{"id":61122,"date":"2026-04-13T15:08:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/why-asia-pacific-cities-must-become-sponges-global-issues\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:09:12","slug":"why-asia-pacific-cities-must-become-sponges-global-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/why-asia-pacific-cities-must-become-sponges-global-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Asia Pacific cities must become &#8216;sponges&#8217; &#8211; Global Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content\">\n<figure class=\"img-with-caption ips-feature-image\"><figcaption>A motorcyclist wades through floods in Kolkata, India. Cities should turn into sponges to absorb floods as part of climate adaptation. Credit: Pexels\/Dibakar Roy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul id=\"author-page-update\" class=\"small secondary\">\n<li class=\"author\"><span class=\"opinion\">Opinion<\/span> By Emily Baker, Leila Salarpour Goodarzi and Alyssa Bellaz (<span class=\"city\">Bangkok, Thailand<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><time datetime=\"2026-04-13\">Monday, April 13, 2026<\/time><\/li>\n<li class=\"news-source\">inter press service<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>BANGKOK, Thailand, Apr 13 (IPS) &#8211; As the Pacific Ocean recovers from a devastating cyclone season and Asia prepares for the monsoon, flood preparedness has become a defining test of sustainable urban development.\n<\/p>\n<p> <em><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/repository.unescap.org\/server\/api\/core\/bitstreams\/86497019-0af7-40e3-b1d0-f6c5641bbf0e\/content\">Asia and the Pacific 2026 SDG Progress Report<\/a><\/em>    signals a harsh truth: while progress has been made in poverty reduction, health and infrastructure, the region is lagging behind on climate action, disaster resilience and biodiversity \u2013 areas now decisive for long-term development. <\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unescap.org\/blog\/asia-and-pacific-preparing-new-era-disaster-risks\">Widespread flooding across the region in November 2025<\/a> This was not just a meteorological phenomenon; This was a warning and a new baseline. From Hat Yai to Colombo, dense urban districts remained under water for days, causing massive disruption to millions of people and property worth billions.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unescap.org\/blog\/asia-and-pacific-preparing-new-era-disaster-risks\">Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, climate extremes are intensifying, causing water flows into drainage systems to increase by more than 53%.<\/a>. In coastal areas, flooding can halt transportation, isolate communities, delay emergency response, and cause salt water intrusion that damages agriculture and freshwater supplies. <\/p>\n<p>ESCAP&#8217;s analysis (Figure 1) examines how these threats will continue to grow in the region&#8217;s low-lying river deltas, small island nations and rapidly growing coastal cities. For example, Seenu Atoll in the Maldives is expected to face a six-fold increase in population risk due to coastal flooding by 2050. <\/p>\n<p>Looking across the region, Jiangsu province in China, West Bengal in India, Khula and Maris Divisions of Bangladesh, and Ban Tre and Bac Lieu provinces of Vietnam are expected to see hundreds of thousands of people exposed on their respective beaches over the next 25 years. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-with-caption no-link aligncenter size-full wp-image-194738\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.globalissues.org\/ips\/2026\/04\/Percentage-of-People_.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" width=\"554\" height=\"561\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-194738\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.globalissues.org\/ips\/2026\/04\/Percentage-of-People_.jpg 554w, https:\/\/static.globalissues.org\/ips\/2026\/04\/Percentage-of-People_-296x300.jpg 296w, https:\/\/static.globalissues.org\/ips\/2026\/04\/Percentage-of-People_-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/static.globalissues.org\/ips\/2026\/04\/Percentage-of-People_-466x472.jpg 466w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><strong>In the face of these risks, cities become engines of growth only when they are resilient.<\/strong> So, why did so many cities in the Asia-Pacific region find themselves underwater, while others weathered the storm with little disruption? The answer lies in whether cities treat rain as a resource or as a waste.<\/p>\n<p>Traditional &#8220;grey&#8221; systems, such as pipes, pumps and channels, are intended to move water out rapidly. In a non-stable climate and dense urban structure, this is no longer enough. sponge city design <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/openknowledge.worldbank.org\/entities\/publication\/ad3140b7-894e-57a9-bd3f-d588b4ef6b4a\">Blends green-blue-gray system<\/a> (permeable surfaces, parks, wetlands, bioswales, green corridors) with modern drainage to capture, store and safely release rainfall at source. <\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/global.chinadaily.com.cn\/a\/202110\/29\/WS617b41bca310cdd39bc71fea_1.html\">China&#8217;s National Sponge City Initiative (launched in 2015)<\/a> Based on international practice and showing how integrated planning can remodel districts and guide new development to manage water where it falls. The logic is simple: expand infiltration and storage, reduce peak runoff and use engineered conveyance when and where needed. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Results for early adopters are solid<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/water\/articles\/10.3389\/frwa.2024.1406520\/full\">In Wuhan, sponge city measures contributed to a 50% reduction<\/a> In locations that experience overflows and pipe overloading during high flow years. <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asla.org\/news-holding\/dirt\/2013\/12\/the-new-philadelphia-story-is-about-green-infrastructure#:~:text=Philadelphia&#039;s%20new%20plan%20is%20based,green%20%22bump%2Douts.%22\">Over the lifetime of the assets, green-blue systems can cost significantly less<\/a> compared to like-to-like gray detail, while <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/cell-reports-sustainability\/fulltext\/S2949-7906(25)00308-8#:~:text=Supplemental%20information%20(2)-,Science%20for%20society,resilience%20and%20enhance%20urban%20biodiversity.\">providing co-benefits<\/a> What conventional drains can&#8217;t do: cooler neighborhoods, better air quality, biodiversity and accessible public spaces. <\/p>\n<p>For cities facing increasing loss and damage under SDG 11.5 (deaths, people affected and economic losses), Sponge City programs generate a resilience dividend \u2013 not just a solution to flooding. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Sponge city thinking is also evolving towards smart hybrid infrastructure <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To model urban hydrology and optimize performance in real-time, nature-based systems are being combined with engineered assets and digital tools, such as digital twins, to enable city planners to simulate rainfall scenarios, forecast flood hotspots, and adaptively manage infrastructure, thereby improving the effectiveness of sponge-city interventions. <\/p>\n<p>The pair transforms static drainage into adaptive urban water management, responding to changes in rainfall intensity and patterns, reducing and managing risks through early warning, community preparedness and basin scale control.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Urban resilience is also ecological <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adb.org\/sites\/default\/files\/institutional-document\/1094736\/apcr2025bp-conservation-wetlands-asia-pacific.pdf\">The Asia-Pacific region is home to an estimated 30\u201340% of the world&#8217;s wetlands, yet only about 22% are formally protected.<\/a> As wetland buffers dry up or reclaim, cities lose natural absorption, filtration and growth moderation, such that extremes intensify. The protection and restoration of urban and peri-urban wetlands is therefore a key infrastructure policy, underpinning SDG 15 while directly driving SDGs 11.5 and 13.1.<\/p>\n<p>The sponge city approach is not a panacea. Their effectiveness may be constrained by governance capacity, implementation scale and maintenance requirements, land availability and high-density development. They should therefore be complemented by strong end-to-end early warning systems and coordinated disaster risk management frameworks.<\/p>\n<p>To this end, ESCAP supports countries across the region by providing regional and national risk analysis through its <em><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rrp.unescap.org\/\">Risk and Resilience Portal<\/a><\/em>Enabling policy makers to integrate climate and disaster-related information directly into development planning. <\/p>\n<p>These analyzes and tools are tailored to regional and country needs, such as ClimaCoast, which focuses on coastal multi-hazard and socio-economic risks. These initiatives are complemented by targeted financing <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unescap.org\/disaster-preparedness-fund\">Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness<\/a>Through programs that strengthen coastal resilience in Asia and the Pacific. Together, these initiatives aim to reverse the current decline in resilience-related SDG targets and help secure sustainable development in the region&#8217;s high-risk hotspots.<\/p>\n<p>Asia and the Pacific can no longer rely on differing climates and drainage systems built for centuries. By adopting sponge city principles, Asia Pacific cities can bring resilience into everyday urban life \u2013 a development imperative, not just a technological change. <\/p>\n<p>Strengthening urban resilience is essential to advance SDG 11 and SDG 13 and protect hard-won development gains, which are often washed away when floods occur.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>tamilly baker<\/strong> The Program Management Officer, ESCAP is; <strong>Leela Salarpur Gudarzi<\/strong> Associate Economic Affairs Officer, ESCAP and <strong>Alyssa Bellaz<\/strong> ESCAP advisors<\/em><\/p>\n<p>IPS UN Bureau<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a9 Inter Press Service (20260413080049) &#8211; All rights reserved<\/em>. <cite class=\"original\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipsnews.net\/2026\/04\/from-flooded-to-future-ready-why-asia-pacific-cities-must-become-sponges\/\">Original source: Inter Press Service<\/a><\/cite><\/p>\n<aside id=\"after-content\">\n<h2>Where next?<\/h2>\n<section class=\"box\" id=\"where-next-group\">\n<div class=\"tabs\">\n<div id=\"tab-content-news-headlines-related-categories\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<h3 class=\"tab-heading\">related news<\/h3>\n<p>Browse related news topics:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tab-content-news-headlines-latest\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<h3 class=\"tab-heading\">latest news<\/h3>\n<p>Read latest news stories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">From flood-prone to future-ready: why Asia Pacific cities must become &#8216;sponges&#8217;<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Monday, April 13, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Informal settlements in Pacific islands grapple with climate extremes<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Monday, April 13, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Putting humans at the center: UN AI panel begins work on global impact study<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Saturday, 11 April 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Israeli attacks in Iran and Lebanon raise concerns of broader regional instability<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Friday, April 10, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Will Sierra Leone&#8217;s democracy make room for persons with disabilities?<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Friday, April 10, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Stepping up against sexual harassment in Kenyan slums has an unexpected ally: Landlords StandFirst<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Friday, April 10, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">New era for space begins with return of Artemis astronauts<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Friday, April 10, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Haiti&#8217;s liberation demands urgent global action as millions face hunger and violence<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Friday, April 10, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Sudan: 14 million displaced; Attacks on hunger and health continue as war enters fourth year<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Friday, April 10, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"hedline-main\">Lebanon airstrike casualties &#8216;still in debris&#8217; as ambulances, hospitals face new threats<\/span> <span class=\"datetime\">Friday, April 10, 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tab-content-news-headlines-related-in-depth\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<h3 class=\"tab-heading\">depth in<\/h3>\n<p>Learn more about related issues:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"social-bookmarks\">\n<h2>share this<\/h2>\n<section class=\"box\">\n<p>Bookmark it or share it with others using some popular social bookmarking web sites:<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<details id=\"link-to-here\">\n<summary>\n<h2>Link this page to your site\/blog<\/h2>\n<\/summary>\n<section class=\"box\">\n<p>Add the following HTML code to your page:<\/p>\n<pre><code><p>From Flooded to Future Ready: Why Asia Pacific Cities must Become \u2018Sponges\u2019, <cite>Inter Press Service<\/cite>, Monday, April 13, 2026 (posted by Global Issues)<\/p><\/code><\/pre>\n<p>&#8230;to produce it:<\/p>\n<p class=\"result copy-code-to-clipboard\">From flood-prone to future-ready: why Asia Pacific cities must become &#8216;sponges&#8217; <cite>inter press service<\/cite>Monday, April 13, 2026 (Posted by Global Issues)<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A motorcyclist wades through floods in Kolkata, India. Cities should turn into sponges to absorb floods as part of climate adaptation. Credit: Pexels\/Dibakar Roy Opinion By Emily Baker, Leila Salarpour Goodarzi and Alyssa Bellaz (Bangkok, Thailand) Monday, April 13, 2026 inter press service BANGKOK, Thailand, Apr 13 (IPS) &#8211; As the Pacific Ocean recovers from<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[4062,4137,99,2256,4638,18041],"class_list":["post-61122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bible-news","tag-asia","tag-cities","tag-global","tag-issues","tag-pacific","tag-sponges"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61124,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61122\/revisions\/61124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}