C. For collaborative governance and community participation

SPONGE COLLABORATIVE + WEAVING WITH WATER Team

MULLASSERY CANAL FRAMEWORK AND CANAL EDGE MASTERPLAN

2. Best Practices

A. Sponge Framework

Many cities are following the landscape approach and “Adapt” framework to design stormwater management and flood mitigation systems.

● In China, the Sponge cities Program is a framework that refers to the creation of a system of wetlands and parks that serve to retain water or otherwise have “sponge” features, which involves retrofitting existing urban areas and implementing the SCP in new developments. ● Active, Beautiful and Clean (ABC) guidelines in Singapore have focused on putting in place strong guidelines for how people should manage water within their properties, creating a clear hierarchy for stormwater management. ● In Copenhagen, a Cloudburst Framework has focused on creating a city-wide masterplan of streets and open spaces as conveyance and retention spaces for water in case of a cloudburst event instead of solely focusing on upgrading grey water infrastructure.

Figure 92: China, Singapore and Copenhagen all have versions of Sponge City frameworks

SPONGE COLLABORATIVE + WEAVING WITH WATER Team

MULLASSERY CANAL FRAMEWORK AND CANAL EDGE MASTERPLAN

B. Canal Cleanup Strategies

The waste management strategy for the precinct is proposed in collaboration with the local community, to raise awareness about waste and use bottom-up approaches to tackle it. However, to rejuvenate and restore the canal, it is important to remove debris, tackle solid waste pollution, and prevent the flow of illegal sewage into the water. The following are some approaches to localise and collect waste, which are proposed in addition to a larger campaign.

1. Air Bubble Barrier to trap plastic has been piloted in the canals of Amsterdam. A perforated tube pushes compressed air towards the surface, which helps push the waste towards one side. The trash then gets trapped in a small rubbish platform, which is collected and recycled. 2. Floating booms in the Gowanus Canal, New York have helped to catch solid waste from storm water drains.

In the Mullassery Canal, they can help to contain debris and trash, preventing it from moving into the backwaters. 3. Drainage nets around stormwater and sewer pipes in Australia have proven to be a cost-effective solution to prevent plastic waste from polluting the canal.

Figure 93: Air bubble barrier, flooting booms and drainage nets around stormwatera nd sewer pipes (Image provided by: Sponge Collaborative)