第2228期:How sponge cities could prevent floods

Devastating floods are becoming more and more common around the world. The warming climate is leading to heavier rainfall, but could the way that cities are growing be making things worse? Could we design cities in a different way to reduce the risk of flooding?

毁灭性的洪水在世界各地变得越来越普遍。 气候变暖导致降雨量增加，但城市的发展方式是否会让情况变得更糟？ 我们能否以不同的方式设计城市来降低洪水风险？

As cities expand, and more and more land is underneath concrete or paving, less water is absorbed and more needs to be channelled away by storm drains and sewerage systems. As they become overwhelmed by the volume of water, the risk of flash flooding increases.

随着城市的扩张，越来越多的土地被混凝土或路面覆盖，吸收的水越来越少，更多的水需要通过雨水渠和污水处理系统排出。 当它们被大量的水淹没时，山洪爆发的风险就会增加。

Could it be that we've been taking the wrong approach? Chinese landscape architect Yu Kongjian certainly thinks so. In 2013, he proposed the concept of 'sponge cities', which are designed to soak up water – like a sponge – reducing the risk of sudden floods. Natural solutions are encouraged, using riverside parks and ponds to absorb floodwater. Approaches inspired by this have been taken by cities across the world. Auckland, in New Zealand, was named the spongiest city in one study. It has replaced the concrete culverts around the Oakley creek stream with green banks and connected parks. This has reduced flooding in the nearby residential areas as well as the amount of associated contamination which used to be washed into the sea.

难道我们一直采取了错误的方法吗？ 中国景观设计师俞孔坚当然这么认为。 2013年，他提出了“海绵城市”的概念，其设计目的是像海绵一样吸水，从而降低突发洪水的风险。 鼓励自然解决方案，利用河滨公园和池塘吸收洪水。 世界各地的城市都采取了受此启发的方法。 新西兰奥克兰在一项研究中被评为海绵最丰富的城市。 它用绿色河岸和相连的公园取代了奥克利溪流周围的混凝土涵洞。 这减少了附近居民区的洪水以及过去被冲入大海的相关污染物的数量。

Auckland has taken a natural approach, but a much more high-tech method can be seen in Amsterdam. The Dutch city has installed blue-green roofs on a number of buildings. These roofs have a layer of plants on the outside, and then layers underneath which collect and store rainwater. This water can be used by people in the building below to water plants or flush toilets. Sophisticated software can even tell the roofs to release water ahead of upcoming storms to maximise the system's ability to soak up rainwater. It can even identify which areas of the city are at most risk and tailor the response accordingly.

奥克兰采取了一种自然的方法，但在阿姆斯特丹可以看到一种更加高科技的方法。 荷兰城市在许多建筑物上安装了蓝绿色屋顶。 这些屋顶外面有一层植物，下面有一层收集和储存雨水的植物。 楼下的人们可以用这些水来浇灌植物或冲厕所。 复杂的软件甚至可以告诉屋顶在即将到来的暴风雨之前释放水，以最大限度地提高系统吸收雨水的能力。 它甚至可以识别城市的哪些区域风险最大，并相应地调整应对措施。

Yu Kongjian describes the sponge city approach as using Tai Chi with nature instead of boxing. Questions have been raised as to whether a natural approach is sufficient when faced with increased rain fall globally. What remains to be seen is whether increased scale and combination with modern technology can help natural methods save many more people from flooding.

俞孔坚将海绵城市的做法描述为用自然太极而不是拳击。 有人质疑，面对全球降雨量增加，自然方法是否足够。 还有待观察的是，扩大规模并与现代技术相结合是否可以帮助自然方法拯救更多人免遭洪水之害。

词汇表

concrete 混凝土
paving 铺路的材料
channel away 疏导，排出
storm drain 雨水渠
sewerage system 下水道系统
overwhelmed 被淹没的
flash flooding 突发性洪水
landscape architect 景观设计师
soak up 吸收，吸掉（液体）
absorb （逐渐）吸收
floodwater 内涝积水，洪水
culvert 地下排水管道
bank 堤岸
wash into 冲入
blue-green roof 种有绿色植物、有助于管理雨水的 “蓝绿色屋顶”