China is building 30 'sponge cities' that can soak up floodwater and prevent disaster. Porous asphalt pavement absorbs the water and retains it, and when there's a need, it can also release the water it has stored.

Hebi City is one of the country's model sponge cities. In 2015, the city designated nearly 30 square kilometers as a pilot area for sponge city construction.