Chinese architect proposes building ’sponge cities’ to combat floods and drought

Photo from: iStock

A landscape architect from China, Yu Kunjian, proposed the concept of a “sponge city” that would be more resilient to natural disasters. Its infrastructure would be able to absorb excessive rainfall and at the same time recharge groundwater during dry periods.

To implement such a project, it is necessary to increase the number of natural areas and water bodies within the city limits. As Yu Kunjian explains, large park areas and ponds in the city, be they rivers or ponds, can absorb and retain large volumes of storm water, helping to prevent flooding. In addition, water in the ground and ponds is able to stay hydrated for a long time, making the city more resilient to drought periods.

“The idea of a sponge city is to regenerate and give water more space,” says the architect. He criticises much of Asia’s modern infrastructure for being built on ideas borrowed from Europe and not adapted to the monsoon climate of much of the Asian continent.

Yu proposed his idea to the Chinese government 10 years ago. In July 2012, for example, a devastating flood hit Beijing. A heavy downpour destroyed drainage systems, flooded subways in the city centre and led to flooding on the outskirts. 77 people lost their lives. A year later, China endorsed the idea of ‘sponge cities’ as a national strategy.

In 2015, 16 pilot projects to create ‘sponge cities’ were launched, with 14 more to follow in 2016. The directives, as well as accompanying subsidies, triggered a boom in water-saving infrastructure, including in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Unfortunately, not all projects have been implemented in a good way. Yu acknowledges that there is a problem of oversight. “Many cities use the concept as propaganda — just to get more money from the budget,” but then invest in completely different projects.

Cover photo: aphotostory / iStock