On November 17th, the list of winners of the 2023 IFLA Asia Pac LA Awards were announced, and two projects of ZEHO ECO won the awards: From Risk to Resilience: Fengpei Canal Flood and Water Low-Intervention Management won the Awards of Excellence in Nature Conservation; Turning Brownfields into an Urban Park: The Ecological Regeneration of South Lake Park in Tangshan has won the Honourable Mention in the Parks and Open space category.
The Fengpei Canal in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, plays a crucial role as a tributary to Nansi Lake. It spans a total length of 9.8 kilometers and covers an area of 2.71 square kilometers. The project focuses on addressing various challenges and risks, including high-frequency variable amplitude hydraulic impact, community ecological stability, and the integration of lakes and urban areas from multiple perspectives.
ZEHO ECO has chosen the Natural-based Solutions (NbS) to facilitate the transition from risk to resilience. This involves the creation of a naturally diverse habitat, promoting biodiversity conservation experiences, and establishing a resilient, diverse, and composite ecological corridor within the Nansi Lake Basin.
The South Lake of Tangshan originated as a coal goaf resulting from a century of mining, representing a typical urban brownfield. ZEHO ECO employs a quasi-natural ecological engineering approach to repair and sustain the stability of the compromised natural environment. This method integrates fly ash recycling, garbage landfill treatment, and appropriate ecological slope protection in the settlement area to restore the damaged ecosystem.
The initiative aims to safeguard the biodiversity of the South Lake region and provide a secure, open, and nature-centric recreational space for nearby residents. Through ecological restoration and comprehensive management, the former coal mining subsidence area has undergone a remarkable transformation into a "green lung" and "oxygen bar" at the heart of Tangshan's urban landscape. South Lake has undergone an ecological metamorphosis, evolving from an urban brownfield into a central park, not only drawing in a significant number of tourists but also serving as the focal point of the 2016 Tangshan World Horticultural Expo.