As Shanghai works toward becoming a fully climate-resilient city by 2035, it is accelerating efforts to advance green development. Heping Park, located in Hongkou district, offers a vivid example of how a sponge system infrastructure can enhance climate adaptation.

Beneath the park's scenic lotus pond and winding pathways lies an underground water storage system capable of temporarily holding 150 cubic meters of rainwater, according to Zhong Mingming, head of the water engineering division at the research institute of Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Co Ltd.

"The park's sponge system allows it to function as a temporary water reservoir during heavy rain and other emergencies. Since the facility was put into operation in 2022, roads in the surrounding areas that were once prone to flooding have been able to drain accumulated rainwater within an hour," said Zhong.

"This economic and practical solution is now being duplicated in similar projects across the city," added Zhong.

Shanghai's efforts extend beyond infrastructure. About 450,000 residents have joined the city's carbon-reduction platform in the year since its launch in June 2025, reflecting growing participation in the drive to build a climate-resilient city.

The platform has attracted nearly 1,000 emissions-reduction projects, resulting in more than 330,000 tons of reduced carbon emissions, according to the organizers of Shanghai’s National Low Carbon Day activities held on June 17.

The city has made substantial progress toward becoming a fully climate-resilient city by 2035, achieving significant results over the past two years in line with its 2024–2035 climate adaptation action plan, according to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment.