As a water engineer, the ultimate design goal should be to create a resilient urban water-ecological space for citizens. This involves integrating the underground drainage networks, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and green spaces into a holistic and cohesive system.
Chiyan Peng is an expert in water resource management and sponge city planning with over 30 years of experience. He is currently the CEO of Wasser Hannover GmbH in Hannover, Germany. His career spans Germany, China, the Netherlands, and other countries, with a focus on sustainable stormwater management, ecological restoration of urban river systems, drainage system upgrades, flood management, pollution control, and water environment improvement.
Peng addresses the unique hydrological, climatic, and ecological conditions of each project using an integrative approach to solve urban water system challenges. Under his leadership, multidisciplinary teams have successfully completed projects such as the Leidsche Rijn project in Utrecht, the Sponge City project in Changde, the ecological restoration of the Guitang River in Changsha, and the water system planning for Central Park and Airport Town in Hefei. These projects integrate water systems to manage flood risks naturally, promote biodiversity, and enhance urban water resilience, reflecting significant progress in water cycle management and ecological restoration.