'Sponge City' program set to soak up urban floodwater

Summer floods are an annual curse for many cities across China, but especially in the south. Now, new measures are being introduced to reduce loss of life and the economic damage caused by flooding. Xu Wei reports.

For residents of Shanghai, Nanjing and Wuhan, rainstorms often mean high levels of water, flooded roads ... and sometimes even an unexpected opportunity to fish in the streets.

On the night of June 16, torrential rain flooded Shanghai's northern districts, crippling the city's transportation network as vehicles stalled in floodwater and pedestrians were forced to roll up their pant legs and wade through the deluge.