territory, integrated with safe and healthy urban development. Figure 4 schematically shows the defined subprograms, which include actions for risk reduction and the structuring of both river basin and urban drainage systems. To address all the demands previously mentioned, the Maricá Stormwater Management Plan was adopted as a case study for the application of the proposed framework to evaluate the municipality's flood potential while facilitating the identification of flood mitigation measures that integrates natural and built environments. The framework prioritizes adaptation measures, once it considers future adverse scenarios, such as urban development and climate change impacts. 4 RESULTS 4.1 Phase 1: Territory characterization In this first phase, it was surveyed several information about the municipality, creating thematic maps to illustrate the main current characteristics of Maricá territory (the main characteristics can be seen in Figure 5 presented in item 4.2.1). The information collected and summarized were then crossed and superposed to elaborate the territory diagnosis, at Phase 2. Socio-political : In this category, maps were created to analyze the administrative division of the municipality, its demography, socioeconomic characterization, conservation units and environmental protection areas, urban zoning, and points of historical and cultural interest. Geophysical : This category characterizes the municipal territory through various geophysical analyses. It includes the study of relief, with altimetry and slope data, which impact flood formation and soil infiltration. It also covers the hydrography, subdividing the municipality into watersheds essential for urban drainage planning. Additionally, it evaluates land use and examines soil types and their influences on flood formation. Finally, it uses the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to analyze vegetation cover density and understand changes in land cover due to urbanization. Urban morphology : The analysis of urban morphology aims to understand the relationships and interactions between the natural and built environments over time, covering the process of occupation of the municipal territory. This evaluation focus on various essential aspects, including the road system, which examines the network of roads and transport routes; the blocks and lots, which analyses the division and organization of land; the buildings, which involve the evaluation of constructed structures; the open spaces, both public and private, which consider leisure areas and green zones; and the morphological periods, which study urban evolution and transformations in the form and use of the territory over the years. This approach enables an integrated and detailed view of urban dynamics and their interactions with the natural environment. Urban infrastructure : The analysis of urban infrastructure is crucial for efficient territorial planning, especially concerning stormwater management. The evaluation of infrastructure is subdivided into: water supply system; sanitary sewage; urban drainage and stormwater management; energy; and solid waste management. Information is collected from public data sources. Integrating this information into territorial planning ensures that essential infrastructures are prepared to deal with climatic variations and protect both the built and natural environments. Fluvial dynamics : The analysis of fluvial dynamics aims to understand the interactions between the built environment and the flood cycle, identifying vulnerabilities and potential. This evaluation is conducted on two scales: urban and river basin drainage. In flood mapping, failures in river basin drainage are considered, which can cause significant damage to urban infrastructure systems and even loss of life. In urban inundation mapping, failures in urban drainage are observed, with potential impacts on the city's daily activities and public health. 4.2 Phase 2: SWOT Application The second phase of the proposed methodology is the adapted SWOT application when the 4 dimensions in the SWOT analysis are identified. This analysis is separated into 2 steps, being the first one regarding the Diagnosis, where the Strength and Weakness are defined, and the second regarding Prognosis, where the Opportunities and Threats are defined. 4.2.1 Diagnosis: Strengths and Weaknesses The first step is the diagnosis phase in which a full characterization of the study area is carried out, by overlaying the information collected and explored in Phase 1. The main characteristics of Maricá regarding physical characterization can be seen in Figure 5 while in Figure 6 pictures the flood prone areas for a rainfall of 25 year of recurrency time. As mentioned before, the focus of this phase is to identify what are the current characteristics of the region that impact the performance of the drainage system. If this characteristic has a positive impact, it is assessed as a Strength, however, if the impact is negative, then it is assessed as a Weakness. As explained, the characterization of Maricá's territory has considered morphology and urban infrastructure, socio-political aspects, hydrology, topography, land use, urban zoning, and the presence of open spaces, among other aspects. Due to the variety of aspects to be considered, the evaluation of territory characteristics to build the Diagnosis were made based on four key themes: (i) conditions of the physical environment (natural areas/green spaces), (ii) urban and environmental legislation, (iii) built vs. unbuilt areas, and (iv) stormwater management and urban drainage services. The results of this analysis can be observed in Figure 7. It is observed that Maricá is a city with an imposing relief, characterized by steep mountains, followed by flat areas where the Maricá-Guarapina lagoon complex and the Atlantic Ocean are located, which favors the emergence of flood-prone areas. It is also a city that has low urbanization density, making it very common to find vacant lots and green areas both on the outskirts and in the middle of urban clusters. Despite this low-density urbanization, it is possible to observe a significant occupation of riparian protection zones, resulting in a considerable number of people living in flood-risk areas. Maricá is also a municipality with great capacity for investment in public works, not only due to the royalties it receives from the oil sector but also because of the presence of a municipal fund focused on environmental protection and public agencies dedicated to municipal development. 4.2.2 Prognosis: Opportunities and Threats The second step is the prognosis phase in which the future demand for stormwater management and urban drainage services is evaluated, considering different scenarios. As mentioned before, the focus of this phase is to determine which elements of future scenarios can improve the functioning of the drainage system and which ones may cause problems. If this element has a positive impact, it is assessed as an Opportunity, however, if the impact is negative, then it is assessed as a Threat. For this future evaluation the same four key themes presented in the Diagnosis were used and three future scenarios of urban expansion were considered: Pessimistic Scenario : based on the historical process of disorganized and dispersed growth throughout the territory, which favors the development of new subdivisions over the occupation of already existing lots in the region; Official Scenario : supported by current legislation and the Revision of the Municipal Master Plan (MARICÁ, 2020), which establishes macrozones and specific rules for new urban densification; Desirable Scenario : envisioned based on ideal conditions for urban densification and expansion, with a focus on preserving natural assets and implementing sustainable urban drainage solutions. It is seen that Maricá has a great potential for integration between the natural and built environment with availability of open spaces for flood control measures with a multifunctional approach. This characteristic brings a great opportunity for the adoption of solutions with a green and blue approach aligned with the concept of water-sensitive cities. In particular, the creation of Hydrological Interest Areas – HIA (Miguez et al., 2024) and other Environmental Protection Areas can improve the Maricá hydrological cycle functions, improving ecological paths and connectivity, which brings ecosystemic services to urban environment. The definition of HIA serves as a territorial backdrop, organizing the most suitable spaces for planning and implementing structural drainage actions integrated into natural and built environments. Maricá also has growth expectations, largely driven by the creation of the Jaconé Port and the Maraey Resort. This growth, although an opportunity for development and income generation for the municipality, could become a threat if the urban expansion driven by it is carried out in an uncontrolled and irregular manner, without consideration over hydrological impacts. The synthesis of the results of this analysis are presented in Figure 8 and Figure 9. 4.3 Phase 3: Definition of action categories As mentioned previously, this third phase aims to define the action categories for each Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat identified in the SWOT analysis. These action categories must guide the establishment of specific objectives. By doing so, the specific objectives should enhance the Strengths, mitigate the Weaknesses, ensure the Opportunities and prevent the Threats. Figure 10 and Figure 11 list all the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat identified in previous steps, as well as their associated specific objective. By the end there were 60 outlined specific objectives. 4.4 Phase 4: Consolidation Once all the specific objectives are identified, they should be synthesized into a general objective, and goals must be determined according to the Stormwater Management Plan subprograms and then defined as short, medium, or long-term. As can be seen in Figure 12, Figure 13 and Figure 14 the 60 outlined specific objectives were grouped into 6 general objectives that focused on: Definition of the responsibilities inside the agency responsible for the drainage system : this general objective aims to provide municipal agencies with a specialized technical team, enhancing stormwater management as well as interaction between public bodies. Furthermore, this objective aims to promote urban drainage within municipal plans and secure investment for environmental protection and recovery projects. Assistance in the implementation of a flood warning system : this general objective aims to promote the creation of flood warning systems in order to safeguard the population in case of disasters. Implementation of a rainfall and river monitoring system : this general objective aims to promote the creation of a continuous hydrometeorological monitoring campaign to build a robust database that can support hydrological studies and future flood risk assessments. Revision of the Stormwater Management Plan every 5 years : this general objective aims to achieve alignment between the various municipal plans that may impact rainwater management, as well as create tools for monitoring the works and initiatives proposed in the Rainwater Management Plan. Conduction of the cadastral survey of the urban drainage network : this general objective aims to carry out a detailed registration of the urban drainage networks, both the existing ones and those that will be implemented in the future. Conduction of the cadastral survey of the river basin drainage network : This general objective aims to carry out a detailed registration of the hydrography networks, considering rivers and large channels, as well as provide support for the environmental recovery of Maricá's lagoons and the consolidation of the green space systems necessary for the implementation of green and blue infrastructures for flood control. 5 DISCUSSIONS One of the main challenges in setting goals within a stormwater management plan is the complexity and multidisciplinarity involved. Stormwater management not only requires a deep understanding of hydrological and meteorological dynamics, but also demands integration with urban, environmental, and social planning. On one hand, this multidisciplinarity opens space for the development of various themes and discussions, but it also highlights the difficulties of this type of planning, given the need to balance diverse and often conflicting interests. In this regard, to develop an effective stormwater management plan, it is necessary to establish clear and objective goals that consider the systemic functioning of the city and its interactions with nature. Therefore, it is crucial that goals are established through a collaborative approach that involves all relevant stakeholders and considers the interactions between the different components of the urban system. Moreover, it is important that these goals are flexible enough to accommodate unexpected changes in environmental and urban conditions, in a resilient approach, but concrete enough to guide the execution of practical actions. To address these difficulties, this work presented a new framework for stormwater management that enables a comprehensive evaluation of a municipality's flood risk while facilitating the identification of flood mitigation measures that integrate natural and built environments. This methodology is based on SWOT analysis, but it is not limited to it, as it extends its evaluation potential by associating each dimension of SWOT analysis with an action category aimed at improving the performance of the drainage system. The adaptation of internal and external views to present and future evaluation, in addition the creation of the action categories is the main difference between the proposed methodology and the traditional application of SWOT analysis, being fundamental for the establishment of specific and concrete goals. By doing so, the specific goals should enhance the Strengths, mitigate the Weaknesses, ensure the Opportunities and prevent the Threats. This comprehensive analysis provides a holistic understanding of local conditions and regional dynamics, facilitating the definition of general objectives and specific goals. This is particularly valuable in a Stormwater Management Plan, where the integration of drainage solutions with the urbanization process is crucial for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the proposed measures. Additionally, this approach facilitates the incorporation of environmental sustainability concepts, opening a range of opportunities to explore integrated solutions within a multidisciplinary context. This approach considers the potential of water in structuring the territory by reducing risks and providing several ecosystemic benefits to the city. In this way, hydrography is regarded as the main linking structure between natural hubs and urban sites, underlying the Blue-Green Infrastructure approach. Thus, with the proposed methodology, it is possible to align drainage solutions with actions related to territorial organization and urban planning, building a sustainable and resilient framework for the city's future. Furthermore, this planning tool is suitable for proposing Nature-based Solutions, once it integrates ecological and urban aspects in a holistic vision. Finally, this methodology proved to be not only feasible but also a differentiator in designing the action plan. It is important to highlight that this methodology has no particularities that would hinder its use in other regions. Therefore, it can be widely applied to other cases. 6 CONCLUSIONS Management tools are widely used and well known in the business and marketing sectors. However, some of them can be adapted and employed by public administrations as appropriate tools to help them search for and select strategies that may assist in territorial and urban planning. It is within this context that the methodology proposed in this study is situated, using a new framework that allows a general assessment of flood risk potential in a municipality, considering both current and future situations, as well as enabling the proposal of interventions for flood mitigation. For demonstration purposes, the proposed framework was applied in the development of the Maricá Stormwater Management Plan, located in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among the main conclusions of this study, the following are highlighted: The SWOT Matrix is an easy-to-use and widely known tool that involves specifying a particular objective and detecting the internal and external factors, which are considered advantages or disadvantages in achieving that objective. This methodology can be easily adapted to urban planning and stormwater management, focusing on the evaluation of current and possible future scenarios, allowing for a systemic analysis of the issue at hand. The adapted SWOT Matrix applied to the Maricá Stormwater Management Plan was an appropriate baseline to diagnose current issues and outline future action lines. It has proven to be an effective tool for stormwater management, especially when integration between the natural and built environments is needed and a set of strategies should work with interdisciplinary coherence. The integration of drainage solutions and urbanization is key to ensure long-term sustainability of the proposed measures, as well as presenting an opportunity for environmental urban gains and the enhancement of the built environment. Thus, the association of the SWOT four dimensions with action categories was crucial for this multidisciplinary approach, as it facilitates the alignment of drainage solutions with actions related to territorial organization and urban planning, with the goal of building a sustainable and resilient framework for the future of Maricá, particularly concerning its urban waters. The perspective of incorporating environmental sustainability concepts into the process of rethinking the city’s growth opens a wide range of opportunities to be explored as integrated solutions in a multidisciplinary context. However, setting clear and specific objectives to achieve these goals is not always a simple task. This process can be made more straightforward and visual by using the proposed framework, making the implementation of these actions a more tangible option. Declarations CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. Funding Declaration This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) under Grant [167721/2023-2; 303862/2020-3]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES) [88887.805756/2023-00]; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) under financial assistance [210.934/2024]. Author Contribution O.M.R.: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Writing – Original Draft; Writing – Review & Editing. P.M.C.M.: Investigation; Writing – Original Draft; Visualization (figures and tables); Writing – Review & Editing. M.V.R.G.: Investigation; Writing – Original Draft; Visualization (figures and tables); Writing – Review & Editing. F.R.T.: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Writing – Original Draft; Writing – Review & Editing. M.F.L.: Conceptualization; Methodology; Writing – Review & Editing. 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00:08:35","extension":"html","order_by":32,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":119221,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/26a4c658fa346418f592ccc7.html"},{"id":100343043,"identity":"8a3a514f-712d-44ea-b435-58fd3ce64d67","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:33","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":50323,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe classic structure of SWOT.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/944999f2e88c1c1482d00258.png"},{"id":100377808,"identity":"8d0f2fa0-f4be-44fc-891c-48f7a76f7470","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 08:48:30","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":159732,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eProposed methodology framework.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/e5090125b2997a628a0a006a.png"},{"id":100343046,"identity":"667267e8-1942-4733-82b8-75ffc6d1877a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:33","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":3271669,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eLocation and administrative division of Maricá.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/30cde6e40c59ad82740e3749.png"},{"id":100343051,"identity":"3213e57f-671f-4c37-b8a1-b299a25f4aca","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:33","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":110535,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSubprogram for Stormwater Management Actions.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/0bceb3f556c27e015410fb73.png"},{"id":100343071,"identity":"148fc8e3-9535-4d87-9434-62366e44bec0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:34","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":3758729,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMain strengths and weaknesses of Maricá.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/e6252c6b6efe1506556200e9.png"},{"id":100377788,"identity":"7acbd8ea-b8c1-4969-bb47-ddb185391fea","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 08:48:23","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":3231361,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFlooded area for a rainfall of 25 years of recurrency time.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/f4d15570354c0e502e699864.png"},{"id":100343088,"identity":"1773090d-21e9-4725-a535-05493232f636","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:35","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":211187,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eApplication of the SWOT Matrix for Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/69242e7ea1f7f99b87517e89.png"},{"id":100343076,"identity":"18455fe8-1f25-4299-9218-cfa159cc7a1d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:35","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":3525211,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMain opportunities and threats of Maricá.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/7fcda33b7c2c12d8fd9f26be.png"},{"id":100343049,"identity":"5445083a-94f2-43b0-9342-092a797bcca0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:33","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":240484,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eApplication of the adapted SWOT Matrix for Identifying Opportunities and Threats in future scenarios.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/382ca8bca1f94f79b633123a.png"},{"id":100343052,"identity":"f09fda3c-c4e6-4fc8-a118-4ef4b20e816d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:33","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"Figure 10","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":256199,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eList of the Strengths identified in the region and their Enhancement actions, as well as the Weaknesses and their Mitigation actions.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/927250922414e818aac43fa4.png"},{"id":100372948,"identity":"696f8d31-c382-4eb2-a219-bdd5d0bcec56","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 08:13:26","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"Figure 11","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":239765,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eList of the Opportunities identified in the region and their Guarantee actions, as well as the Threats and their Prevention actions.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/7d48a3de3caab396c4f6d67a.png"},{"id":100343081,"identity":"339cf37e-ec90-4f81-bde2-eab1aa47bca5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:35","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"Figure 12","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":383015,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eObjectives and goals of Subprogram 1.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/17d72918e388bbddc484399e.png"},{"id":100343061,"identity":"f7ce9aa1-a992-4d04-ae3d-8cda27ae7c2c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 00:08:34","extension":"png","order_by":13,"title":"Figure 13","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":126973,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eObjectives and goals of Subprogram 2.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image13.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/623a033e0cf7ed3a61dde5d9.png"},{"id":100373501,"identity":"df738c2c-51cf-411c-b40f-74f695bb14db","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 08:14:40","extension":"png","order_by":14,"title":"Figure 14","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":186616,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eObjectives and goals of Subprogram 3.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"image14.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/c6ac01ae1097d6f2716ebede.png"},{"id":100390813,"identity":"3a4966d0-ace5-433b-8a1c-450a67a181a0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 11:22:57","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":17129286,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8090080/v1/42e7455f-6385-42cf-be4b-4c4e9e3d6390.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"A Comprehensive Stormwater Management Framework: Evaluating and Identifying Flood Control Strategies Guided by an adapted SWOT Matrix","fulltext":[{"header":"1 INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe removal of vegetation, the consequent increased impermeabilization and the implementation of artificial drainage systems are events associated with the urbanization process, and they substantially modify hydrological flow patterns. Urban watersheds exhibit more pronounced and rapid surface runoff responses, with reduced opportunities for water infiltration (Rosa et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Consequently, this leads to higher peak flows, lower base flows, shorter concentration times, and the degradation of river ecosystems (\u0026Ouml;zer \u0026amp; Yal\u0026ccedil;iner Ercoşkun, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Tan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThus, the consequence of urbanization processes that do not consider this chain of consequences over hydrodynamics, particularly if implemented without adequate control and supporting infrastructure, is the increased likelihood of flooding in urban areas (Abd-Elhamid et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Bibi \u0026amp; Kara, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Hassan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). These events result in significant damages to buildings and urban infrastructure, cause economic losses due to business and service disruptions, obstruct pedestrian movement and transportation systems, act as potential vectors for disease transmission, and interact with sewage and solid waste systems and degrade and impoverish dwellers of flood-prone areas (Cea \u0026amp; Costabile, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Hu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Lu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). As a result, these events may add to the process of expanding socio-territorial injustices and inequalities (Moulds et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). The adequate management of urban waters and reduction of flood risks in cities is an even more relevant topic in the context of climate change, which tends to exacerbate extreme events and may alter known hydrodynamic processes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban flooding, therefore, can be considered as a major disruptor of urban services, infrastructure networks, community facilities, and housing systems. Due to the wide-ranging impacts, it is essential for municipal authorities to develop comprehensive planning strategies aimed at controlling and mitigating these events (Bibi \u0026amp; Kara, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Moreover, these strategies must account for ecological needs, urban interactions, landscaping, and socio-economic factors, among other aspects. Understanding the role of urbanization in exacerbating flood risks is crucial for ensuring that urban flood management and urban planning are effectively addressed. A clear and sensitive relationship exists between land use and the increased severity of flooding events (UFCOP, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHistorically, urban flooding has been perceived primarily as a direct consequence of excessive rainfall, as a natural misfortune, without sufficient consideration of the interactions between urbanization and the natural watershed that supports the city viability. These systems are inherently interdependent, requiring an integrated approach to work properly, especially in what relates to flood management (Cea \u0026amp; Costabile, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Traditionally, engineering solutions have focused on improving the hydraulic capacity of rivers to manage the increased runoff generated by urban watersheds, without fully addressing the broader implications of these flows on the urban environment (Xu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, only in recent decades has urbanization itself been recognized as one of the main contributors to flooding in cities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSince the 1970s, there has been increasing awareness of the environmental issues related to urbanization, connecting nature more directly with human development (UFCOP, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). In urban planning, this understanding prompted a re-evaluation of land use practices, with urbanization emerging as an important factor in local environmental impact (\u0026Ouml;zer \u0026amp; Yal\u0026ccedil;iner Ercoşkun, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). (MCHARG, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1969\u003c/span\u003e) argues that integrating the ecology approach into urban planning and projects makes possible the restoration of the relationship between the natural environment and human settlements.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the last decades, the concept of sustainability has been progressively incorporated into urban planning, promoting an integrated approach that challenges the fragmented, sectorial planning practices of the past (Kalfas et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), in which different urban infrastructure sectors were managed separately by various government agencies and institutions, with little coordination. This approach supports integrated public policy planning that considers territorial impacts holistically.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the context of urban drainage systems, the approach presented in this study asserts that stormwater management solutions cannot be separated from integrated urban planning practices, similarly to what is proposed by other authors (Grigg, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; \u0026Ouml;zer \u0026amp; Yal\u0026ccedil;iner Ercoşkun, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). A key convergence point in this approach lies in the design of open spaces in a systematic way, composing a fully functional infrastructure system, which can also provide essential storage volumes for runoff management, thereby mitigating flooding at the watershed scale.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTherefore, an integrated urban drainage planning strategy links stormwater management with territorial planning, simultaneously addressing stormwater-related issues, enhancing urban space, and revitalizing environmental conditions within urban areas. In turn, it encourages the adoption of urban planning standards that promote sustainable stormwater management.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRecent academic and technical perspectives on urban flooding highlight the importance of addressing flooding at its source (Agonafir et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Azadgar et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Grigg, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Xu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This approach involves distributing flood management actions across the urban landscape (Fletcher et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), aiming to reduce peak flows and flooding duration, facilitate groundwater recharge through increased infiltration, and restore, as much as possible, natural pre-urbanization hydrological conditions (Mascarenhas et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). In this context, more recently, the sponge city concept (Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) has evolved into the sponge watershed approach (SWA), expanding the assessment to the entire river basins using the \"source-flow-sink\" method (Peng et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). The principles of each individual strategy of SWA can be described as: \u003cem\u003esource\u003c/em\u003e, with absorbance and detention; \u003cem\u003eflow\u003c/em\u003e, with deceleration and dissipation; and \u003cem\u003esink\u003c/em\u003e, with resilience and adaptation (\u003cem\u003eibid\u003c/em\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Righetto (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e), urban stormwater management begins with a comprehensive functional understanding of the urban basin or sub-basin under consideration, through an assessment of its evolution until reaching the current conditions. This includes evaluating the natural drainage system combined with the understanding of urbanization processes and historical development. A second key step in the process involves diagnosing the existing drainage system, assessing current and future urbanization patterns, and examining government-established guidelines and regulation for land use and occupation, as well as the environmental protection laws.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese elements can be addressed in Municipal Stormwater Management Plans, in combination with other urban plans and regulation (comprehensive and sectorial ones), which serve as tools for implementing effective solutions to control surface runoff and prevent flooding, providing municipalities with long-lasting, tangible benefits. Urban stormwater management plans involve both structural and non-structural measures, incorporating large and small-scale projects alongside planning and managing urban space occupancy within an integration with other urban sectoral plans and regulations. A robust and efficient Stormwater Management Plan is crucial for effective flood risk management.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this context, this study introduces a new approach to managing stormwater, considering the complexity of the integrated assessment required in the process. It aims to improve territorial planning by enabling a thorough multilayered assessment of the municipality's flood risk, considering both current conditions and future scenarios. This approach also aims to facilitate the identification of more adequate interventions to manage flooding, considering the multidisciplinary integration between natural and built environments, and the specific characteristics of the different regions within the watershed, such as the upstream, central, and downstream areas.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe proposed methodology utilizes an adapted SWOT Matrix, a widely applied management tool in the business sector, which assesses both the internal and external environments of an organization to identify opportunities for improving performance (Abya et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). When adapted to be applied to urban planning and water resources management, the SWOT analysis sets the basis for identifying existing strengths and weaknesses (diagnosis of the current scenario), while also recognizing opportunities and threats for enhancing the complex urban system based on possible future scenarios (prognosis of the evolution of urban watershed behavior). Including an understanding of future development trends, in addition to current conditions, is essential when planning to intervene in an urban system. This integrated diagnosis-prognosis approach helps create a long-term resilience condition rather than addressing only the symptoms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe primary idea of this proposal, representing the innovative aspect of the study, involves creating a multiscale transient assessment based on SWOT principles. The first step involves collecting urban, environmental, institutional, legal, and socioeconomic data, which are then organized into thematic layers. By superimposing these layers, a comprehensive cross-vertical analysis can be performed, enabling the identification of strengths and weaknesses, leading to the current diagnosis. Subsequently, potential future scenarios are developed, taking into consideration local trends, potential investments, economic development, climate change, and other relevant factors. The transition from the current situation to a potential future condition, according to different scenarios, composes different prognoses that reveal opportunities and threats (in line with the adapted SWOT analysis). These opportunities and threats should be addressed in a formal action plan to respectively enhance positive outcomes and mitigate negative effects.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe adapted SWOT matrix can assist in planning actions to alleviate urban stresses on the basin, thereby mitigating flood risks. Additionally, it provides essential insights for the design and implementation of stormwater drainage solutions across the watershed, considering multifunctional landscapes. Furthermore, this proposed approach is suitable for implementing strategies aligned with the concepts of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Blue-green Infrastructure (BGI), aiming to achieve a Sponge Watershed. Additionally, it is important to consider building grey-green infrastructures, which combine traditional engineering solutions with blue-green solutions in a hybrid approach, to transform the current pattern of urbanization into a more resilient and sustainable model.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor illustrative purposes, the methodology was applied as a stormwater management tool in the municipality of Maric\u0026aacute;, located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The results demonstrate an integrated planning solution that addresses multiple objectives, including flood risk mitigation, environmental enhancements, retrofit of urban spaces, and opportunities for ecosystem benefits.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2 METHOD","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe proposed framework is based on the SWOT Matrix (Figure 1), a structured planning technique, developed for strategic planning in business and marketing sectors. It uses four dimensions to set objectives of the business venture/project and to determine action planning by detecting internal and external factors, which are considered as advantages/disadvantages to reach that objective (Abya et al., 2015). The following summarizes four dimensions of SWOT:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStrengths\u003c/strong\u003e: internal characteristics of the business, which provide an advantage over others,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeaknesses\u003c/strong\u003e: internal characteristics that pose the business at a disadvantage compared with others,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpportunities\u003c/strong\u003e: external elements the project could exploit to its advantage,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThreats\u003c/strong\u003e: external elements in the environment, which could generate trouble for the business.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough it was originally developed for the business sector, this kind of analytic tool can be used in cities development planning as a management tool to support decision making in many urban sectors (Pazouki et al., 2017) such as Energy (Terrados et al., 2007), Tourism (Abya et al., 2015), Transportation (Hatefi, 2018), Earthquake and Flood Management (Estelaji et al., 2024) etc.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the method proposed in this paper, the SWOT Matrix is adapted to a new form, as a tool for territorial planning and stormwater management to guide actions and intervention projects for flood mitigation. In this context, the Strength and Weakness dimensions can be viewed as current characteristics of the environment that impact the drainage system (looking at the current situation of the territory), while Opportunities and Threats can be seen as future possibilities for enhancing the current characteristics (future scenarios). So, the adapted SWOT is divided into two steps: 1. territory diagnosis (Strength and Weakness); 2. territory prognosis (Opportunities and Threats).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is important to emphasize that, although the proposed methodology uses the adapted SWOT matrix as a basis for evaluating the functioning of the drainage system, it is not limited to this. The proposed methodology is divided into 4 phases:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1 ) Phase 1 \u0026ndash; Territory characterization:\u003c/strong\u003e This first phase consists of surveying and mapping the various characteristics that make up the territory, divided into five categories, based on (MCHARG, 1969) with one additional category: socio-political; geophysical; urban morphology; urban infrastructure; and fluvial dynamics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSocio-political\u003c/strong\u003e: It aims to gather information about the political-administrative division of the territory, as well as its main socio-economic characteristics.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGeophysical\u003c/strong\u003e: It aims to observe the territory based on its physical characteristics, which influence the processes of flood formation and the interactions with the built environment.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUrban morphology\u003c/strong\u003e: This layer aims to gather information about the process of occupation of the municipal territory, allowing us to understand how current urbanization has consolidated and which natural aspects may have been irreversibly degraded.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUrban infrastructure\u003c/strong\u003e: The main objective of gathering information about the infrastructure is to understand the current stage of population coverage by essential urban services.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFluvial dynamics\u003c/strong\u003e: This layer aims to understand the main current interactions between the built environment and the natural water cycle, enabling a better understanding of flood behavior.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2) Phase 2 \u0026ndash; SWOT application\u003c/strong\u003e: This second phase consists of the application of the adapted SWOT Matrix in stormwater management. In this new approach, the definition of the 4 dimensions in the SWOT analysis should be carried out as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStep 1. Diagnosis\u003c/strong\u003e: this step includes the characterization of the study area, focusing on the operation of the drainage system, considering both physical and urban aspects. The focus of this phase is to identify what are the current and intrinsic characteristics of the region that positively impact the performance of the drainage system, and what characteristics have a negative impact. These characteristics will correspond to the Strength and Weakness dimensions.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStep 2. Prognosis\u003c/strong\u003e: this step includes the estimation of potential future scenarios for increased demand for stormwater management and urban drainage services. The focus of this phase is to evaluate the demand variation trends on the drainage system in order to determine which elements can be leveraged to improve its functioning and which ones may cause problems. These characteristics will correspond to the Opportunities and Threats dimensions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3) Phase 3 \u0026ndash; Definition of action categories\u003c/strong\u003e: This third phase aims to define the action categories for each dimension defined in the previous phase. This phase constitutes the main difference between the proposed methodology and the traditional application of SWOT analysis. In this phase, each SWOT dimension is associated with an action category that guides the establishment of specific objectives. These action categories are defined as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStrength -\u0026gt; Enhance\u003c/strong\u003e: Observe the existing Strengths in the municipality, which should be explored and/or optimized, aiming to improve the territory resilience to flooding.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeakness -\u0026gt; Mitigate\u003c/strong\u003e: Analyze the existing Weaknesses in the municipality, focusing on negative aspects that should be addressed to reduce the risks of disasters related to flooding.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpportunities -\u0026gt; Ensure\u003c/strong\u003e: Assess existing opportunities at the site of intervention, ensuring that the project will contribute to its consolidation in the future and will take advantage of this opportunity for its greater effectiveness.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThreats -\u0026gt; Prevent\u003c/strong\u003e: Assess the threats that exist at the whole analysed system and that may represent a barrier to the success of the project at the time of its implementation, ensuring that it is capable of redirecting this trend in order to neutralize it or divert its direct impacts for the success of the project and the transformation of the urban system towards its greater resilience in the face of flooding events.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4) Phase 4 \u0026ndash; Consolidation\u003c/strong\u003e: This phase consists of consolidating the specific objectives defined in the previous stage into general objectives for the Stormwater Management Plan according to its subprograms. Once these general objectives are defined, the targets for achieving them must be established, in accordance with the planning horizon, whether short, medium, or long-term.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general methodology framework can be seen in Figure 2.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3 STUDY AREA AND DATA","content":"\u003cp\u003eMaric\u0026aacute; is a Brazilian municipality located in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro (Figure 3), occupying an area of 361.572 km\u0026sup2;. Its territory encompasses one of the largest lagoon complexes in the state, known as Maric\u0026aacute;-Guarapina (approximately 34.8 km\u0026sup2;, about 36% of the total territory), formed by Maric\u0026aacute; Lagoon (18.2 km\u0026sup2;), Barra Lagoon (8.1 km\u0026sup2;), Guarapina Lagoon (6.4 km\u0026sup2;), Padre Lagoon (2.1 km\u0026sup2;), and Lagoa Brava\u0026nbsp;(CBH Guanabara, 2022; IBGE, 2010).\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;The municipality\u0026apos;s topography is characterized by steep mountains, followed by flat areas where the Maric\u0026aacute;-Guarapina lagoon complex and the Atlantic Ocean are located. These features tend to hinder local drainage, favouring the emergence of flood-prone areas and generating greater challenges in stormwater management.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e3.1 Maric\u0026aacute; Stormwater Management Plan\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2023, the Municipal Public Works Service Autarchy of Maric\u0026aacute; (SOMAR), in collaboration with the Municipality of Maric\u0026aacute;, commissioned the development of the Stormwater Management Plan - SMP \u003cspan lang=\"EN-GB\"\u003e(Miguez et al., 2024)\u003c/span\u003e. The aim of this plan is to recognize the territory through the collection of legal, institutional, physical (both natural and urban), socio-cultural, and economic information to support future projections and ultimately guide the proposition of various programs, measures and actions to ensure the proper functioning of the drainage system and its integration with the urban landscape, combining improvements in the quality of life within the municipality with opportunities for environmental and urban requalification.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoreover, it was established as a general premise that the plan should adopt an ecosystem-based approach to the management of rivers in urban areas, using the presence of water as an urban asset, but also, and primarily, as an element connecting the city with nature in a safe manner, minimizing conflicts and potential losses and damages.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, during its conception, the SMP was divided into three subprograms to encompass and support the projects and actions deemed necessary for the proper configuration of the drainage system in the Maric\u0026aacute; territory, integrated with safe and healthy urban development. Figure 4 schematically shows the defined subprograms, which include actions for risk reduction and the structuring of both river basin and urban drainage systems.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo address all the demands previously mentioned, the Maric\u0026aacute; Stormwater Management Plan was adopted as a case study for the application of the proposed framework to evaluate the municipality\u0026apos;s flood potential while facilitating the identification of flood mitigation measures that integrates natural and built environments. The framework prioritizes adaptation measures, once it considers future adverse scenarios, such as urban development and climate change impacts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4 RESULTS","content":"\u003ch2\u003e4.1 Phase 1: Territory characterization\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this first phase, it was surveyed several information about the municipality, creating thematic maps to illustrate the main current characteristics of Maric\u0026aacute; territory (the main characteristics can be seen in Figure 5 presented in item 4.2.1). The information collected and summarized were then crossed and superposed to elaborate the territory diagnosis, at Phase 2.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"decimal_type\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSocio-political\u003c/strong\u003e: In this category, maps were created to analyze the administrative division of the municipality, its demography, socioeconomic characterization, conservation units and environmental protection areas, urban zoning, and points of historical and cultural interest.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGeophysical\u003c/strong\u003e: This category characterizes the municipal territory through various geophysical analyses. It includes the study of relief, with altimetry and slope data, which impact flood formation and soil infiltration. It also covers the hydrography, subdividing the municipality into watersheds essential for urban drainage planning. Additionally, it evaluates land use and examines soil types and their influences on flood formation. Finally, it uses the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to analyze vegetation cover density and understand changes in land cover due to urbanization.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUrban morphology\u003c/strong\u003e: The analysis of urban morphology aims to understand the relationships and interactions between the natural and built environments over time, covering the process of occupation of the municipal territory. This evaluation focus on various essential aspects, including the road system, which examines the network of roads and transport routes; the blocks and lots, which analyses the division and organization of land; the buildings, which involve the evaluation of constructed structures; the open spaces, both public and private, which consider leisure areas and green zones; and the morphological periods, which study urban evolution and transformations in the form and use of the territory over the years. This approach enables an integrated and detailed view of urban dynamics and their interactions with the natural environment.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUrban infrastructure\u003c/strong\u003e: The analysis of urban infrastructure is crucial for efficient territorial planning, especially concerning stormwater management. The evaluation of infrastructure is subdivided into: water supply system; sanitary sewage; urban drainage and stormwater management; energy; and solid waste management. Information is collected from public data sources. Integrating this information into territorial planning ensures that essential infrastructures are prepared to deal with climatic variations and protect both the built and natural environments.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFluvial dynamics\u003c/strong\u003e: The analysis of fluvial dynamics aims to understand the interactions between the built environment and the flood cycle, identifying vulnerabilities and potential. This evaluation is conducted on two scales: urban and river basin drainage. In flood mapping, failures in river basin drainage are considered, which can cause significant damage to urban infrastructure systems and even loss of life. In urban inundation mapping, failures in urban drainage are observed, with potential impacts on the city\u0026apos;s daily activities and public health.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e4.2 Phase 2: SWOT Application\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second phase of the proposed methodology is the adapted SWOT application when the 4 dimensions in the SWOT analysis are identified. This analysis is separated into 2 steps, being the first one regarding the Diagnosis, where the Strength and Weakness are defined, and the second regarding Prognosis, where the Opportunities and Threats are defined.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e4.2.1 Diagnosis: Strengths and Weaknesses\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first step is the diagnosis phase in which a full characterization of the study area is carried out, by overlaying the information collected and explored in Phase 1. The main characteristics of Maric\u0026aacute; regarding physical characterization can be seen in Figure 5 while in Figure 6 pictures the flood prone areas for a rainfall of 25 year of recurrency time. As mentioned before, the focus of this phase is to identify what are the current characteristics of the region that impact the performance of the drainage system. If this characteristic has a positive impact, it is assessed as a Strength, however, if the impact is negative, then it is assessed as a Weakness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs explained, the characterization of Maric\u0026aacute;\u0026apos;s territory has considered morphology and urban infrastructure, socio-political aspects, hydrology, topography, land use, urban zoning, and the presence of open spaces, among other aspects. Due to the variety of aspects to be considered, the evaluation of territory characteristics to build the Diagnosis were made based on four key themes: (i) conditions of the physical environment (natural areas/green spaces), (ii) urban and environmental legislation, (iii) built vs. unbuilt areas, and (iv) stormwater management and urban drainage services. The results of this analysis can be observed in Figure 7.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is observed that Maric\u0026aacute; is a city with an imposing relief, characterized by steep mountains, followed by flat areas where the Maric\u0026aacute;-Guarapina lagoon complex and the Atlantic Ocean are located, which favors the emergence of flood-prone areas.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is also a city that has low urbanization density, making it very common to find vacant lots and green areas both on the outskirts and in the middle of urban clusters. Despite this low-density urbanization, it is possible to observe a significant occupation of riparian protection zones, resulting in a considerable number of people living in flood-risk areas.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaric\u0026aacute; is also a municipality with great capacity for investment in public works, not only due to the royalties it receives from the oil sector but also because of the presence of a municipal fund focused on environmental protection and public agencies dedicated to municipal development.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e4.2.2 Prognosis: Opportunities and Threats\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second step is the prognosis phase in which the future demand for stormwater management and urban drainage services is evaluated, considering different scenarios. As mentioned before, the focus of this phase is to determine which elements of future scenarios can improve the functioning of the drainage system and which ones may cause problems. If this element has a positive impact, it is assessed as an Opportunity, however, if the impact is negative, then it is assessed as a Threat.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this future evaluation the same four key themes presented in the Diagnosis were used and three future scenarios of urban expansion were considered:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePessimistic Scenario\u003c/strong\u003e: based on the historical process of disorganized and dispersed growth throughout the territory, which favors the development of new subdivisions over the occupation of already existing lots in the region;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial Scenario\u003c/strong\u003e: supported by current legislation and the Revision of the Municipal Master Plan (MARIC\u0026Aacute;, 2020), which establishes macrozones and specific rules for new urban densification;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDesirable Scenario\u003c/strong\u003e: envisioned based on ideal conditions for urban densification and expansion, with a focus on preserving natural assets and implementing sustainable urban drainage solutions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is seen that Maric\u0026aacute; has a great potential for integration between the natural and built environment with availability of open spaces for flood control measures with a multifunctional approach. This characteristic brings a great opportunity for the adoption of solutions with a green and blue approach aligned with the concept of water-sensitive cities. In particular, the creation of Hydrological Interest Areas \u0026ndash; HIA \u003cspan lang=\"EN-GB\"\u003e(Miguez et al., 2024)\u003c/span\u003e and other Environmental Protection Areas can improve the Maric\u0026aacute; hydrological cycle functions, improving ecological paths and connectivity, which brings ecosystemic services to urban environment. The definition of HIA serves as a territorial backdrop, organizing the most suitable spaces for planning and implementing structural drainage actions integrated into natural and built environments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaric\u0026aacute; also has growth expectations, largely driven by the creation of the Jacon\u0026eacute; Port and the Maraey Resort. This growth, although an opportunity for development and income generation for the municipality, could become a threat if the urban expansion driven by it is carried out in an uncontrolled and irregular manner, without consideration over hydrological impacts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe synthesis of the results of this analysis are presented in Figure 8 and Figure 9.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e4.3 Phase 3: Definition of action categories\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs mentioned previously, this third phase aims to define the action categories for each Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat identified in the SWOT analysis. These action categories must guide the establishment of specific objectives. By doing so, the specific objectives should enhance the Strengths, mitigate the Weaknesses, ensure the Opportunities and prevent the Threats. Figure 10 and Figure 11 list all the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat identified in previous steps, as well as their associated specific objective. By the end there were 60 outlined specific objectives.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e4.4 Phase 4: Consolidation\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce all the specific objectives are identified, they should be synthesized into a general objective, and goals must be determined according to the Stormwater Management Plan subprograms and then defined as short, medium, or long-term.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs can be seen in Figure 12, Figure 13 and Figure 14 the 60 outlined specific objectives were grouped into 6 general objectives that focused on:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDefinition of the responsibilities inside the agency responsible for the drainage system\u003c/strong\u003e: this general objective aims to provide municipal agencies with a specialized technical team, enhancing stormwater management as well as interaction between public bodies. Furthermore, this objective aims to promote urban drainage within municipal plans and secure investment for environmental protection and recovery projects.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAssistance in the implementation of a flood warning system\u003c/strong\u003e: this general objective aims to promote the creation of flood warning systems in order to safeguard the population in case of disasters.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImplementation of a rainfall and river monitoring system\u003c/strong\u003e: this general objective aims to promote the creation of a continuous hydrometeorological monitoring campaign to build a robust database that can support hydrological studies and future flood risk assessments.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRevision of the Stormwater Management Plan every 5 years\u003c/strong\u003e: this general objective aims to achieve alignment between the various municipal plans that may impact rainwater management, as well as create tools for monitoring the works and initiatives proposed in the Rainwater Management Plan.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConduction of the cadastral survey of the urban drainage network\u003c/strong\u003e: this general objective aims to carry out a detailed registration of the urban drainage networks, both the existing ones and those that will be implemented in the future.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConduction of the cadastral survey of the river basin drainage network\u003c/strong\u003e: This general objective aims to carry out a detailed registration of the hydrography networks, considering rivers and large channels, as well as provide support for the environmental recovery of Maric\u0026aacute;\u0026apos;s lagoons and the consolidation of the green space systems necessary for the implementation of green and blue infrastructures for flood control.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"5 DISCUSSIONS","content":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the main challenges in setting goals within a stormwater management plan is the complexity and multidisciplinarity involved. Stormwater management not only requires a deep understanding of hydrological and meteorological dynamics, but also demands integration with urban, environmental, and social planning.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn one hand, this multidisciplinarity opens space for the development of various themes and discussions, but it also highlights the difficulties of this type of planning, given the need to balance diverse and often conflicting interests.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this regard, to develop an effective stormwater management plan, it is necessary to establish clear and objective goals that consider the systemic functioning of the city and its interactions with nature. Therefore, it is crucial that goals are established through a collaborative approach that involves all relevant stakeholders and considers the interactions between the different components of the urban system. Moreover, it is important that these goals are flexible enough to accommodate unexpected changes in environmental and urban conditions, in a resilient approach, but concrete enough to guide the execution of practical actions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo address these difficulties, this work presented a new framework for stormwater management that enables a comprehensive evaluation of a municipality's flood risk while facilitating the identification of flood mitigation measures that integrate natural and built environments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis methodology is based on SWOT analysis, but it is not limited to it, as it extends its evaluation potential by associating each dimension of SWOT analysis with an action category aimed at improving the performance of the drainage system.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe adaptation of internal and external views to present and future evaluation, in addition the creation of the action categories is the main difference between the proposed methodology and the traditional application of SWOT analysis, being fundamental for the establishment of specific and concrete goals. By doing so, the specific goals should enhance the Strengths, mitigate the Weaknesses, ensure the Opportunities and prevent the Threats.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis comprehensive analysis provides a holistic understanding of local conditions and regional dynamics, facilitating the definition of general objectives and specific goals. This is particularly valuable in a Stormwater Management Plan, where the integration of drainage solutions with the urbanization process is crucial for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the proposed measures. Additionally, this approach facilitates the incorporation of environmental sustainability concepts, opening a range of opportunities to explore integrated solutions within a multidisciplinary context. This approach considers the potential of water in structuring the territory by reducing risks and providing several ecosystemic benefits to the city. In this way, hydrography is regarded as the main linking structure between natural hubs and urban sites, underlying the Blue-Green Infrastructure approach.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThus, with the proposed methodology, it is possible to align drainage solutions with actions related to territorial organization and urban planning, building a sustainable and resilient framework for the city's future. Furthermore, this planning tool is suitable for proposing Nature-based Solutions, once it integrates ecological and urban aspects in a holistic vision.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinally, this methodology proved to be not only feasible but also a differentiator in designing the action plan. It is important to highlight that this methodology has no particularities that would hinder its use in other regions. Therefore, it can be widely applied to other cases.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6 CONCLUSIONS","content":"\u003cp\u003eManagement tools are widely used and well known in the business and marketing sectors. However, some of them can be adapted and employed by public administrations as appropriate tools to help them search for and select strategies that may assist in territorial and urban planning.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is within this context that the methodology proposed in this study is situated, using a new framework that allows a general assessment of flood risk potential in a municipality, considering both current and future situations, as well as enabling the proposal of interventions for flood mitigation. For demonstration purposes, the proposed framework was applied in the development of the Maric\u0026aacute; Stormwater Management Plan, located in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the main conclusions of this study, the following are highlighted:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe SWOT Matrix is an easy-to-use and widely known tool that involves specifying a particular objective and detecting the internal and external factors, which are considered advantages or disadvantages in achieving that objective. This methodology can be easily adapted to urban planning and stormwater management, focusing on the evaluation of current and possible future scenarios, allowing for a systemic analysis of the issue at hand.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe adapted SWOT Matrix applied to the Maric\u0026aacute; Stormwater Management Plan was an appropriate baseline to diagnose current issues and outline future action lines. It has proven to be an effective tool for stormwater management, especially when integration between the natural and built environments is needed and a set of strategies should work with interdisciplinary coherence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe integration of drainage solutions and urbanization is key to ensure long-term sustainability of the proposed measures, as well as presenting an opportunity for environmental urban gains and the enhancement of the built environment. Thus, the association of the SWOT four dimensions with action categories was crucial for this multidisciplinary approach, as it facilitates the alignment of drainage solutions with actions related to territorial organization and urban planning, with the goal of building a sustainable and resilient framework for the future of Maric\u0026aacute;, particularly concerning its urban waters.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe perspective of incorporating environmental sustainability concepts into the process of rethinking the city\u0026rsquo;s growth opens a wide range of opportunities to be explored as integrated solutions in a multidisciplinary context. However, setting clear and specific objectives to achieve these goals is not always a simple task. This process can be made more straightforward and visual by using the proposed framework, making the implementation of these actions a more tangible option.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eCONFLICT OF INTEREST\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFunding Declaration\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient\u0026iacute;fico e Tecnol\u0026oacute;gico (CNPq) under Grant [167721/2023-2; 303862/2020-3]; Coordena\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de Aperfei\u0026ccedil;oamento de Pessoal de N\u0026iacute;vel Superior-Brasil (CAPES) [88887.805756/2023-00]; Funda\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de Amparo \u0026agrave; Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) under financial assistance [210.934/2024].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eO.M.R.: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Writing \u0026ndash; Original Draft; Writing \u0026ndash; Review \u0026amp; Editing. P.M.C.M.: Investigation; Writing \u0026ndash; Original Draft; Visualization (figures and tables); Writing \u0026ndash; Review \u0026amp; Editing. M.V.R.G.: Investigation; Writing \u0026ndash; Original Draft; Visualization (figures and tables); Writing \u0026ndash; Review \u0026amp; Editing. F.R.T.: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Writing \u0026ndash; Original Draft; Writing \u0026ndash; Review \u0026amp; Editing. M.F.L.: Conceptualization; Methodology; Writing \u0026ndash; Review \u0026amp; Editing. M.G.M.: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Writing \u0026ndash; Original Draft; Writing \u0026ndash; Review \u0026amp; Editing; Supervision.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to acknowledge the UNESCO Chair for Urban Drainage in Regions of Coastal Lowlands at the University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (UFRJ). This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient\u0026iacute;fico e Tecnol\u0026oacute;gico (CNPq) under Grant [167721/2023-2; 303862/2020-3]; Coordena\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de Aperfei\u0026ccedil;oamento de Pessoal de N\u0026iacute;vel Superior-Brasil (CAPES) [88887.805756/2023-00]; Funda\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o de Amparo \u0026agrave; Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) under financial assistance [210.934/2024].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll relevant data are included in the paper.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAbd-Elhamid, H. F., Zeleň\u0026aacute;kov\u0026aacute;, M., Vranayov\u0026aacute;, Z., \u0026amp; Fathy, I. (2020). 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Impact of urbanization on baseflow characteristics in the central catchment of North China Plain, China. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e50\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2023.101527\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTerrados, J., Almonacid, G., \u0026amp; Hontoria, L. (2007). Regional energy planning through SWOT analysis and strategic planning tools. Impact on renewables development. \u003cem\u003eRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e11\u003c/em\u003e(6), 1275\u0026ndash;1287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2005.08.003\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUFCOP. (2017). \u003cem\u003eLand Use Planning for Urban Flood Risk Management\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWang, W., Zhang, L., \u0026amp; Li, J. (2020). \u003cem\u003eAssessment Standard for Sponge City Effects\u003c/em\u003e. IWA Publishing. https://doi.org/10.2166/9781789060553\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eXu, H., Randall, M., \u0026amp; Fryd, O. (2023). Urban stormwater management at the meso-level: A review of trends, challenges and approaches. Em \u003cem\u003eJournal of Environmental Management\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 331). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117255\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"SWOT Matrix, Stormwater Management, Flood Risk Management","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8090080/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8090080/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eUrbanization significantly alters watershed runoff, increasing peak flows, reducing base flows, and degrading river ecosystems. Without adequate control measures, urbanization increases flood vulnerability, heightening flood risks and damaging urban infrastructure. Recent academic and technical perspectives emphasize the importance of efficient stormwater management, advocating for a systemic approach to address urban flooding risks. However, setting goals for stormwater management planning remains challenging due to its inherent complexity and multidisciplinary nature. This study introduces a novel framework, inspired by the SWOT analysis, designed to comprehensively evaluate urban flood potential and identify integrated flood control measures that combine natural and built environments demands. Applied to a real-world case study, the proposed framework demonstrated its feasibility and effectiveness in developing practical plans and proposing effective actions. Notably, the proposed method is adaptable and can be easily replicated in other regions, offering a scalable solution for improving urban flood resilience.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Comprehensive Stormwater Management Framework: Evaluating and Identifying Flood Control Strategies Guided by an adapted SWOT Matrix","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-16 00:08:22","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8090080/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-19T12:11:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"215915236556444914706059462976214285617","date":"2026-05-02T04:24:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T14:52:41+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"330505342984660644529021313947514289311","date":"2026-04-30T14:44:27+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"128438602938826201169836163594650936609","date":"2026-04-30T10:10:23+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"327448752843931660414481502209441572191","date":"2026-04-30T10:09:58+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"256562259224833632021094332339187199470","date":"2026-02-02T23:39:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"32982655049992872184601906484441999001","date":"2026-01-19T11:47:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-08T16:08:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-11-15T02:50:41+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-11-15T02:49:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-11-11T20:14:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"748ab2e7-056f-4c84-b6d4-86be06c98ce9","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 16th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-19T12:11:20+00:00","index":134,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"215915236556444914706059462976214285617","date":"2026-05-02T04:24:34+00:00","index":129,"fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T14:52:41+00:00","index":126,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"330505342984660644529021313947514289311","date":"2026-04-30T14:44:27+00:00","index":125,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"128438602938826201169836163594650936609","date":"2026-04-30T10:10:23+00:00","index":122,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"327448752843931660414481502209441572191","date":"2026-04-30T10:09:58+00:00","index":121,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":60980529,"name":"Physical sciences/Engineering"},{"id":60980530,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences"},{"id":60980531,"name":"Social science/Environmental studies"},{"id":60980532,"name":"Scientific community and society/Geography"},{"id":60980533,"name":"Social science/Geography"},{"id":60980534,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Hydrology"},{"id":60980535,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Natural hazards"},{"id":60980536,"name":"Scientific community and society/Water resources"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-16T00:08:22+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-16 00:08:22","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8090080","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8090080","identity":"rs-8090080","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}