Hohhot has promoted the construction of a sponge city in recent years, transforming certain parks and other areas so that the city can absorb, store, infiltrate, and purify rainwater during rainfall and release and utilize the stored water when needed.

The construction of a sponge city alleviates urban drainage pressure and improves rainwater resource utilization.

Hohhot has established a "storage in the upper, drainage in the middle, and retention in the lower" basin storage and drainage system. "Storage in the upper" refers to the creation of a 150-square-kilometer grassland flood retention area on the front slope of Daqing Mountain in the northern part of the city. "Drainage in the middle" involves dredging and managing nine river systems in the main urban area, forming a 43-km ring of water around the city. "Retention in the lower" includes establishing the 138-sq-km Dahei River Countryside Park in the southern part of the city.

In terms of water safety, Hohhot implemented a comprehensive improvement project for water accumulation points. By the end of 2024, 56 percent of the city's drainage areas met the 140 millimeters/24-hour urban flood prevention standard.

Regarding the water environment, Hohhot has increased the centralized collection rate of urban domestic sewage to 83 percent.

Regarding water resources, Hohhot has developed a rainwater collection and utilization system, achieving an annual capacity of 1.47 million cubic meters.