TITLE:
Nature-Based Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction: Sponge Cities Increase Resilience, Reduce Risks, and Lower the Costs of Floods
AUTHORS:
Joel Thomas
KEYWORDS:
Climate Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction, Flood, Green Infrastructure, Resilience, Sponge City, Stormwater, Sustainability, Urban Planning
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.17 No.11,
November
25,
2025
ABSTRACT: Recent catastrophic flooding events across the globe have starkly highlighted the vulnerability of urban centers designed around 20th-century climate norms. As hydro-meteorological hazards intensify globally, China’s large-scale investment in nature-based urban design offers a critical case study in cost-saving long-term resilience. This article examines the value proposition of the Sponge City concept, a paradigm shift in urban water management pioneered by Dr. Kongjian Yu and implemented across China, as a strategic response to increasing climate volatility. We evaluate and compare the economic, social, and environmental costs and savings of the integrated Green Infrastructure-Sponge City approach vs. the conventional Grey Infrastructure approach to sustainable urban adaptation, providing a framework for decision-making.