Ecosystem-based adaptation to address urbanization and climate change challenges: the case of China’s sponge city initiative

Rapid urbanization and climate change are two grand challenges faced by many cities in pursuing sustainable urban development. While ecosystem-based adaptation practices are increasingly recognized and adopted across the world as an important urban development strategy, their effective implementation in diverse biophysical conditions and development contexts is of interest, requiring scientific research and learning. This paper presents the case of China in implementing an ecosystem-based approach – sponge city development – to address the water-related challenges of urbanization and climate change. It draws on the literature to synthesize understanding of the interaction between the urban landscape, urban development, and ecosystem services, and proposes mainstreaming an ecosystem service framework in spatial planning and performance evaluation to guide ecosystem-based adaption practices. Focusing on China’s practice, the paper develops a five-step procedure for operationalizing and mainstreaming ecosystem services so as to improve policy implementation for sponge city development. This paper aims to provide a practical perspective to help enhance ecosystem-based adaptation in urban development to better address the challenges of urbanization and climate change.Key policy insightsCities are increasingly looking into ecosystem-based adaptation, as an integrated part of urban development, to increase resilience to climate change and to promote urban sustainability.China’s experience with implementing a national initiative called sponge city development contributes to learning and an understanding of ecosystem-based adaptation practices to address urbanization and climate change challenges.Existing literature shows the need and potential for an ecosystem service framework to guide spatial planning and performance evaluation for ecosystem-based adaptation.China is in a unique position to mainstream an ecosystem service framework in sponge city development to improve current practice and to promote climate-resilient and ecosystem-integrated urban development.A five-step empirical procedure outlines a systematic approach for mainstreaming ecosystem services, contributing to the literature and policy practice to build urban resilience and sustainability in the face of urbanization and climate change.