A systematic review on urban blue-green infrastructure in the south Asian region: recent advancements, applications, and challenges

Abstract

This study uses a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) process to know the present status of research on urban Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) in the lower-middle-income countries of the South Asian region, specifically India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan, which produced 77 relevant publications after detailed scanning published between 2013 and 2022. It was aimed to analyze variations on BGI’s mentions in different regions, identify BGI components found in the literature and their uses to promote urban sustainability, research initiatives, and priorities, and identify knowledge gaps for future research. The review reveals significant differences in research distribution among countries, with the majority of the articles focusing on green spaces compared to bluescapes and concentrating on topics like local inhabitant’s perception of urban green spaces, advantages of implementing nature-based solutions, the role of green infrastructures in minimizing the urban heat island effect, air pollution, etc. Articles highlighted the lack of governance and the challenges in implementing and designing a BGI network. However, articles discussing a holistic methodology to implement BGI for promoting urban sustainability were limited. Gaps still exist in determining the appropriate strategy for the scope identification, creation, management, and governance of BGI and integrating it with existing grey infrastructure.