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photo of Zheng Duan on Lund webpage

Zheng Duan

Senior lecturer

photo of Zheng Duan on Lund webpage

Assessing carbon emission impacts of sponge city development : insights from runoff reduction analysis

Author

  • Wei Liu
  • Jun Chen
  • Haotian Li
  • Shuguang Zhu
  • Zheng Duan

Summary, in English

This study aimed to quantify the impact of sponge city facilities on both runoff reduction and carbon emission mitigation, providing valuable insights for sustainable urban development. Using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) 5.2 in conjunction with carbon emission factor calculations, we comparatively evaluated the annual runoff reduction and carbon emission abatement potential of traditional drainage systems versus those incorporating sponge city facilities. Our results showed that the implementation of sponge city facilities resulted in a substantial decrease in runoff volume (100,840 m3), and a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions (7,089.85 kg CO2 eq) compared to the pre-renovation conditions. Additionally, this work assessed five sponge city facilities: green roofs, permeable pavements, sunken green spaces, rain gardens, and overflow storage ponds. Among these, overflow storage ponds demonstrated the highest efficiency in both runoff reduction (35,879 m3) and carbon emission mitigation (2,522.57 kg CO2 eq). Rain gardens showed the second-best performance, while sunken green spaces had the least impact. Our study provides a novel technical framework for quantifying and evaluating carbon emissions in urban drainage systems. Our findings offer reliable data support for urban planners and policymakers, contributing to evidence-based decision-making in the design and implementation of sponge city projects.

Department/s

  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • MERGE: ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system

Publishing year

2025-04-15

Language

English

Pages

923-945

Publication/Series

Water Science and Technology

Volume

91

Issue

8

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

IWA Publishing

Topic

  • Water Engineering
  • Water Treatment

Keywords

  • carbon emission
  • runoff mitigation
  • sponge city
  • SWMM
  • urban water management

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0273-1223