Potential sites for blue-green infrastructure in Gurugram, India; a multicriteria analysis

Rapid urbanization has led to a transformation of natural landscapes in cities, replacing them with impervious surfaces. This alteration disrupts the natural patterns and processes of water flow, leading to inadequate stormwater management and increased flooding problems. However, integrated Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) offers a solution. BGI adopts a landscape conservation approach incorporating interconnected networks of blue and green spaces within urban areas. Gurugram has emerged as a bustling real estate hub, with rapid urban development converting a significant portion of the city into impervious surfaces. The proliferation of concrete structures and paved areas has left little room for rainwater to percolate into the soil. Consequently, Gurugram grapples with severe flooding during every monsoon season, making significant roads and buildings inundated. To solve this problem, this study aims to identify and map the suitable areas for implementing BGIs in Gurugram City using GIS and multi-criteria analysis with an analytical hierarchy process. The study uses eight open-access criteria- slope, drainage density, proximity to roads, land use and land cover, proximity to blue spaces, proximity to green spaces, soil and water-logged locations. Based on GIS-based multi-criteria analysis, 3.22%, 64.16%, and 32.61% of the study area were identified as highly suitable, moderately suitable, and less suitable for BGI development, respectively.