Soft and full of holes, sponges absorb and retain water. With heavy rainfall and storms predicted to increase due to climate change, cities that are equipped with plenty of permeable surfaces such as parks, trees and lakes that soak up water like sponges, will be better able to mitigate floods.

To measure how well urban spaces can manage excess water, Arup, a global built environment consultancy, surveyed seven major cities at risk of heavy rainfall and severe floods using an artificial intelligence and land use analysis system called Terrain. In March 2022, it published a report on its findings called the "Global Sponge Cities Snapshot."

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+ Info: CNN

Image from CNN