All articles tagged with #stormwater management
Sixth-grader Luca Durham developed a stronger, water-absorbing porous concrete by adding diatomaceous earth and recycled materials—oyster shells, seashells, charcoal, and gravel—producing better drainage to fight urban flooding; his winning design earned the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize, and he plans to add carbon fiber to boost strength while preserving drainage.
Kongjian Yu, a landscape architect, is pioneering the concept of sponge cities, which aim to capture stormwater instead of disposing of it. By slowing down the flow of water and allowing it to soak into the Earth using rain gardens, spreading grounds, permeable pavers, and urban wetlands, sponge cities can reduce flooding, refill aquifers, and adapt to climate change. This nature-based, holistic solution can be implemented at various scales, from personal to community to regional, and offers benefits such as aquifer recharge, biodiversity support, and heat reduction. Yu emphasizes the need to shift from conventional gray infrastructure to green alternatives and change the business model and policy to prioritize nature-based solutions for managing water in a warming climate.