Choi et al. (2026) Improving Water-Cycle Soundness Through LID in a Future Urbanizing Watershed: A Case Study of the Dawoon Watershed, Ulsan

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Water
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-08
• Authors: Joowon Choi, Jaerock Park, J Kim, Soonchul Kwon
• DOI: 10.3390/w18020166

Research Groups

Not explicitly stated in the provided text, but likely affiliated with an institution in Ulsan, Republic of Korea.

Short Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development (LID) strategies in restoring urban water cycle soundness in the Dawoon watershed, Republic of Korea, a semi-rural area designated for future large-scale urbanization. It found that integrated LID measures significantly mitigate the negative hydrological impacts of urbanization, restoring water cycle conditions close to the pre-development state.

Objective

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Low Impact Development (LID) strategies in restoring water-cycle soundness under anticipated urbanization conditions in a semi-rural watershed designated for future urban expansion.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Dawoon watershed in Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
• Temporal Scale: Long-term simulations (specific duration not provided).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Storm Water Management Model (SWMM).
• Data sources: Not explicitly detailed, but likely involved hydrological and land-use data for the Dawoon watershed to develop the model and design land-use-specific LID scenarios.

Main Results

• Urban development substantially increases surface runoff while reducing infiltration and evapotranspiration.
• Integrated application of LID measures significantly mitigated these impacts.
• LID strategies reduced total runoff by approximately 3%.
• LID strategies improved the water cycle recovery rate to nearly 99%, restoring hydrological conditions close to the pre-development state.
• The most effective LID scenario involved the combined implementation of vegetated swales, infiltration–storage basins, green roofs, and permeable pavements.

Contributions

• Focuses on semi-rural or urban–rural transition watersheds at the planning stage, addressing a gap in existing literature that primarily focuses on fully urbanized areas.
• Provides a practical framework and guidance for setting water-cycle management targets and selecting effective LID measures in developing or peri-urban watersheds.
• Highlights the importance of incorporating LID strategies at the early stages of urban planning for climate resilience and preventing long-term water cycle degradation.

Funding

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Choi2026Improving,
  author = {Choi, Joowon and Park, Jaerock and Kim, J and Kwon, Soonchul},
  title = {Improving Water-Cycle Soundness Through LID in a Future Urbanizing Watershed: A Case Study of the Dawoon Watershed, Ulsan},
  journal = {Water},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/w18020166},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w18020166}
}