TY - CHAP
T1 - Urbanisation Process and Urban Water Challenges
AU - Xu, Changqing
AU - Jia, Mingyi
AU - Jia, Haifeng
AU - Makarigakis, Alexandros K.
AU - Cisneros, Blanca Jiménez
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Chapter 1 delves into global urbanisation dynamics, honing in on urban water challenges, notably in the context of China’s accelerating urbanisation. Urbanisation, a transformative global force, triggers societal, economic and environmental shifts, offering opportunities for progress if managed adeptly. However, the chapter underscores the escalating water challenges accompanying this phenomenon. Urban floods, propelled by expanding impervious areas, pose substantial global threats, inducing economic losses. The intensified urbanisation aggravates water scarcity, fuelling conflicts and impacting ecosystems. Urban development contributes to water pollution, upsetting natural balances and escalating pollutant concentrations, resulting in ecological degradation. The urban heat island effect exacerbates these challenges, affecting ecosystems and local weather patterns. This chapter provides a nuanced exploration of the intricate relationship between urbanisation and water challenges, emphasising the urgent need for sustainable urban development practices. © UNESCO 2026.
AB - Chapter 1 delves into global urbanisation dynamics, honing in on urban water challenges, notably in the context of China’s accelerating urbanisation. Urbanisation, a transformative global force, triggers societal, economic and environmental shifts, offering opportunities for progress if managed adeptly. However, the chapter underscores the escalating water challenges accompanying this phenomenon. Urban floods, propelled by expanding impervious areas, pose substantial global threats, inducing economic losses. The intensified urbanisation aggravates water scarcity, fuelling conflicts and impacting ecosystems. Urban development contributes to water pollution, upsetting natural balances and escalating pollutant concentrations, resulting in ecological degradation. The urban heat island effect exacerbates these challenges, affecting ecosystems and local weather patterns. This chapter provides a nuanced exploration of the intricate relationship between urbanisation and water challenges, emphasising the urgent need for sustainable urban development practices. © UNESCO 2026.
KW - ecological environment
KW - urban flooding
KW - urban water challenges
KW - urbanisation
KW - water pollution
KW - water shortage
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105034478767
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105034478767&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1017/9781316340332.002
DO - 10.1017/9781316340332.002
M3 - RGC 12 - Chapter in an edited book (Author)
SN - 9781107118720
T3 - International Hydrology Series
SP - 4
EP - 13
BT - Impact of Urban Floods on Water Quality
A2 - Cisneros , Blanca Jiménez
A2 - Makarigakis, Alexandros K.
PB - Cambridge University Press
ER -