In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his support for sponge cities and made them a top priority for the future. Researchers have found that the sponge city projects in China have significantly improved stormwater runoff control and helped reform unfavorable geographical environments. Controversies and challengesAt the same time, sponge cities have faced controversies and skepticism. From the perspective of Southeast Asia, there are obstacles to implementing the sponge city concept. For example, for flood-prone Jakarta, the high cost of developing sponge city infrastructure is often cited as one of the biggest challenges.