Auckland Is the World's ‘Spongiest’ City

The New Zealand city is best at absorbing excess rainfall, according to a ranking by Arup. ‘Sponge cities’ work with nature to soak up floodwater rather than diverting it with concrete infrastructure. The spongier a city, the more resilient it is to flooding. Green spaces, water features, and soil all contribute to urban sponginess. And that these areas would absorb 35% of any intense rainfall event. Climate change is predicted to increase rainfall intensity in Auckland, and January 2023 was Auckland’s wettest-ever month. Torrential rain caused flooding and landslides. Experts say this shows that despite Auckland’s world-leading sponginess, more still needs to be done to protect the city against major storms. Nairobi and Singapore follow Auckland in the Arup sponge city rankings. Watch to learn more about Auklands sponge city designation.