‘The Sponge City’ – Rainwater management in municipalities
Stormwater management in municipalities is crucial for the sustainable management of precipitation water. In view of increasing urban development and climate change, the efficient handling of rainwater is becoming increasingly important. Municipalities are implementing various strategies such as green roofs, rainwater infiltration systems, retention basins and infiltration systems to collect, clean and use rainwater.
Improved collaboration between authorities, experts, and citizens is crucial for developing and implementing effective strategies. Education and awareness-raising measures also play an important role in raising awareness of the importance of stormwater management and encouraging active citizen participation.
Overall, holistic stormwater management is an essential component for resilient, sustainable, and future-proof urban areas. By harnessing natural resources such as stormwater, municipalities can not only manage their water resources more efficiently but also contribute to a more environmentally friendly and livable environment.
In light of increasing urban development and climate change, the efficient management of rainwater is becoming increasingly important for municipalities. A few years ago, the term "sponge city" was coined in China. The city of the future absorbs heavy rainfall and then releases the water in a controlled manner. The most important goals are to prevent flood damage on the one hand and to secure the water supply on the other. To this end, rainwater should be returned to the local groundwater reserves wherever possible. Groundwater recharge is supported. These measures also reduce the burden on sewer systems and connected sewage treatment plants. By using rainwater for irrigating green spaces, flushing toilets, or industrial processes, municipalities can also conserve drinking water resources. Since numerous, decentralized cisterns always have a certain amount of empty water, they also offer municipalities a huge and very inexpensive additional retention volume and thus further protection against heavy rainfall events.
Planning and implementing effective rainwater management requires a holistic approach that takes local conditions such as topography, soil conditions and building density into account. Local authorities are increasingly relying on incentives such as financial support or guidelines to motivate private households and businesses to implement rainwater management solutions. More and more cities and municipalities are promoting the development of sponge cities, including through financial support. Measures such as greening, rainwater infiltration or retention, and water reuse are now mandatory in many development plans for new buildings.
Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
After many years of intensive negotiations, all United Nations member states have committed to transforming the global economy in a climate-friendly way. The GREEN Deal should even lead to investments in the European Union of at least 1 trillion euros by 2050. euros by 2050. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals describe what needs to be done in concrete terms.
However, at least 9 of these can never be achieved without sustainable water management.
You can find more information on our page on the sustainable goals at INTEWA.
