Sponge City

‘Danube Region is forecasted to be exposed to climate change greatly by increasing annual mean temperatures, the wet regions becoming wetter, the dry regions drier in general, as well as increase in the intensity and frequency of heat waves, dry periods, and of heavy rainfalls on local, regional level. The frequency and severity of environmental disasters like floods, flash floods, droughts, or forest fires are predicted to increase in the next decades.’ [OP, p.77]
The project sets up a regional knowledge-sharing network among municipalities, universities, research organisations, water management authorities and other relevant actors of the Danube Region to increase the efficiency of water retention in urban areas, reduce the frequency and volume of flash floods, drought, heat waves and fire.
The consortium will adapt the sponge city methodology, which was designed in the early 2000s by Chinese researchers to create a much more absorbent urban environment so that the groundwater from extreme weather events can be drained away more effectively and collected in aquifers for later cleaning and re-use.
The cross-sectoral consortium involves higher educational institutions, sectoral agencies, local municipalities and water management companies to ensure that all relevant scientific, technological, infrastructural, social, and financial aspects will be taken into consideration for elaborating local water retention strategies and preparing necessary urban investments. The consortium covers the entire Danube region to support harmonised, joint capacities and data availability for climate change forecasting and vulnerability assessment to support policy making and awareness raising.
The project will also tackle the socio-economic impacts of Climate Change by improving the preparedness and adaptation capacities of the society, economy and the environment. The project will involve local communities (civil organisations, entrepreneurs, citizens, students) into co-designing, co-creating, testing and maintaining water retention solutions – such as green surfaces, green walls, bioswales, inner-city lakes, rain gardens, permeable pavements – based on the living lab concept. Thus, above supporting harmonised, coordinated, joint disaster prevention on city level, the consortium will improve the preparedness and response activities by awareness raising actions.