The impact of urbanisation on mental health.

Impacts of climate change and urbanization on soil moisture dynamics have reduced regional flood resilience

The article aims to investigate the relationship between urbanization and economic growth in Albania, with a special focus on the elements of the labor market. The hypothesis is examined through the data panel from 2012 to 2022 acquired by the official institutions, such as Instat and Statista. The results of the regression model do not reveal any impact of urbanization on the economic growth of the country. The employment of the agricultural sector is an important factor. Pearson correlation between urbanization and economic growth estimated at 0.342 indicates a weak to moderate positive relationship. According to the results of the model and the problems that the active labor force in the country faces, the potential to be developed rapidly seems not yet present. In the future, the mutual influence of the two variables is poised between the Tirana and Durrës regions, leveraging the potential through investments in infrastructure.

River ecosystems and the whole system are largely negatively affected by the development of cities, and consequently alter the natural environment. The processes of Urban development lead to alterations in the quantity, quality, species density, and velocity of water. The high pace of urbanization generates modifications in land cover and lowers the number of natural areas and the population utilizing rivers to drink and perform other activities. The natural mechanisms that dictate the movement of water are disrupted, and this results in increased flow of water over the ground surface and flows into the water bodies with contaminants. The study carried out in this project examines the effect of urbanization on rivers in terms of alterations in water quality and extinction of aquatic species. This assessment involves a sub-selection of aquatic indicators, including the Water Quality Index (WQI) and potential runoff, as well as biodiversity indices, in order to provide a quantitative measure of the impact of urbanization on the aquatic ecosystems. Urbanization in general leads to a 30-50 % rise in surface runoff, a reduction in water quality by 20-40 %, and a reduction in biodiversity, especially on the shore where the area was filled with impervious surfaces. Loss of ecosystem services, like purification of water and floods, affects the health of humans adversely by forcing them to consume water that is not safe and live in an environment of increased susceptibility to diseases. The study offers solutions for sustainable urban planning. The study proposes green infrastructure and ecosystem restoration solutions as sustainable urban planning solutions to minimize the environmental effects. The research shows that the urban planning of river ecosystems can enhance the resilience of the ecosystem by incorporating ecological considerations in urban development planning. The study proves that urban planning requires a holistic approach that can integrate land development with the preservation of natural resources so that river ecosystems can be maintained for future generations.

The rapid migration to secondary cities in sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most salient features of the urbanization process today; however, many of these secondary cities have limited economic base capabilities and little or no capacity to provide effective governance services to the internally displaced populations (IDPs) they host. A literature review was conducted to examine the impact of displacement-driven urbanization on economic and governance outcomes in secondary cities, with a specific focus on Somalia. Using primary research data from peer-reviewed academic studies, United Nations and World Bank reports, Somali Government Policy Documents, and International Organization Assessment Reports, this paper synthesized the evidence of the structural pathways through which displacement drives the formation of urban strain in secondary cities. It was found that displacement does not function as an episodic humanitarian crisis event but rather as a persistent force driving the transformations of secondary cities. These transformations include the creation of mutually reinforcing structures of economic informalization, governance fragmentation, tenure insecurity, spatial exclusion, and service-delivery overload. These same processes were also identified in Somalia and were further exacerbated by the protracted civil war, climate-related shocks, the use of legal pluralism in land governance, and the continued reliance on humanitarian support as a substitute for municipal service provision. Cities such as Baidoa, Kismayo, Bosaso, and Garowe have emerged as critical urban centers in the Somali region, where displacement continues to drive increased fiscal burdens and weaken local institutional capacities, while also creating and sustaining parallel systems of governance. Without the implementation of coordinated and city-centered strategies that address displacement, it is expected that displacement will continue to be permanently urbanized in ways that further exacerbate poverty, inequality, and fragility. Therefore, the paper concludes that the paradigm of short-term humanitarian responses should be replaced by displacement-sensitive urban development strategies that strengthen municipal governance, enhance tenure security, incorporate informal settlement areas, and coordinate humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding interventions. Furthermore, the paper identifies the unique challenges of Somalia's secondary cities and their contributions to the body of knowledge in urban studies and displacement studies, while offering policy recommendations to advance urban resilience and durable solutions in fragile and climate-affected regions.

Urbanization is a social change that affects socio-economic development. However, its effect can be positive and as well, negative. Hence, this study investigated the impact of urbanization on socioeconomic development of Imo State. This study was guided by three research questions. It anchored on the modernization theory of development because, the theory explains the relationship between urbanization on socioeconomic development. The study further adopted a descriptive research design that enabled the researcher to gather data on the opinions and the general behaviour of the populace and happenings of the study area. Owerri Municipal was selected through a purposive sampling technique because, the LGA is the most urban in Imo State. All the communities in the municipal were used and respondent, selected randomly to give individuals equal chances of being represented in the population. Data were collected through the use of a research structured questionnaire and a sample size of 373 drawn from a sample population of 400. Data derived from the questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics. At the end of the study, it was revealed that the primary cause of migration in Imo was unemployment and that, urbanization has not improved the living conditions of the masses and has therefore not led to socio-economic development in Imo state. It was also revealed that the level of crime and environmental degradation is high while the rate of infrastructural development and industrialization is low. Therefore, it was recommended that the government put in place measures for the proper planning and management of cities and also, curb rural-urban migration so as to reduce the growing urban population.

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the impact of urbanization on health outcomes in Africa, with a focus on the mediating role of slum prevalence. Slums are operationalized following UN-Habitat definitions, using indicators such as lack of durable housing, inadequate sanitation, limited access to clean water, overcrowding, and insufficient access to basic services. Applying causal mediation analysis to a panel of 40 African countries from 2000 to 2022, we find that urbanization has a direct positive effect on life expectancy; however, this is partly offset by a significant negative indirect effect transmitted through the expansion of slums. Results also reveal age-specific heterogeneity: urbanization significantly reduces adult mortality, with the beneficial direct effect outweighing the adverse indirect effect. In contrast, for children, both the direct and indirect effects of urbanization on mortality are detrimental. These findings underscore the importance of urban development and health policies that directly target slum conditions—particularly through improvements in housing, sanitation, and service delivery—to mitigate the adverse health consequences of rapid urban growth, especially for children.

For many years, the impact of energy use and urbanization on carbon emissions has been the subject of research. Sequel to this, this study examines the roles of energy consumption and urbanization on carbon emissions in Nigeria using ARDL techniques. The findings show that there is a statistically significant direct association between energy use and CO2 emissions in the short and long run. This indicates that Nigeria's carbon emissions increase largely via energy consumption. Carbon emissions are also positively impacted by an increase in foreign direct investment. Nigeria's carbon dioxide emissions are rising because of increased foreign investment. The study recommends that governments should take steps to support sustainable urban development, such as encouraging public transit, expanding green areas, and supporting energy-efficient building techniques.

Groundwater resources are increasingly threatened by rapid urbanization, which disrupts the natural hydrological cycle. Urban development replaces permeable soils with impervious materials such as concrete, asphalt, and interlocking pavers, thereby reducing aquifer recharge and altering streamflow patterns. This study analyzed the impact of urban expansion on groundwater recharge in the Chaliyar basin, Kerala, over a 20-year period (2002-2022) using remote sensing data. The results revealed a 208% increase in built-up areas, with substantial conversion of natural land to urban surfaces including buildings, roads, and pavements. Field infiltration tests conducted at 20 locations following ASTM C1701 and ASTM D5126-90 standards showed a complete loss (100% reduction) in infiltration capacity in areas with concrete, roads, and buildings, and an 80 ± 1.61% reduction under interlocking pavers compared to natural soil. Consequently, the basin experienced a 48.5% decline in groundwater recharge and a 70% rise in surface runoff during the study period. These findings underscore the severe impact of unplanned urbanization on groundwater dynamics and highlight the urgent need for sustainable urban planning practices that enhance surface permeability and ensure long-term groundwater sustainability.

Eastern Zhejiang Province, a highly urbanized coastal region in southeastern China. Urbanization modifies land–atmosphere interactions, yet its influence on rainfall evolution during landfalling tropical cyclones remains unclear. Using Super Typhoon Lekima (2019) as a representative case, this study applies triple-nested WRF simulations to examine urbanization effects on typhoon-induced precipitation under three land-use scenarios: 2001 Urban, 2020 Urban, and 2020 No Urban. Model performance is evaluated using precipitation observations from 236 meteorological stations and best-track data, showing reasonable agreement with a mean track error of 66.64 km and a precipitation correlation coefficient of 0.68. Urbanization induces a stage-dependent rainfall response with spatial heterogeneity. During early landfall, urban areas suppress rainfall by 10–20 mm due to reduced latent heat flux, weakened near-surface moisture availability, and urban-induced dynamic blocking that limits low-level moisture transport. As the storm moves inland, enhanced surface roughness and a “high 2-m air temperature (T₂)–high sensible heat flux (HFX)–low latent heat flux (LH)” energy pattern strengthen instability and convergence, producing 5–10 % higher peak rainfall than the 2001 urban condition. In contrast, natural surfaces sustain higher post-peak rainfall through stronger evapotranspiration and moisture recycling. These findings indicate elevated flood risk during peak stages in urbanized coastal basins and support stage-specific flood risk management in eastern Zhejiang. • High-resolution WRF reveals stage-dependent and spatially varying urbanization effects on Typhoon Lekima rainfall. • Urban heat island and surface roughness jointly intensify convection and cumulative rainfall during typhoon peak periods. • Energy budget analysis clarifies the thermodynamic–dynamic pathways by which urbanization modulates typhoon rainfall extremes.

Impact of county-level urbanization on household consumption: Evidence from China

Rapid urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa poses significant challenges to local food security through the conversion of productive agricultural lands to built-up areas. Kinondoni District in Dar es Salaam has experienced substantial urban growth over the past three decades, yet the implications for food security remain poorly understood.This study analyzed land use and land cover (LULC) changes in Kinondoni District between 1993 and 2023 to assess the impact of urbanization on agricultural land availability and its implications for local food security. Multi-temporal satellite imagery analysis was conducted using Landsat data from four epochs (1993, 2003, 2013, and 2023). Land use was classified into seven classes: water bodies, mangrove forests, bare areas, built-up areas, shrublands, and cultivated lands. Change detection analysis quantified the magnitude and direction of land use transitions over the 30-year period using supervised Maximum Likelihood Classification with overall accuracy ranging from 85-92% and Kappa coefficients of 0.82-0.89. The analysis revealed dramatic urbanization, with built-up areas expanding from 124.20 ha (2.23%) in 1993 to 1,905.14 ha (34.3%) in 2023 a 1,433% increase. Concurrently, cultivated land decreased by 96.6%, from 172.90 ha (3.11%) to 5.88 ha (0.1%), representing a loss of 167.02 ha. Mangrove forests declined by 40.1% (737.62 ha), shrublands decreased by 73.9% (546.41 ha), and bare areas reduced by 77.9% (402.11 ha). Water bodies remained relatively stable, increasing slightly by 3.3% (72.22 ha). The majority of agricultural land (85.2%) was directly converted to built-up areas. The near-complete elimination of cultivated land in Kinondoni District indicates a critical threat to local food production capacity and urban food security. The rapid conversion of agricultural and natural lands to urban infrastructure necessitates urgent policy interventions, including peri-urban agricultural planning, vertical farming initiatives, and regional food supply chain development to ensure food security for Kinondoni's growing population.

Studying the ecological impacts of urbanization is crucial for advancing regional sustainable development. This study, based on panel data of ecological environment and new urbanization in Shandong Province (2000-2022), employed Global Principal Component Analysis to calculate improved Remote Sensing Ecological Index (GRSEI) and ecological environment index, and applied spatial panel regression models to analyze the spatiotemporal impacts of new urbanization on the ecological environment quality (EEQ). The results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2022, the GRSEI of cities in Shandong Province exhibited a U-shaped evolution trend, first declining and then rising. The trend of environmental pressure in central Shandong was largely consistent with that of the GRSEI. Environmental protection across the province steadily improved, resulting in a gradual enhancement of EEQ, with coastal cities outperforming inland ones. (2) There was a significant positive correlation between EEQ and various indicators of new urbanization. Among them, indicators such as per capita retail sales of consumer goods and per capita education expenditure showed the strongest correlation with EEQ, reaching the 0.001 significance level. (3) The spatial panel regression results indicated that variables including the proportion of urban population, green coverage rate of built-up areas, and social urbanization score had significant positive effects on EEQ. Per capita GDP and economic urbanization exhibited negative impacts before 2018 but shifted to positive effects after 2019. This indicates that Shandong Province's urbanization shifted from a "pollution-intensive growth" model to a "green development" model, promoting the continuous improvement of EEQ.

Urbanization is rapidly reshaping social structures in developing countries, particularly in informal settlements where housing, infrastructure, and access to basic services are often inadequate. This study examines the impact of urbanization on social networks in informal settlements of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Nepal, a fast-growing urban center with diverse residential conditions. Guided by Social Network Theory and Social Capital Theory, the research investigates whether urban growth, housing type, and access to services influence the quality, frequency, and strength of social interactions and support systems. Data were collected from 200 households using stratified random sampling, with one adult respondent from each household interviewed through structured face-to-face surveys. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, logistic regression, and factor analysis. The findings reveal that urbanization, housing type, and access to basic services do not have a statistically significant effect on social ties. Despite poor infrastructure and economic challenges, strong social relationships persist due to cultural values, community cooperation, and informal support systems. The study highlights the importance of strengthening community networks alongside physical infrastructure to promote inclusive, resilient, and socially cohesive urban development.

ABSTRACT The impact of rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, lack of awareness and lifestyle changes has resulted in an increase in the prevalence of diabetes and its complications such as diabetic macular edema (DME). It is the most common cause of blindness, characterised by an abnormal rise in the level of fluid in the macula. It affects the keenest vision in severe cases. In this paper, we propose an automatic grading of DME to help ophthalmologists diagnose the condition timely and early. The proposed system consists of an ensemble deep neural network using a residual convolution block followed by global average pooling and a dense layer. The proposed ensemble model consists of two models, namely model 1 and model 2. The proposed model has been evaluated on the publicly available benchmark ISBI IDRiD dataset. Our proposed model outperforms its competitive models in the IDRiD competition with an accuracy of 0.94. Moreover, it achieves a ROC‐AUC of 0.98. Gradient‐weighted Class Activation Mapping is also constructed to ensure that our proposed model is accurate.

This study systematically examines the impact of radical urbanization on the quality of economic growth using city-level data from 290 major prefecture-level cities in China during 2003–2019. A comprehensive indicator system for economic growth quality is constructed using PCA, capturing multiple dimensions of efficiency, stability, and sustainability. Nighttime light data obtained from the NOAA is extracted and calibrated, and the ratio of urban built-up area to nighttime light intensity is employed to measure the degree of radical urbanization. Empirical results reveal a divergence between economic quantity and quality effects: while radical urbanization promotes economic expansion, it significantly inhibits the quality of economic growth. To address potential endogeneity concerns, the change in FDI relative to changes in built-up area is used to capture FDI flow direction, with its one-period lag serving as an instrumental variable. Mechanism analysis, based on an interaction-based identification framework, shows that radical urbanization suppresses growth quality primarily through two transmission channels: reduced fiscal output efficiency and declining land use efficiency. Further analysis indicates that radical urbanization crowds out science and education expenditures, weakening fiscal effectiveness and reinforcing the identified transmission mechanisms. These findings provide objective evidence for evaluating urbanization strategies and offer policy insights for promoting quality-oriented and sustainable urban development.

Species interactions play a critical role in ecosystem functioning, where mutualistic relationships shape ecological dynamics. We assessed structural changes in the myrmecochoric network due to urbanization by exploring ant-diaspore interactions across urban green spaces with varying management practices and vegetation heterogeneity. Thus, we tested whether species importance and dispersal effectiveness is jeopardized by urbanization impact. We hypothesized that urbanization intensification, characterized here as habitat simplification through frequent and intense local management, would disproportionately affect large-bodied ants (> 10 mm), thereby reducing seed dispersal efficiency. We studied 14 green spaces in a Brazilian metropolis, recording ant behavior towards artificial diaspores to assess seed dispersal effectiveness. We calculated ant centrality for each green space and type of behavior upon the diaspores. We also computed diaspore removal efficiency (DRE) across the management and urbanization gradient. We found the core of central ant species changed between preserved and managed green spaces and according to the behavior towards diaspores. The management intensity also differed in terms of dispersal efficiency. We classified ants into six functional groups, where epigaeic generalist predators stood out, removing diaspores for longer distances, especially in the most preserved areas. The change in the composition of central species among urban green spaces underlines the importance of urban heterogeneity acting as a filter that selects species with different niche specificities and efficiency in their functional roles. Altogether, our results suggest that the functional structure of ant assemblages significantly influences the spatial dynamics of diaspore removal in the city, underscoring how the quality of biotic interactions, particularly those performed by epigaeic generalist predators, contributes to long-distance diaspore dispersal, even within a highly modified urban matrix. With 70% of humanity projected to inhabit urban areas by 2050, our results underscore the urgency of designing green infrastructures that support ecological functionality. This need is particularly important in tropical cities, which simultaneously harbor the highest biodiversity and threatened ecosystems on Earth.

Background: Urbanization is rapidly transforming cities worldwide, with significant implications for local climates. This study explores the impact of urbanization on climate change in Bangalore and its surrounding areas through a biostatistical lens. Objectives: The objective is to analyze the influence of urbanization factors-particularly land use changes, population growth, infrastructure development, and vegetation cover-on temperature rise to better understand and address the urban heat island effect. Methods: Using regression and correlation analysis on data from surveys of urban planners, environmental scientists, and local officials, the study investigates how population growth, land use changes, infrastructure development, and vegetation cover influence temperature variations. Results: Results reveal a strong positive correlation between urbanization factors and increased temperatures, highlighting the urban heat island effect. Specifically, land use changes have the most significant impact on temperature rise, while population growth, infrastructure development, and vegetation cover show varying degrees of influence. Conclusion: The study concludes that sustainable urban growth strategies are crucial to mitigating local warming and enhancing climate resilience. These findings underscore the need for integrated urban planning approaches to address climate change effectively. Major Findings: Urbanization strongly drives Bangalore’s warming: Land-use change is the dominant predictor; population, infrastructure and vegetation also correlate. The regression explains 96.7% temperature variance, with an R² of 0.967. The findings of the study highlight green-space preservation and climate-sensitive planning.

Abstract Urbanization is one of the most enduring transformations in land use, resulting in often irreversible habitat loss and fragmentation, which are key drivers of defaunation. However, the impact of urbanization varies depending on the native vegetation remaining within urban areas. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, urbanization has led to biodiversity loss but the city still has a significant coverage of green areas and remnants of Atlantic Forest. This includes the Tijuca National Park, which has been the focus of reintroduction projects to restore native fauna. The first of these was of the Ariel toucan Ramphastos ariel in 1970, which has established well. Flocks are now often seen in the city’s green spaces but no monitoring has been carried out since the reintroduction. Here, we seek to understand how the reintroduced population is utilizing urban green areas for feeding and reproduction, which are key indicators of reintroduction success. We characterized frugivory in the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden over 290 weeks during 2017–2023, using the feeding bouts method. We recorded 850 observations of toucans feeding on the fruits of 91 plant species. We also assessed reproductive success during two breeding seasons, monitoring 29 fledglings in 10 nests. Nests in tree cavities were re-used in both breeding seasons, by different nesting birds. We conclude that this urban green area provides breeding sites for the R. ariel population and food resources year-round. Our results corroborate the potential of urban green areas to support biodiversity and contribute to the success of reintroduction projects in cities.

Urbanization profoundly modifies hydrological processes by altering natural drainage pathways, reducing infiltration, and increasing surface runoff volumes.In rapidly expanding cities such as Dakar, these changes are exacerbated by unplanned development and limited stormwater infrastructure.This study aims to assess the hydrological impacts of urbanization by implementing a rainfall-runoff model adapted to data-scarce environments.The model was calibrated using the limited hydrological and meteorological observations available, along with integrated spatial indicators representing both urbanization density and the modification of natural drainage directions.Simulations were carried out for identical rainfall events under two contrasting land-use scenarios, corresponding to the years 1983 and 2018.The results reveal a marked increase in runoff levels and discharges at the watershed outlets, with amplification factors of 1.75 for watershed 1 and 2.75 for watershed 2. These r esults clearly demonstrate the intensification of surface runoff resulting from increased imperviousness and the densification of the urban fabric.Beyond the quantitative findings, this study highlights the strong relationship between urban growth, flood risk, and urban planning in African cities, where land pressure and informal development are particularly pronounced.The acquisition of additional rainfall-runoff measurements would help refine model calibration, reduce uncertainties, and strengthen the robustness and relevance of the proposed approach.