# Sustainable Urban Water Management in China: A Case Study from Guangzhou and Kunming
###### Abstract  
In China, the notion of a water sensitive city has gained popularity in urban water management as a result of the detrimental effects of flooding and pollution caused by developmental activities. Urban systems and their interrelationships are critical for long-term urban water management and water sensitivity. This article is a case study considering how a strength, weakness, opportunities, and threat (SWOT) analysis-based approach to urban water management interventions in Guangzhou and Kunming cities (China) enables decision makers to identify solutions for cities to become more water-sensitive and resilient. The similar difficulties and rewards with respect to the contexts of both cities were synthesized using SWOT analysis. The contextual SWOT analysis, in conjunction with the comprehensive inclusion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in intervention planning in these cities, revealed that a water-sensitive-cities approach requires the establishment of a comprehensively multi-objective rainwater management system; this approach would have the goals of reducing rainwater draining sources, controlling processes and adaptive measures, and governing the system to make it more resilient. The water strategy should be holistic and adaptive, capable of providing a broad range of ecological services and other social benefits consistent with the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals, and adaptable to other Chinese cities seeking to achieve water sensitivity. sustainable urban water management; Chinese city; flooding mitigation; SWOT 2021 15 October 2021 26 October 2021  
of blue green infrastructure (BGI) [6]. Sponge City advocates for natural storm water management practices that reduce runoff and help avoid pollutants from entering the runoff and, thereby, pollute the groundwater or other water resources [7]. Comprehensive procedures such as \"seepage, retention, storage, purification, usage, and drainage\" are used in the creation of Sponge Cities to mitigate the ecological impact of urban development and construction. This would have a beneficial effect by allowing for the absorption and use of 70% of rainfall locally [8]. Water sensitive cities are comprehensive and adaptive in nature, as they can give a diverse variety of ecological and socioeconomic benefits. Thus, in order to attain the best results, several processes must be combined to maximize returns. When the concept of WSC first gained popularity in China, the WSC construction prioritized engineering criteria over the decision-making processes, resulting in a lack of systematic planning and implementation [9]. However, following the formulation of the Sponge City strategy by the central government on 12 December 2013, some pilot projects for implementing the Sponge City construction, with financial support from the central government, were launched. As a result, Sponge City construction technology and methods are gradually being standardized, such as the Evaluation Standard for Sponge City Construction (GB/T51345-2018) approved in 2018. Thus, in countries such as India and China, Sponge City construction and other urban water management programmes are based on transition from grey infrastructure to a more flexible, resilient, and sustainable system [10; 11]. The central government has only promised to provide financial assistance for three years, after which the private sector is expected to become the primary source of finance, because the private sector is thought to play an important role in the management of water projects in terms of long-term operation and maintenance [12]. However, few private investors are interested in the economic returns generated by the construction of Sponge Cities. They believe that Sponge Cities have greater social value. Currently, there are two stakeholders in the Sponge City Program: the government and the project manager. Economic analysis, from the government's perspective, compares all potential economic, environmental, and social impacts of the ongoing and future water conservation projects.