Climate change has imposed challenges on the water resources management in urban areas. Policies and engineering should take into account the adaptability of the stormwater systems as a key part for water resources project planning. The city of Barranquilla, Colombia, has one of the most critical stormwater problems in the world, due to close to 100 km of the urban street network, including main streets, become in urban rivers every year during the raining season, with flow rates from 30 to 100 m3/s. This article shows a general diagnosis of the problem and a discussion of some alternatives of sustainable urban drainage management applicable to the conditions of the city for controlling peak flow.