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The concept of the “sponge city” was developed in 2013 to address urban water management challenges in China and rebuild a harmonious relationship among people, water and city (read more in Part 1). The sponge city concept refers to a way of urban management that allows cities to resolve urban waterlogging, improve water storage and discharge capacity, enhance water quality, and alleviate heat island effects through nature-based and grey solutions, by applying the concept’s six technical measures - "infiltration, retention, storage, purification, utilization and discharge".
Wuhan is one of the sponge pilot cities in China. The target of the Wuhan Sponge City Programme is set as 20% and 80% of the urban area should achieve the sponge city requirements by 2020 and 2030 respectively and absorb 60%-85% of the annual rainfall. The sponge infrastructures applied in Wuhan include nature-based solutions, such as rain gardens, grass swales and bio-retention facilities, and grey infrastructure, such as permeable pavements, infiltration trenches, and rainwater storage modules.
So far, the Wuhan Sponge City Programme has achieved great success and showcased the great ability of waterlogging prevention and the potential of nature-based solutions.