With the massive urbanization in China over the past forty years, many cities face environmental problems, especially floods, water resource scarcity, lack of groundwater reserves, water pollution, and urban flooding. Water is one of the most wasted natural resources. Trillions of liters of water fall on cities worldwide only to be diverted into drainage systems that carry it away to distant lakes, rivers, and oceans. At the same time, cities pump water from distant sources or from aquifers that are rapidly depleting. These drainage systems are often inadequate, leading to widespread floods that only intensify as cities continue to expand and changes in climate patterns result in more frequent and intense storms.
One of the main proponents of the "sponge cities" concept is landscape architect Kongjian Yu. He has gained international recognition for projects and measures aimed at addressing and preventing urban floods amidst accelerated climate change. His pioneering research on "ecological security patterns" and "sponge cities" has been adopted by the Chinese government as guiding theory for national land use planning, ecological city campaigns, and urban ecological restoration. The concept became national policy in China in 2013, prioritizing large-scale nature-based infrastructure such as wetlands, greenways, parks, tree canopies, forest protection, rain gardens, green roofs, permeable pavements, and bio-swales.
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Source: https://sintaemasp.org.br/noticias/cidades-esponja-resposta-chinesa-as-tormentas