Resilience and adaptation in Saxony : sponge cities in the face of climate change and challenges for the adoption and implementation
Lazaro Lembrino, Nancy Viridiana (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025102726465
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025102726465
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Saxony, a federal state in eastern Germany, is increasingly exposed to the dual challenges of extreme flooding and drought triggered by climate change and rapid urbanization. Urban expansion into flood-prone areas, loss of natural retention spaces, soil sealing, and reliance on aging water infrastructure exacerbate the vulnerability of urban water systems in the region. In response, several cities in Saxony —including Dresden, Leipzig, and Zittau— have begun to implement Sponge City (SC) concepts, which promote nature-based solutions and green-blue infrastructure to enhance water management and urban climate resilience. However, the effectiveness and scalability of SC interventions across the region remain largely unexplored.
This thesis systematically evaluates the role of SC strategies in strengthening urban water system climate resilience (UWSCR) in Saxony. It uses a multi-dimensional, quantitative framework with engineering, ecological, and evolutionary indicators weighted via Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy Weight (EW) methods, based on expert and objective assessments.
For 2014–2023, annual UWSCR scores and normalized hazard indices for drought and rainfall extremes were generated and analysed using a quadrant-based approach to reveal patterns of resilience and vulnerability.
Results show overall improvement in Saxony’s water resilience, driven mainly by effective management —evolutionary resilience (EVR)— while progress in engineering (ENR) and ecological (ECR) resilience has lagged. Periods where hazards outpaced resilience-building highlighted systemic gaps but also leading policy reform. Persistent obstacles include fragmented institutions, limited funding, technical constraints, and low public awareness, all of which hinder broad SC adoption.
The study’s recommendations stress the need for stronger legal frameworks, reliable funding, locally tailored interventions, and greater emphasis on social inclusion and equity. Robust monitoring and adaptive management are necessary to maintain long-term resilience.
This thesis systematically evaluates the role of SC strategies in strengthening urban water system climate resilience (UWSCR) in Saxony. It uses a multi-dimensional, quantitative framework with engineering, ecological, and evolutionary indicators weighted via Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy Weight (EW) methods, based on expert and objective assessments.
For 2014–2023, annual UWSCR scores and normalized hazard indices for drought and rainfall extremes were generated and analysed using a quadrant-based approach to reveal patterns of resilience and vulnerability.
Results show overall improvement in Saxony’s water resilience, driven mainly by effective management —evolutionary resilience (EVR)— while progress in engineering (ENR) and ecological (ECR) resilience has lagged. Periods where hazards outpaced resilience-building highlighted systemic gaps but also leading policy reform. Persistent obstacles include fragmented institutions, limited funding, technical constraints, and low public awareness, all of which hinder broad SC adoption.
The study’s recommendations stress the need for stronger legal frameworks, reliable funding, locally tailored interventions, and greater emphasis on social inclusion and equity. Robust monitoring and adaptive management are necessary to maintain long-term resilience.