Global Environment at Risk Due to Predicted Explosive Growth of Cities Over Next Two Decades
Explosive growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades could pose significant risks to people and the global environment, says a new study.
Researchers from Yale, Arizona State, Texas A and M and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles-nearly the size of Mongolia-to accommodate the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas.
"It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse," said Karen Seto, the study's lead author and associate professor in the urban environment at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
"They're going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas, coastlines-sensitive and vulnerable places," she stated.rban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts.
"Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most vulnerable. People and infrastructure are at risk to flooding, tsunamis, hurricanes and other environmental disasters," said Seto.
"Changes in land cover associated with urbanization drive many environmental changes, from habitat loss and agricultural land conversion to changes in local and regional climate," she said.
The study has been published in PlosOne.
Source-ANI
Researchers from Yale, Arizona State, Texas A and M and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles-nearly the size of Mongolia-to accommodate the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas.
"It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse," said Karen Seto, the study's lead author and associate professor in the urban environment at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
"They're going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas, coastlines-sensitive and vulnerable places," she stated.rban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts.
"Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most vulnerable. People and infrastructure are at risk to flooding, tsunamis, hurricanes and other environmental disasters," said Seto.
"Changes in land cover associated with urbanization drive many environmental changes, from habitat loss and agricultural land conversion to changes in local and regional climate," she said.
The study has been published in PlosOne.
Source-ANI
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