Citation: Su, J.; Wang, M.; Razi, M.A.M.; Dom, N.M.; Sulaiman, N.; Wai, T.L. A Bibliometric Review of Nature-Based Solutions on Urban Stormwater Management. Sustainability 2023, 15, 7281. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097281 Academic Editor: Vivek Shandas Received: 2 March 2023 Revised: 15 April 2023 Accepted: 25 April 2023 Published: 27 April 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). sustainability Review A Bibliometric Review of Nature-Based Solutions on Urban Stormwater Management Jin Su 1 , Mo Wang 2, * , Mohd Adib Mohammad Razi 1, *, Norlida Mohd Dom 3 , Noralfishah Sulaiman 1 and Tan Lai Wai 1 1 Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, University Tun Hussein Onn, Parit Raja 86400, Malaysia; kallang01@outlook.com (J.S.); nora@uthm.edu.my (N.S.); laiwai@uthm.edu.my (T.L.W.) 2 College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China 3 Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Humid Tropics Centre Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur 50480, Malaysia; norlidamd@water.gov.my * Correspondence: saupwangmo@gzhu.edu.cn (M.W.); adib@uthm.edu.my (M.A.M.R.) Abstract: Urban stormwater management is a critical challenge facing cities globally, with natural- based solutions (NBS) emerging as a promising approach for mitigating the impacts of urban stormwa- ter runoff. This bibliometric review examined the research trends and hot topics related to NBS for urban stormwater management. The study utilized a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze 176 articles from the Web of Science database, covering the period from 2016 to 2022. Results showed that NBS is a widely researched topic with a growing trend in publications in recent years, led by the United States, China, and several European countries. The majority of NBS articles were research papers (82%) with a focus on environmental performance rather than social and economic dimensions. Quantitative methods were more frequently used in research arti- cles, particularly statistical analysis/modeling. Interviews and discussions were the most common qualitative method used. The review identified the most relevant countries, affiliations, authors, and journals in the field. Furthermore, hot topics in NBS research were highlighted, including ecosystem services, climate change, and sustainability. The study also emphasized that future research per- spective should focus on interdisciplinary and collaborative research, scaling up and mainstreaming NBS, and exploring new ways of integrating different disciplines and stakeholders in the research process. The findings of this review provided insights into the current state of NBS research and offer valuable information for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field of urban stormwater management. Keywords: nature-based solution; urban stormwater management; bibliometric; VOSviewer; urban flooding; green infrastructure 1. Introduction Urban flooding is a critical issue caused by heavy rainfall intensities over a brief period of time in a small area, resulting in significant surface runoff and flooding, which harms human well-being and damages local economies [1]. The vulnerability of urban areas to pluvial floods is increasing due to the high percentage of impervious surfaces, flat land cover, and low-lying regions [2,3]. As rainfall events are becoming more frequent due to global climate change, cities must enhance their resilience and capacity to deal with urban flood hazards [4,5]. Urban stormwater management (USM) is a growing area of concern due to the impacts of climate change, over-urbanization, faulty urban planning, and weak public awareness of environmental protection. The concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) has emerged as a means of addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation while promoting policy objectives such as ecosystem-based adaptation, ecosystem services, and low-impact development [6]. According to Maes and Jacobs [7], NBS refers to “any transition to a use Sustainability 2023, 15, 7281. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097281 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability