jaue2023060: Urban Stormwater Management Measures: Opportunities and Challenges for Sponge Cities in China

Abstract

In recent years, China has witnessed a growing prevalence of urban pluvial flooding due to extreme rainfall events. This paper assesses the hurdles confronted by China in dealing with urban pluvial flooding and managing stormwater in urban areas, with a specific focus on a policy initiative known as “Sponge City”. The paper presents the occurrences of pluvial flood disasters in urbanized regions, conducting an analysis of their causes and the mechanisms contributing to their formation. Subsequently, it introduces China’s sponge city initiative and deliberates on policy implementation. Despite being theoretically well-founded and in alignment with its design principles, the initiative encounters a spectrum of implementation challenges. These challenges encompass technological complexities, constraints in governance capacity, as exemplified by management ideologies, investment financing, implementation strategies, planning and organizational aspects, and project evaluation. The paper concludes that the effectiveness of the sponge city initiative hinges on China’s commitment to adopting appropriate measures in the realms of technical expertise, governance structures, financial provisions, and organizational enhancements to effectively tackle the challenges encountered during policy implementation.