Wi h louis bonhou e
Louis Bonhou e, a mas e 's s uden , explo es he
ecen use o he e m “sponge” in ela ion o lood
and d ough mi iga ion.
He examines how his wo d's simple image y makes
i an engaging way o communica e complex
na u al p ocesses.
He shows how, by u ning a echnical concep in o
some hing ins an ly isual, he wo d “sponge” helps
b idge science and socie y.
C edi s :
SpongeScapes has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon Eu ope esea ch and inno a ion
p og amme unde G an Ag eemen n°101112738 and om he UK Resea ch and Inno a ion/HM
Go e nmen . Views and opinions exp essed in his publica ion a e hose o he au ho (s) only and do no
necessa ily e lec hose o he Eu opean Union o he UK Resea ch and Inno a ion / HM Go e nmen .
© 2025 - In e na ional O ice o Wa e o he SpongeScapes p ojec .
Sc ip , d awing and colou ing o he comics:
Élisa Bézie and Jean Combe e (OiEau)
Louis Bonhou e MSc hesis :
Uni e si y o Mon pellie and Ag oPa is Tech
P oo eading :
Benoî F ibou g Blanc (OiEau)
D . Ellis Penning (Del a es)
Tex be o e sc ip :
Chloé Déchele e
(OiEau)
explo ing he
hanks o hei
capaci y o s o e
wa e , hey a enua e
majo loods,
And main ain wa e
le els du ing pe iods
o d ough --
Ha e
you hea d o
his wo d
“sponge”?
Wha does
his wo d
mean?
Who a e you
alking o?
Whe e
did i come
om?
Recen ly, i ’s been
coming up in a lo o media
o alk abou lood and d ough
managemen …
Le ’s look a why
his new e m has eme ged,
and how i is unde s ood by
people om di e en
backg ounds.
I ’s adding o
he wo ds ha
we’ e also been
hea ing a lo ,
like na u e-based
solu ions...
we lands, a e eal
“sponges”
Fi s I analysed he use o
he wo d sponge in p in
media, scien i ic a icles,
and EU publica ions…
Excluding
ce ain i ele an
associa ions
and uses...
I spo ed ha he use o “sponge” in media has
inc eased since 2014. I ’s hea ily associa ed wi h he
sponge ci y concep *, as well as wi h we lands and soil.
I no iced ha e e yone
can app op ia e he e m
“sponge”, in associa ion
wi h hei expe ise.
...So hey swi ched o alking abou wha hese
ecosys ems do o us: s o e wa e ,
p e en loods, igh d ough s...
Be o e, people ied o p o ec ecosys ems like we lands,
i e s, lakes, by alking abou biodi e si y.
Bu i didn’ click wi h policymake s o people in gene al...
We lands,
o cou se! Tha ’s he
sponge o he
landscape.
*The Sponge Ci y concep is abou designing ci ies ha soak up ain like
a sponge - educing loods and keeping g een spaces o bea he hea .
Soil’s he eal sponge.
heal hy soil keeps wa e in
he ield when you need i .
O ME,
A SPONGE IS A
FOREST! T ees soak
up wa e , simple
as ha .
Bu does ha
mean i ’s clea
o e e yone?
“Sponge” was bo n as a
me apho - easy o pic u e,
easy o explain.
I asked 30 people
how hey unde s ood
“sponge”.
Tu ns ou , he wo d uni es
us - bu also means di e en
hings o di e en people.
we lands ha e adi ionally been
desc ibed as ac ing like sponges.
We need o do mo e scien i ic esea ch o
be e unde s and he sponge unc ion in
na u al ecosys ems.
Bu hei sponge unc ion
isn' always consis en .
I makes communica ion easie …
bu also mo e slippe y.
When a sponge is ull, i ’s
ull! We can’ expec a single
sponge measu e o soak up
he kind o ain you ge once
e e y 10 o 100 yea s!
And when a sponge is emp y, i 's emp y!
You can' expec a single sponge measu e o p o ide
wa e o an en i e a ea du ing a p olonged d ough .
WhaT...?
Sponge is he
new chic!
Yay!
No mo e wa e o me,
hanks
We need clea
de ini ions
Wha coun s as a
sponge measu e? Wha
does i eally do?
And bonus! Sponge measu es
o en suppo biodi e si y,
imp o e soil heal h, and
p o ec wa e quali y.
I ’s mo e abou unc ions
Wa e expe s I
in e iewed didn’
alk abou speci ic
ecosys ems o
sponge solu ions.
Sponges e e ywhe e!!
He e’s he icky pa : when a
wo d ge s oo popula , i isks
being o e used - o misused.
E e yone has hei own sponge…
which is g ea bu also con using. Youhou!
*clap*
*clap* *clap*
Sponge
e e ywhe e!
Will people
who gi e up land
o income be
compensa ed?
Fa me s, indus ies,
ou is s, na u e… e e yone
sees he land in
di e en ways.
We need o plan
oge he , so he e’s space
o e e yone, including
na u e!
How u ban is
he a ea? Wha 's he
clima e like - we
o d y?
and wha
abou he soil,
does i abso b
wa e easily
o no ?
Wha a e he
local p oblems? Wha kind o
u u e do local
s akeholde s
imagine?
Wo ds we use
change how we hink
abou wa e , and how
we li e wi h i .
bu he e is no " eady-made" sponge solu ion.
I 's all abou es ing in you speci ic con ex
and ha ing a bi o pa ience.
“Sponge’ migh jus be a wo d,
bu i ’s helping us imagine a u u e whe e
humans and na u e sha e he landscape -
mo e wisely, mo e ai ly.
No hing’s pe ec .
Sponge measu es can ake space.
Some imes ha means gi ing up land
o a ming o housing. We ha e o make
hough ul choices.
Who pays o se
i up and o main ain
i in he long- e m?
Sponge measu es can be na u al, like we lands, i e s, o es s, o heal hy
soils - o man-made, like eco- iendly a ming o cle e u ban designs.
Bu hey only wo k i hey i he local con ex . And o make a di e ence,
we need many o hem wo king oge he ac oss he landscape.
