Rapid urban growth and global climatic variability result in frequent flooding in urban areas rnand pose unprecedented stress on the existing drainage infrastructures. In developed nations, rna shift in urban stormwater management from relying exclusively on gray, pipe-based rndrainage infrastructures towards green, nature-based approaches referred to as Sustainable rnDrainage Systems (SuDS), among others, is currently taking place. In cities of developing rncountries, the existing gray infrastructures are not well developed, prompting an opportunity rnof performing a technical leapfrogging towards SuDS. Through vigilant adoption of this rnincreasingly-practiced nature-based drainage solution, municipalities can provide better rndrainage and flood control and create a fertile ground for more co-benefits to local residents rnin terms of livelihood and livability.rnThis Ph.D. thesis identifies options to improve the drainage challenge of settlements rndeveloped over higher slope terrains and low lying plains of urban areas in developing rncountries with the high rate of urban growth and drainage infrastructure deficit, through rnterrain modifications and introduction of gravel-based drainage design solutions as a nature based drainage option to control flooding and provide co-benefits. rnThe study is presented in three parts based on two empirical studies from case sites, both rndeveloped in the south-western fringe of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and one desktop study rnbuilding upon one of the empirical studies. The case studies present the design of novel rndrainage and stormwater harvesting solutions constructed by using locally available rnmaterials and terrain modifications. The first design is for drainage of cobblestone streets in rnhilly areas. The design is referred to as Infiltration Bumper with Tree Planter (IBTP) and rntargets flood prevention, groundwater recharges and city greening simultaneously. The rnsecond design is for the management of stormwater in low lying residential areas. The rndesign is referred to as Elevated Retention and Detention Basin (ERDB), and targets rnwaterlogging prevention, stormwater harvesting, and green area improvements. The first rnsolution (IBTP) is developed and tested to control stormwater runoff generated from the rnlocal cobblestone streets within the designated case study catchments for a 2-year storm rnevent corresponding to 40 mm over 2 hours. The second solution (ERDB) is developed and rntested to control 100% stormwater runoff generated from the Jemo condominium (the rnmultistory residential neighborhood in Addis Ababa) within the designated case study rncatchments for the same storm event. The desktop-study resulted in a GIS-based planning rntool for upscaling of the IBTP to a city-wide solution.