Hydrological Enclaves: Adaptive Management of Non-Water Supply Reservoirs in Shenzhen, China

Abstract

This research focuses on Shenzhen’s “urban waters,” particularly small-sized reservoirs that are undergoing rapid transformations due to the cross-municipality water supply centralization project launched in 2019, which includes the expansion of trans-basin water transfer capacity, the completion of Shenzhen’s first-ever two large-sized reservoirs, and the decommissioning of small-sized reservoirs. Applying an iterative design-research process, this project focuses on a chain of small reservoirs located along the northwestern foothills of Tanglang Mountain and uses the term “Hydrological Enclaves” to reveal the three interconnected realities of these soon-to-be decommissioned small-sized reservoirs in Shenzhen. First, it indicates their unique morphology of being surrounded by dense urban fabric; second, it refers to the fact that these small-sized reservoirs have long been “out of sight, out of mind” for that their existence is rarely known by the public; and third, it reveals the complex hydrosocial relationships between reservoirs and the larger landscape system of which they are part. This project aims to adapt these soon-to-be decommissioned small-sized reservoirs into decentralized off-grid water sources to increase local water resiliency. Simultaneously, the proposed water infrastructure also plays a much-needed educational role where visual and tactile experiences are curated to exhibit landscape performance and its critical connection with water security.

Keywords

Water Security / Water Supply Reservoir / Non-Water Supply Reservoir / Water Infrastructure / Educational Infrastructure / Shenzhen

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