Zhang Yang

    nicolezyyy@163.com

    THE Sponge City International Forum will be held during the 14th Conference on International Exchange of Professionals (CIEP), which will open at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on Saturday.

    Organized by the Shenzhen Fortune High Investment Group, the forum will be held in Narcissus Hall from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Government officials and urban planning experts from China and the U.S. have been invited to explore practical ways to build a “sponge city” to solve Shenzhen’s water problems.

    A “sponge city” absorbs rainwater and uses it later.

    Uma Ramesh, chief operating officer of International City/County Management Association (ICMA), will attend the forum. ICMA is an organization based in the U.S. that supports governments worldwide to build better communities.

    A senior hydraulic engineer, Chang Hui-fong will also join the forum. Chang participated in the low-impact design of a drainage project in Maryland, the U.S., in 1998. The project is an early version of the sponge city design.

    Newsha Ajami, a Ph.D. holder from Stanford University, will also be invited to the forum. Ajami is director of Urban Water Policy with the university’s Water in the West and the NSF-ReNUWIt initiatives. She is a hydrologist that specializes in sustainable water resources management and water policy.

    The idea for a “sponge city” emerged in the West and is gradually gaining popularity in China. Following the philosophy of “solving a city’s problems with its own resources,” it aims at storing rainwater, especially during heavy rainfall, to prevent floods and release it for the benefit of residents during dry times to ease water shortages, according to a China Daily report.

    Guangming New Area has been designated as the pilot area to explore “sponge city” development in Shenzhen. According to the new area’s urban construction bureau’s website, Shenzhen will promote low-impact development to build a “sponge city,” making use of parks, green space and underground space to construct a large-scale drainage system for rainwater collection and utilization.

    The development of a “sponge city” will alleviate urban water-logging problems, expand the water landscape and improve the water eco-environment in Shenzhen, according to the bureau.