Urban and peri-urban areas comprise a mixture of different land-uses, consisting of paving surfaces, soils and vegetation, organized in complex structures, particularly in peri-urban areas where forest and agriculture fields may occupy an important part. Given the increasing concentration of people and the extent of these areas, together with climate change projections, urban and peri-urban sustainability and safety is a growing concern.
This session aims at giving an overview of the current research and state of knowledge on the impacts of global changes on physical-chemical soil and water properties modifications, soil-water-vegetation relations, geochemistry interactions between land-uses, pollutant fade and transport, local and regional impacts on water resources, sediment transport as well as challenges on food production within urban and peri-urban areas.
The impact of different combinations and arrangements of land-uses and types of impervious and pervious surfaces within urban and peri-urban areas, assessed through different scales, will provide important knowledge for sustainable land, water and biodiversity management. Urbanization impacts on soil system, hydrological processes and natural hazards, together with stakeholders’ involvement, should be considered to improve urban planning and risk management.