Ningbo has made great progress with its first major sponge city project in Cicheng, Zhejiang Daily reported on Aug 22.

The city in eastern Zhejiang province plans to convert a 2.8-square-kilometer area of Cicheng into a large green belt capable of absorbing large amounts of rainwater, which can then be used to irrigate the area's public parks.

The project is the first step in Ningbo's plan to become one of China's first "sponge cities". The city was selected by the Chinese government to pilot the sponge city concept in 2016.

China has been promoting the construction of sponge cities since 2013. The idea is to use urban planning and technology to allow cities to absorb, store and release water like a sponge, which can prevent both flooding and droughts by using water resources more efficiently.

Taking advantage of the artificial rivers created during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Cicheng's ancient city, the sponge city project is tailored to Cicheng by creating an automatic water recycling system.

An artificial lake covering about 300 acres plays an important role in the area. It is used as a sunken greenbelt and a rainwater catchment facility, so that rainwater can be collected to be used for irrigation.

Ningbo will continue to take the lead in the "sponge-city" construction and promote the development of an international, livable city.

A graphic explains the concept of a sponge city. [Photo/gochengdu.cn]