Discussion on Sponge City Construction under the Circumstance of Urban Waterlogging

Abstract

Urban waterlogging caused by flooding hazards is becoming a severe phenomenon for the urbanization of society. To address the challenging problem of urban waterlogging, the strategy of Sponge City (SPC) was put forward. Based on the discussion of Sponge City development, this paper analyzed the Sponge City construction in Shanghai. The analysis indicates that SPC construction is helpful to improve the resilience of Northern cities to flooding disasters, with two potential associated issues: drought disaster and urban waterlogging. Sponge city can absorb rainwater during heavy rainfalls and reuse the useful water to resist drought disasters. For cities which have intensive river systems, taking advantage of river systems to quickly discharge rainwater is an effective way in the process of SPC construction. SPC construction is a long-term complicated process at the system-level. The construction of Sponge City projects should formulate and adjust specific measures to local urban conditions, rather than formulating the uniform strategy. Vigorous and effective strategies should be developed and implemented to cope with the unfavorable situations of aggravating water disasters in urban areas in China.