Why Sponge Planet? Discussions on Land-Based, Water-Driven Solutions

Spirn, A.W., Schellnhuber, H.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7453-4935, Daigger, C.T, Fu, J., Childs, P., Sedlak, D., Head, P., Ravasi, T., de Meulder, B., Shannon, K., Dultzin, D., Sosa, F., Kay, A., da Rocha, H.R., Chou, S.C., Buckeridge, M., Nobre, C.A., Yokohari, M., Xie, S.-P., Ashraf, K.K., et al. (2025). Why Sponge Planet? Discussions on Land-Based, Water-Driven Solutions. Landscape Architecture Frontiers 10.15302/J-LAF-1-010042. (In Press)

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Abstract

The recent Nature Water article, “To Solve Climate Change, We
Need to Restore Our Sponge Planet,” by Kongjian Yu, Erica
Gies, and Warren W. Wood[1], makes a compelling case for
recalibrating climate strategies to prioritize the water cycle
alongside reducing carbon emissions. The authors highlight
how human activities—agriculture, urbanization, and
industrialization—have degraded 75% of the earth’s land,
severely disrupting natural water systems. This degradation
diminishes the planet’s capacity to regulate temperature
through water vapor, cloud formation, and the hydrological
cycle, further accelerating climate instability.
The Sponge Planet concept advocates for restoring and
replicating natural systems—wetlands, floodplains, and forests—
that slow water down, recharge aquifers, and mitigate flooding and
drought. In contrast to traditional grey infrastructure, which often
worsens water scarcity and contributes to sea-level rise, “Slow
Water” solutions offer holistic and decentralized alternatives. This
model is built on three principles: 1) retain water at its source; 2)
slow its flow; and 3) embrace water at its natural sink.

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