Environmental influence of Wuhan urban agglomeration development and strategies of environmental protection

Article type: Research Article

Authors: GAO, Qun | LIU, Ying-tao | MAO, Han-ying

Affiliations: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China | Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: gaoq@lreis.ac.cn

Abstract: In Wuhan urban agglomeration (WUA), the population growth and concentration, the industrial development and urban sprawl have been affecting the environment fundamentally. Comparing with Yangtze delta metropolitan region, the level of urbanization and industrialization of WUA has lagged behind for about 10 years; but the problems in environmental protection and rehabilitation are commonly serious. In the future, WUA should avoid unnecessary mistakes and seek a win-win strategy for economy and environment in its large-scale development stage. Based on the analysis of the changing of main environmental pollutants and the coupled curves in past decades, the paper discussed the important links among the urban environmental pollutions, industry growth and urban sprawl in WUA. It is concluded that the integration of economic and environmental policies in urban development is more required and significant at the large urban agglomeration region. Four proactive and long-term strategies need to be adopted to provide prior guidance and better protection for the development of WUA.

Keywords: environmental problem, urban development, Wuhan urban agglomeration, strategies

Journal: Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 616-623, 2006