The Transformation of the Green Infrastructure Intervention Under the Case of Sponge City Program: Positions, Challenges, and Prospects in China

Abstract

“Sponge City Program” (SCP), initiated in 2013, is the term in the Chinese interpretation of tackling urban stormwater and surface water management. The concept acts like a “Sponge” to absorb urban runoff and conduct the purification and storage via the restored natural hydrological processes via vegetation, soil, and water interactions. There were frequent and severe urban flood impacts and damages that affect the country during the recent decades after the “Open Door Policy” revealed and rapid urbanisation and developments occurred which see the country. Urban transformation occurs that witnesses their success, but urban surface water floods similarly occurred due to the interruption of the urban hydrological cycle. The current land drainage system cannot cope with climatic extremes. The SCP is similar to Green Infrastructure (GI) that has been commonly adopted in the UK and elsewhere by the practices such as sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) and Low-impact development (LID). The Central National Government (CNG) is ambitious and committed to achieving the major target for reducing urban flood risk. Indeed, there were selected 30 pilot “Sponge Cities” have been adopted the GI measures for the last few years at the first and second stage of SCP. This chapter shares and discusses recent progress, transformation, interpretation, and future development of SCP. In particular, we would like to adopt Ningbo, East China, one of the SCP major pilot cities that is an affluent and rapidly expanding coastal city, as the case for implying the positions, challenges, and prospects of SCP. Lastly, the chapter offers recommendations and foresight that the SCP and GI development further in the third stage (up to 2030s) and beyond, to mitigate future urban water issues in Chinese cities.