pollution due to urbanization essay 250 words pdf download

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Pollution Due to Urbanisation Essay

Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Below, you will find an essay on pollution due to urbanisation (long) and also a short essay on pollution due to urbanisation. While urbanisation has its positives, it is imperative to look at every object according to its pros and cons. Here are two essays on pollution due to urbanisation of 400-500 words and 100-200 words, respectively. We will discuss the importance of urbanisation for countries, and how urbanisation is polluting the world.

Long Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Urbanisation is a great concept which is required to develop any country. It refers to the concept of urbanising remote areas by building infrastructure which then brings about development. Infrastructure refers to all the buildings and institutions which are necessary for economic development to take place in an area. For example, educational institutions like schools, colleges, vocational learning centres are part of the infrastructure. Healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics, employment opportunities, food security, etc. are also part of the infrastructure of a country.

It is seen very often that a big corporation sets up shop in a rural area, and around this, infrastructure is built, and development and urbanisation take place. Jamshedpur is an example of such a place, where Tata Industries set up shop many years ago and made the area highly developed. Thus, urbanisation definitely encourages the people of a place to have a better life by giving them more opportunities to achieve good life through education, jobs, etc.

On the other hand, it must be duly noted that urbanisation is one of the leading causes of pollution in today’s world. There are several different kinds of pollution, such as air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and noise pollution. The facets of urbanisation contribute to each one of these types of pollution in one way or another. Factories and mines contribute to air pollution through the fumes that each of them emits into the air. The damage done to the water and soil around factories because of their flowing septic is harmful to both humans as well as aquatic life. Additionally, the noises that come from mines, the whirring of machinery in factories, etc. contribute to noise pollution.

Additionally, it is not only big industries that contribute to pollution due to urbanisation. Part of urbanisation is also the development of roads, which means more cars, buses, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, trucks, etc. on the road. These all contribute to noise pollution because of the incessant honking, and also to air pollution, because of the fumes that all motor vehicles emit. Even when we are stuck in traffic in an auto, it becomes difficult to breathe because of the fumes which surround us on the roads. If we are finding it difficult to breathe, imagine what so many fumes are doing to our planet.

Short Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

150 Words Paragraph On Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Pollution takes place when air, water or soil becomes contaminated with unwanted substances. Air pollution takes place because of the fumes of factories and motor vehicles on th e road. Soil pollution and water pollution take place due to the septic waste being released into soil or water that surrounds a factory. Even oil spills are a major reason for water pollution, and all kinds of pollution can be very dangerous for living beings. Another type of pollution is noise pollution, which comes from the honking of cars, loud sounds in factories, the passing of aeroplanes and trains, etc.

Urbanisation is a result of the need to achieve economic development. It refers to when a relatively rural or remote area is made more urban by constructing roads, hospitals, schools, offices, etc. In this way, development is a result of urbanisation, which is extremely good for all countries.

However, all the great factors that urbanisation brings in, such as factories to work in, motor vehicles to drive, and so much more, all of these contribute to pollution more and more. Even though urbanisation is very important for a country, it is important to address all the kinds of pollution

Pollution is one of the most pressing concerns confronting our civilization today. When their environment deteriorates on a daily basis, humans face major challenges. The mixing of any toxic element or contaminants in our natural environment is referred to as pollution. Many contaminants are introduced into the natural environment as a result of human activities, contaminating it too dangerous proportions. Pollution is caused by a variety of factors, one of which is urbanisation.

The negative aspect of urbanisation is the manufacturers, which emit a great deal of pollution. Their equipment emits smoke into the environment, pollutes water streams and the surrounding land, and makes a lot of noise. As a result, there is a lot of pollution as a result of urbanisation, and it is extremely destructive to the environment when it first begins.

The majority of the pollution in our environment is due to urbanisation. It's because factories are springing up all over the place, there are a lot more cars on the road now, and so on.

Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Our mother planet is choking, and we are unable to do anything about it. Today, we confront several issues, one of which is pollution. Pollution occurs when a contaminating substance is introduced into our environment and pollutes our natural resources. There are numerous causes of pollution, most of which are caused by humans. Natural resources and habitats have been depleted as a result of our activities.

Urbanisation is one of the primary causes of human pollution. Pollution levels began to rise when humans began to construct cities and industrialization developed. Human needs continue to expand, and we loot our mother planet to meet them. As a result of development, many beautiful valleys, mountains, hilltop stations, and woods have become pollution carriers. Trees have been felled, rivers and lakes have been poisoned, and natural reserves have been exploited.

As a result, we now live in severely polluted cities where daily life has become increasingly challenging. As a result of urban pollution, we are experiencing a variety of health issues, the worst part of which is that we are fully unconscious of it. It is past time for us to take steps to reduce pollution and make the world a better place for future generations.

Urbanisation is a really great step forward for any country, and it is and should be the main aim of all countries. All people around the world should have access to proper healthcare, education, sanitation, nourishment and safety, and urbanisation is how we can help achieve this goal. However, in the process of meeting this goal, we cannot forget that pollution due to urbanisation does take place, and is very dangerous for the planet and, therefore, all species living on earth in the long run.

FAQs on Pollution Due to Urbanisation Essay

1. What are the pros and cons of urbanisation according to the essay on pollution due to urbanisation?

The essay on pollution due to urbanisation says that urbanisation is good and is vital for a country, but can also be harmful for the environment. Urbanisation brings in better education, better healthcare facilities, better roads, and better infrastructure in general. However, it improves the lifestyles of human beings at the cost of hurting the environment by putting more contaminants into air, water and soil in the form of toxic fumes and septic waste. Thus, urbanisation is important, but it has to be brought about in a more sustainable manner.

2. How can we reduce pollution due to urbanisation?

At the individual level, there are some very simple ways to reduce pollution due to urbanisation. To reduce air pollution, we can choose to walk, carpool, or use public transport instead of taking a taxi. Garbage should not be thrown on roads and in water bodies, in order for us to stop soil and water pollution. We should also not honk on roads unnecessarily, to curb noise pollution. Unless the big companies and industries do not decide to take a stand and do what’s good for the environment, we will have to keep relying only on individual measures.

3. What are the different types of pollution and their causes?

Pollution in Cities: Types and Causes

Air Pollution: The air in metropolitan places is constantly polluted with harmful compounds, making breathing increasingly dangerous. The air in cities is suffocating. The air is polluted by smoke from autos, factories, and power plants. There are also other contaminants in the air, such as chemical spills and other harmful substances.

Water Pollution: Natural water supplies are becoming increasingly scarce in metropolitan areas, and those that do exist are becoming progressively contaminated. There is a lot of waste dumping in lakes and rivers, such as residential and industrial waste. A lot of trash is washed into the rivers when it rains.

Soil Pollution: Toxic mixtures in the soil are causing ecosystem disruption.

Noise Pollution: Cities are among the noisiest places on the planet. Noise pollution is caused by a variety of sources, including traffic noises, loudspeakers, and other undesirable noises, which cause a variety of health problems.

Radioactive Pollution:   Nuclear power facilities' unintentional leaks represent a serious concern.

Visual Pollution: Signs, billboards, screens, high-intensity lights, and other forms of overexposure to sights in cities can also be highly unsettling.

There is also ' Thermal pollution ,' which is created by an excess of heat trapped in the earth's atmosphere.

4. How can pollution due to urbanisation be controlled?

One can implement the following methods to reduce pollution caused by urbanisation: 

Conserve Energy: People in urban areas always use more energy than people in rural areas. The use of energy results in numerous types of pollution. One of the most effective strategies to reduce pollution is to conserve energy wherever possible. When you are not using an electrical appliance, turn it off. This tiny step can make a tremendous difference.

Reduce water waste: We waste a lot of water on a daily basis, which might have negative implications. We must make every effort to utilize as little water as possible.

Plant more trees: Urban areas are the ones with the least amount of greenery. It's a good idea to have a kitchen garden and a little lawn near your house.

Green belts: The government can assist by declaring specific sections in each city as green belts, allowing trees and other plants to flourish freely.

Use fewer loudspeakers: Using fewer loudspeakers can significantly minimise noise pollution. It's also a good idea to turn down the music level at functions after a specific amount of time has passed.

Indoors: In cities, home interiors are likewise heavily contaminated. We must also have some plants inside our homes to filter the polluted indoor air.

Industrial trash: Factory owners must make every effort to avoid dumping industrial waste in lakes or rivers. The government can also enact legislation in this regard.

5.  What problems are caused due to Urbanization?

The necessity for open space to develop roads, buildings, and bridges, among other things, resulted in widespread deforestation. To accommodate the ever-increasing population, trees were cut down, fields were cleared, and built new space. It goes without saying that tree cutting is a major source of pollution. The high population density resulted in a scarcity of everything, including space and natural resources such as water and coal.

A number of serious challenges have arisen as a result of the interaction of the urban population with the environment. The spending habits and lifestyles of the urban people had a significant impact on the environment. Consumption of food, energy, and water is all higher in cities. Cities have much more filthy air than rural areas. This is mainly due to the increased use of automobiles and the expansion of industries and factories that pollute the air.  We utilise electricity to power almost all of our equipment.

6. What is urbanisation, and how is it caused?

The population shift from rural to urban regions, the resulting decline in the number of people living in rural areas, and the methods in which societies adjust to this transition are all referred to as urbanisation. It is basically the process by which towns and cities evolve and grow as more people choose to live and work in central locations.

Individual, community and state activity result in either organic or planned urbanisation. Living in a city can be culturally and economically advantageous since it can provide more options for access to the labour market, better education, housing, and safety conditions, as well as lower commute and transit time and costs. A healthy urban environment is characterised by density, proximity, diversity, and marketplace rivalry. However, there are also negative social consequences associated with urban living, such as alienation, stress, higher living costs, and mass marginalisation. Suburbanization, which is occurring in the greatest developing countries' cities, can be seen as an attempt to balance these negative aspects of city living while still giving access to a huge number of shared resources.

7. What is the Impact of Urbanisation in Indian Cities?

The following are the main effects of urbanisation on environmental quality in Indian cities:

According to the entire slum population in India in 1991, 41 per cent of the overall slum population lived in cities with populations of one million or more, which account for 27 percent of the country's total population.

According to the current situation of municipal solid trash creation and collection situation in Indian metropolitan cities, Maharashtra creates the most municipal solid garbage (11,000 tonnes per day), followed by Delhi (8700 tonnes per day) in 2019, both of which are expected to rise in the near future.

In India and other Metropolitan Cities, the number of automobiles on the road is increasing.

In India and other metropolitan cities, the number of automobiles on the road has increased. The usage of vehicles has increased by 10% or more on average, posing a significant threat to air pollution.

Water resources are dwindling day by day as a result of rising population, wasteful usage, and a lack of conservation. Huge amounts of wastewater enter rivers as cities and industries grow, contaminating river streams that are used for drinking and other reasons.

Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Urbanization refers to the process of increasing population and industrialization in urban areas. As cities continue to grow and expand, pollution caused by urbanization has become a significant environmental concern. Urbanization leads to increased pollution in many forms, including air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution.

Air pollution is one of the most significant environmental problems caused by urbanization. Urban areas typically have a high concentration of vehicles, industry, and power plants, all of which are major sources of air pollution. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, releases harmful pollutants, including particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, into the air. These pollutants can have a range of negative health effects, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, air pollution can also damage crops and buildings, and contribute to climate change.

Water pollution

Water pollution is another major problem caused by urbanization. Urban areas typically have a high population density, which leads to an increase in the amount of waste and sewage produced. This can lead to the pollution of water sources, including rivers, lakes, and oceans, with harmful chemicals and pollutants. In addition, urbanization can also lead to the destruction of natural habitats, such as wetlands and rivers, which can negatively impact local ecosystems.

Noise pollution

Noise pollution is another environmental problem caused by urbanization. Urban areas typically have a high level of traffic and industrial noise, which can have negative effects on human health and well-being. Noise pollution can cause hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and stress, and can also negatively impact wildlife.

Urbanization also contributes to the destruction of natural habitats and loss of biodiversity. Urban areas often require large amounts of land for development, which leads to the destruction of forests, wetlands, and other natural habitats. This can have a negative impact on local ecosystems and wildlife, and can also contribute to climate change.

Urbanization can also lead to a lack of green spaces and access to nature in urban areas. This can have negative effects on human health and well-being, as well as negatively impacting local ecosystems.

To address the pollution caused by urbanization, there are several actions that can be taken. One approach is to reduce the use of fossil fuels and promote the use of clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power. This can help to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, strict regulations and laws can be implemented to control and minimize pollution from industrial and transportation sources.

Another approach is to promote sustainable urban planning and development. This can include incorporating green spaces and access to nature in urban areas, promoting compact and efficient land use, and encouraging the use of public transportation.

Finally, individuals can also play a role in reducing pollution caused by urbanization by making eco-friendly choices and taking actions such as reducing energy consumption, using public transportation, and recycling.

Urbanization leads to a range of environmental problems, including air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, loss of biodiversity, and lack of green spaces. To address these problems, a combination of policy measures, urban planning and individual actions are required. These measures include reducing the use of fossil fuels, promoting sustainable urban planning and development, and encouraging individuals to make eco-friendly choices and take actions to reduce pollution. By taking these actions, we can help to reduce the negative impact of urbanization on the environment and improve the health and well-being of both people and the planet.

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization in English for Students Exams

December 29, 2023 entranciology Full Essays and Articles For All Competitive Exams 0

Urbanization, the rapid growth of cities and towns, is a defining feature of modern society. While it brings about economic development, improved infrastructure, and increased opportunities, it also comes with a hidden cost—pollution. As urban areas expand, pollution emerges as a pervasive challenge, affecting air, water, and soil quality. This essay explores the multifaceted impacts of pollution due to urbanization, highlighting the need for sustainable urban development and environmental stewardship.

Air Pollution

The concentration of industries, vehicular traffic, and increased energy consumption in urban areas contribute significantly to air pollution. Emissions from vehicles, industrial processes, and power plants release pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. These pollutants not only degrade air quality but also pose serious health risks, leading to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and other adverse health effects among urban populations.

Water Pollution

Urbanization often leads to increased impervious surfaces, such as roads and pavements, which hinder the natural filtration of water through soil. Consequently, urban runoff carries pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and debris into water bodies, contaminating rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Poorly managed wastewater disposal from industrial and residential sources further exacerbates water pollution, threatening aquatic ecosystems and jeopardizing the availability of safe drinking water.

Soil Contamination

Urbanization introduces a variety of contaminants into the soil, including heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. Construction activities, improper waste disposal, and industrial runoff contribute to soil degradation. Contaminated soil not only affects the health of plants but also poses risks to human health through the consumption of contaminated food.

Noise Pollution

The bustling nature of urban areas, characterized by constant human activity, vehicular traffic, and industrial operations, results in elevated noise levels. Noise pollution has adverse effects on physical and mental well-being, causing stress, sleep disturbances, and hearing impairments. It also disrupts ecosystems, impacting wildlife behavior and communication.

Heat Island Effect

Urbanization leads to the creation of heat islands, where the abundance of concrete and asphalt surfaces absorbs and retains heat. This phenomenon raises local temperatures, contributing to increased energy consumption for cooling purposes and negatively affecting the urban microclimate. The heat island effect compounds the challenges of climate change, amplifying temperature extremes and impacting the overall livability of urban areas.

Solutions and Sustainable Urban Development

Addressing pollution due to urbanization requires a holistic approach to urban planning and development. Sustainable practices, such as green infrastructure, efficient waste management, and the promotion of public transportation, can mitigate the environmental impact of urbanization. Embracing renewable energy sources, implementing green building standards, and creating green spaces within urban landscapes contribute to a more sustainable and resilient urban environment.

Public Awareness and Advocacy

Public awareness is key to fostering a sense of responsibility and encouraging sustainable practices among urban dwellers. Education campaigns, community engagement, and advocacy for environmentally friendly policies can empower individuals to make informed choices that contribute to pollution reduction and overall environmental health.

As urbanization continues to shape the global landscape, it is imperative to acknowledge and address the environmental challenges it brings. Pollution resulting from urbanization poses threats to human health, biodiversity, and the overall well-being of urban environments. By embracing sustainable urban development practices, implementing effective policies, and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility, cities can navigate the path to growth without compromising the health of the planet and its inhabitants. The vision for the future must be one where urbanization and environmental sustainability coexist harmoniously, ensuring a healthy and thriving planet for generations to come.

Related posts:

• Summer Season Essay/Article in English for Student Exams
• A Scene of An Examination Hall : Essay/Paragraph in English Language for Students Exams
• Essay on The Role of Women in Society or Modern World | English Essays Writing for School Exams
• Full Essay on Corruption in English For School Exams | Essays & Paragraph Writing Tutorial For Students
• Essay on Need for Education for All in English Language for School Exams
• My Favourite Sport Full Essay for Exams | Essays and Paragraph Writing for Students
• Essay on Education System in India | Indian Education System Full Essay in English Language for Students Exams
• Essay on Subhash Chandra Bose | Articles, Essays, Speech and Paragraphs Writing in English Language for School Students Exams
• Essay on Mother Teresa in English | Essays, Articles and Paragraph Writing for English Students
• Music Essay in English Language | Essays, Articles, Paragraphs and Speech Writing for Exams
• 286 Topics for Essays/Articles/Paragraphs Writing in English For Students Exams
• Essay on Diwali – Festival of Lights in English Language for Students Exams
• Essay on Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation for students exams
• Essay on Rabindranath Tagore Poet and Philosopher in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Subhas Chandra Bose in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Environment Pollution in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: Empowering the Girl Child in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Importance of Good Manners in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Abraham Lincoln in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Martin Luther King Jr in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Solar System in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Gurpurab in Sikhism in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Proverb “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine” in English for Students Exams
• Essay on “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away” in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in English for Students Exams
• Full Essay on Sound Pollution, Noise Pollution Essay in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Health and Fitness in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Ambedkar Jayanti, Birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat – Unity in Diversity in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Picnic: A Day of Joy and Togetherness in English for Students Exams
• Essay on The Most Memorable Day of My Life in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Television (TV) in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Importance of Tree in English for Students Exams
• Essay on My Favourite Sport in English for Students Exams
• Essay on My Garden in English for Students Exams
• Essay on My School Library in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Knowledge is Power in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Rani Lakshmi Bai in English for Students Exams
• Essay on Disaster Management in English for Students Exams
• Essay on The Importance of Tree Plantation in English for Students Exams

Copyright © 2024 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanisation | Essays for Class 7 PDF Download

Introduction, urbanisation & pollution.

While pollution on its own is a pressing problem for our world, pollution due to urbanisation is a huge problem. Adding to that, it is becoming a bigger and bigger problem as urbanisation is taking over even the smallest areas. Yes, development is something to applaud, but not when it goes to the extent of causing harm to or destroying the environment.

Top Courses for Class 7

Practice quizzes, viva questions, important questions, mock tests for examination, essay on pollution due to urbanisation | essays for class 7, semester notes, shortcuts and tricks, past year papers, video lectures, objective type questions, study material, extra questions, sample paper, previous year questions with solutions.

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanisation Free PDF Download

Importance of essay on pollution due to urbanisation, essay on pollution due to urbanisation notes, essay on pollution due to urbanisation class 7 questions, study essay on pollution due to urbanisation on the app, welcome back, create your account for free.

Forgot Password

Unattempted tests, change country.

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Essay on Pollution: Samples in 100, 150 and 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Nov 23, 2023

As the world embraced urbanization, mother nature witnessed the greener lands getting transformed into modern cities and metropolises. What followed is a trail of natural disasters signalling that something is wrong with the planet earth. Pollution is increasingly asked under the writing section in school and college tests as well as competitive exams . This is because it is a relevant environmental issue today. This blog aims to help you with the necessary knowledge as well as tips and tricks to draft a well-written essay on pollution.

Related Read: Women Empowerment Essay

What is Pollution?

Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These materials are called pollutants. They can be created by human activity like trash and natural like volcanic ash. Pollutants damage the quality of water, air and land. Pollution is a global problem. Air and water carry pollution into the ocean currents and migrating fish. Pollution is among the many things that harm our planet- once greener and healthier than it is now. Pollution is a dangerous phenomenon that is contributing to an array of health issues.

Types of Pollution

In simple terms, pollution is defined as the contamination of the physical and biological constituents in the earth’s atmosphere. It affects human life and the natural environment to a very great extent. It degrades our natural resources, from the water we drink to the air we breathe. While writing an essay on Pollution, you must mention the major four types of pollution which are as follows:

• Air Pollution : Air pollution is the contamination of air in the atmosphere when harmful or excessive quantities of substances such as smoke and harmful gases from industries, CFCs and oxides produced by automobiles, the burning of solid wastes, etc. are introduced into the environment.
• Water Pollution : This refers to the contamination of natural resources of water, due to the addition of harmful chemical, biological or physical materials, which includes industrial wastes, oil spills, domestic and farm wastes, pesticides, as well as mining and agricultural wastes, to water resource which make it unusable.
• Soil Pollution : Land/Soil Pollution occurs due to the degradation of the earth’s surface by different commercial, industrial, agricultural and domestic activities. Causes of soil pollution also include mining, deforestation, dumping of e-waste and other industrial wastes, usage of harmful chemicals such as insecticides, pesticides, etc.
• Noise Pollution : Excess noise due to sounds created by machines, loudspeakers, microphones, loud music, noise from industries, construction and civil engineering works etc. lead to noise pollution.

Don’t Miss The Chance for Free Career Counselling Session! Sign Up for A Free Consultation by Click Here !

Causes and Health Effects of Pollution

You can include various causes and health effects in your essay on Pollution from the following table:-

Add the causes and effects in your essay on Pollution depending upon the word limit allowed to you.

Format for Essay on Pollution

Before writing an essay on Pollution, students must be familiarised with the format of essay writing. The key elements of the essay format are Introduction, Body of Content and Conclusion. Take a look at the following paragraphs which delve deeper into the details of these features as per a 200-250 word essay:

• Introduction – The introduction of the essay must be on providing an overview of the given topic. For an essay on Pollution, you can begin with a simple definition or thought-provoking sentence and complete it in about around 60 words. Since, it is the first thing the reader looks at, try to make it interesting by adding recent instances and impactful questions.
• Body of Content – This area of the content comes after the introduction and can be explained in around 100-120 words, describing the given topic in detail. So, in writing about pollution, you can describe how the atmosphere and the environment are getting affected due to Pollution and list down various ways to prevent pollution.
• Conclusion – Wrapping up your essay, this part comprises around 50 words. Try to bring a positive outlook on the issue you are discussing or conclude by summing up in a concise way.

Also Read: Essay on Pollution in Hindi

Sample Essay on Pollution in 100 Words

Polllution is the addition of unwanted susbstances which are incorporated into the environment that can damage our Earth. There are mainly four tyoes of pollutions, these inlcude water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution. One should note that any form of pollution is the result of careless activity carried out by man. We, humans on a daily basis dump waste directly into water bodies which leads to water pollution. Vehicle emissions of smoke into the atmosphere impede the ability of all living things to breathe, leading to air pollution. Our garbage is dumped into landfills directly, which results in soil pollution. Although it cannot be seen, noise pollution is a severe type of pollution that can harm our ears.

Sample Essay on Pollution in 250- 300 Words

The biggest threat planet earth is facing is pollution. Unwanted substances leave a negative impact once released into an environment. There are four types of pollution air, water, land, and noise. Pollution affects the quality of life more than any human can imagine. Due to air pollution, even teenage kids have developed various respiratory diseases. Water pollution has led to diseases in children. The waste we humans dump on the land or chemical fertilisers which are put on the land for agricultural purposes causes land/ soil pollution. If the soil quality deteriorates due to such practices, the soil will become infertile and no crops could be grown in future. The government has launched various schemes over the years to fight pollution but individual efforts can also play a vital role. Start by replacing plastic bags for shopping with cloth bags, stopping littering on roads and stop wasting water are some of the basic things to start with that can lead to big changes in the environment.

Sample Essay on Pollution in 300-350 Words

One of the most critical threats faced by our planet in the present day scenario. Environmental pollution is a global issue affecting people around the world. It is occurring in different forms, whether by affecting the air we breathe or the water resources we utilise for several purposes. Air pollution came into being with an increase in the level of carbon dioxide, with the increase in pollutants which are contaminating the air and causing breathing discomfort as well as skin diseases to human beings. Talking about the other aspect, there is no life without water. The water bodies are polluting and becoming unsafe for drinking or any other use because of industrial development, rapid urbanisation and various other reasons. Due to air pollution, diseases that can occur to human beings are asthma, various skin diseases, cancer, etc. Therefore, it is the essential need of the hour to take serious steps to reduce pollution to its core. At a personal level, we can minimise environmental pollution by taking public transport or carpools to reduce vehicular smoke, avoiding firecrackers at festivals and celebrations can also cut down on air and noise pollution, and not using fertilisers and pesticides which can cause both water and soil pollution, and switching over to organic farming. The government can also bring strict rules and regulations to lessen industrial pollution.  To sum up, any type of pollution is harmful to the environment with serious consequences like global warming, uneven climatic changes, etc. Due to our greediness and illegal human activities, the innocent lives of animals are lost. The time has come to join our hands and work towards preserving and protecting the environment for the present as well as future generations.

Also Read: Essay on Environment: Examples and Tips

Tips on How to Write an Essay on Pollution

Before you start writing your essay on Pollution, make a note of the following things:-

• Make points of what types of pollution and compulsorily add air, water and noise pollution
• Make a list of what causes and effects do you want to write about
• Ensure that everything you want to write about is factually correct
• Try to write shorter and readable sentences. There should be a connection amongst all 3 parts of the essay on Pollution- introduction, body and conclusion

How to Reduce or Prevent Pollution?

Everyone has a responsibility to take action to prevent pollution after learning about its negative impacts. Every preventive measure that can be taken to lessen pollution should be known to us. For example, to reduce air pollution, we should refrain from lighting fireworks during festivals, take public transportation or carpool, limit the use of loudspeakers, and reduce noise pollution by honking in public. This circumstance should always be on our minds so that we can respond appropriately. In the beginning, it is up to us to exercise caution and to raise awareness among those around us. We should take environmentally beneficial measures, such as increasing tree planting, lowering plastic usage, utilising more sustainable household products, etc. Always keep in mind that every tiny action now will have a greater effect tomorrow when discussing global pollution.

Tips on Reducing Pollution

• Say NO to Crackers
• Use Public Transportation
• Turn off the lights, fans and water taps when not in use
• Recycle and Reuse
• Segregate your waste
• Say NO to Plastic
• Plant more trees
• Use of fans instead of ACs

How Often Does an Essay on Pollution Come in School Exams?

In your school exams, an essay on Pollution will come in your English language paper. Environmental Science is a subject every school teaches so you can pick up some points from the chapters on Pollution and add them to your essay. An essay on Pollution is asked very often if not every year (with one or two other choices of topic) because of its significance in today’s world.

Related Articles 

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay-writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

Nikita Puri

Nikita is a creative writer and editor, who is always ready to learn new skills. She has great knowledge about study abroad universities, researching and writing blogs about them. Being a perfectionist, she has a habit of keeping her tasks complete on time before the OCD hits her. When Nikita is not busy working, you can find her eating while binge-watching The office. Also, she breathes music. She has done her bachelor's from Delhi University and her master's from Jamia Millia Islamia.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

pollution is very harmful to the environment. By pollution many diseases and virus like coronavirus. So JOIN THE GREEN REVOLUTION AND STOP POLLUTION

PLANT MORE AND MORE TREES TO REDUCE POLLUTION

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Students are often asked to write an essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Introduction.

Urbanisation is the shift of population from rural to urban areas. It’s a sign of progress, but it also brings pollution.

Causes of Pollution

Urbanisation leads to increased vehicles, industries, and waste, causing air, water, and land pollution.

Effects of Pollution

Pollution harms our health, affects wildlife, and contributes to climate change.

While urbanisation is necessary, we must also focus on sustainable development to reduce pollution.

250 Words Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Urbanisation, the shift of population from rural to urban areas, has been a global trend over the past century. While it has driven economic growth and development, it has also led to a significant increase in pollution, posing serious environmental challenges.

Types of Pollution

Urbanisation primarily contributes to air, water, and noise pollution. Rapid industrialisation, increasing vehicles, and construction activities have intensified the release of harmful pollutants into the air. Water sources are contaminated by industrial effluents and domestic waste, while the incessant noise from vehicles and industries disrupts the tranquillity of urban areas.

Impact on Environment and Health

This pollution has far-reaching impacts on both the environment and human health. It leads to climate change, biodiversity loss, and degradation of natural resources. For humans, exposure to polluted air and water increases the risk of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and other health problems.

Need for Sustainable Urbanisation

The current trend of urbanisation is unsustainable. There is an urgent need to adopt eco-friendly practices, promote green technologies, and improve waste management. Policymakers must also focus on creating urban spaces that balance development with environmental preservation.

Urbanisation is a double-edged sword. While it brings economic prosperity and societal advancement, it also leads to pollution and environmental degradation. The challenge is to harness the benefits of urbanisation while minimising its negative impacts, ensuring a sustainable future for all.

500 Words Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Urbanisation, the process of transforming rural areas into urban spaces, has been a double-edged sword for humanity. On one hand, it has brought about economic growth, social development, and technological advancements. On the other hand, it has led to an unprecedented increase in pollution, posing a serious threat to the environment and human health.

The Impact of Urbanisation on Air Quality

One of the most visible forms of pollution resulting from urbanisation is air pollution. As cities grow, the demand for energy, transportation, and industry escalates. This leads to increased emissions of harmful pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These pollutants not only degrade air quality but also contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, affecting both human health and the environment.

Urbanisation and Water Pollution

Urbanisation also significantly contributes to water pollution. Rapid urban growth often outpaces the development of necessary infrastructure, such as sewage and waste treatment facilities. As a result, untreated waste often finds its way into rivers and lakes, leading to the contamination of water bodies. This not only harms aquatic life but also poses risks to human health, as polluted water is a major source of diseases like cholera and dysentery.

The Role of Urbanisation in Soil and Noise Pollution

Soil pollution is another environmental issue exacerbated by urbanisation. The construction of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure often involves the removal of topsoil, leading to soil degradation. Additionally, the improper disposal of solid waste in urban areas can lead to soil contamination.

Noise pollution, often overlooked, is a significant byproduct of urbanisation. The constant din of traffic, construction, and other urban activities can have serious implications for human health, including stress-related illnesses, hearing loss, and sleep disturbances.

Urbanisation and the Heat Island Effect

Urbanisation also contributes to the phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. This occurs when urban areas, due to their concrete structures and lack of green spaces, absorb and retain more heat than surrounding rural areas. This not only increases energy consumption for cooling but also exacerbates global warming.

In conclusion, while urbanisation brings about numerous benefits, it also contributes significantly to various forms of pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to adopt sustainable urban planning and development practices. This includes promoting energy-efficient technologies, improving waste management systems, and preserving green spaces. Only through such measures can we ensure that the process of urbanisation is in harmony with the environment, thus securing a healthier and more sustainable future for all.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Environment Pollution
• Essay on How to Prevent Water Pollution
• Essay on Water Pollution

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Introduction.

We often consider urbanisation to be a positive phenomenon. To a large extent, it is rightly so. We know how remote areas get developed, and huge infrastructure is set up as part of urbanisation. This leads to the creation of many educational and job opportunities so that people can lead better lives. Well, urbanisation sounds really interesting, right? But we must also be aware of how it contributes to pollution, and this essay on pollution due to urbanisation will be helpful to know more about it.

Children are familiar with air pollution , water pollution, and land pollution. It is time that we teach them how urbanisation leads to pollution and causes harm to the environment. Like building schools, hospitals and factories, and roads are also developed as part of urbanisation, increasing the chances of pollution by air, water or land. This short essay on pollution due to urbanisation will delve more into this topic.

Negative Effects of Urbanisation

Due to urbanisation, factories and industries are springing up in different places, and the number of vehicles on the road is increasing. The air and gases emitted from factories and vehicles contaminate the atmosphere, thus leading to pollution. In this essay on pollution due to urbanisation, we will see how urbanisation is a major threat to the environment .

The air in cities has become toxic due to the harmful gases and smoke given out by automobiles and factories. Besides, household and industrial wastes are dumped into the water bodies, thus making them unsafe for consumption and use.

We will also see other ways in which urbanisation is causing pollution in the environment through this short essay on pollution due to urbanisation. Trees are cut down to build houses and buildings, and there is a significant rise in noise pollution and land pollution because of urbanisation. Eventually, people will struggle to get clean food and water for survival and suffer from many health issues. Moreover, our environment will deteriorate as all our natural resources will get depleted, resulting in phenomena like global warming , deforestation and acid rain, among others.

Ways to Reduce Pollution Due to Urbanisation

We dream of making every village a city by constructing schools, buildings, offices and roads. Urbanisation is seen as a sign of development, and hence, we believe it to be good for us. But it is equally important to address the issues of pollution to truly enjoy the benefits of urbanisation. This essay on pollution due to urbanisation will now discuss some effective measures to curb pollution by various means.

By fixing leaky pipes, segregating dry/wet and paper/plastic waste, reusing plastic bottles, and using biogas for cooking, we can limit the pollution from households. Besides, we can ensure proper disposal of industrial waste without dumping it in water or land. Industries must also take care to use non-toxic chemicals or materials and set up efficient machines. Thus, this short essay on pollution due to urbanisation emphasises taking active steps to reduce pollution.

Urbanisation is an important developmental measure for any country, but we must ensure that it takes place without damaging the environment. Let us also make our children aware of this problem through this essay on pollution due to urbanisation. You can check out more amazing essays, stories , GK questions, and worksheets for kids on our website.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is urbanisation.

Urbanisation is the process of turning rural villages and areas into modern cities by constructing roads, buildings, schools and offices.

Does urbanisation cause pollution?

Since urbanisation involves setting up factories and building roads, pollution is bound to happen through the air, water, soil, land, and noise.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

• Skip to main content

India’s Largest Career Transformation Portal

Essay on Pollution Crisis in Urban Areas

August 29, 2021 by Sandeep

The presence of poisonous, contaminating substances in the environment around us creates havoc to the dwelling space and introduces harmful and non-biodegradable substances. These harmful chemical-laden toxic elements cause ‘pollution.’ Below, we have provided pollution crisis in urban areas essay, suitable for aspirants preparing for competitive exams.

Urbanisation and Pollution

Man and his ways have polluted the environment around us; it’s a phenomenon prevailing since many millions of years and has reached alarming levels today. The concern in the urban areas is more severe because the greenery belt in the metros cities is severely low, and pollution levels are very high. There is no control on pollution and no scientific checks that can solidly create a lasting impact to decrease pollution levels.

Urban areas have a higher density of vehicles, more emissions from factories and industries, a higher rate of food adulteration, etc. This has caused an overall rise in the average temperatures, created a way for global warming. Due to this, people are suffering from deadly diseases, like cancer and asthma, acid rains are becoming more common. Air, water, land pollution is fully contaminating the environment around us severely.

Burning of Farm Residues

Whenever we take a long drive towards the out suits of any city, we can find thick and thin piles of smoke swelling up from small or big farmlands. It could be paddy straws that are being burnt or any other agricultural leftovers. They cause major reasons for pollution . They can be detrimental to our health too. They have very high small micro-level particles that can choke our lungs and trouble the respiratory system. The concentration of these fine particles in the residue burning would be so high that the smoke can enter the nearby, immediate urban landscape and cause huge damage to the lungs.

Very high levels of toxic elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, etc., are found in this kind of smoke emitting residue burning. The levels of potassium and sulphur can act upon the neighbouring lands and destroy the top layers of the soil. Thus even fertile lands can become barren and unfit for cultivation. This issue could be circled under the group of soil pollution.

The Air Act of 1981 considers burning crops and farm residues an unacceptable and punishable act and can be tried under a judicial lens. But strict enforcement of laws by authorities at the grassroots level is almost absent, making it easy for farmers to continue with their unscientific acts. A simple remedy to this burning issue could be to find alternate rises of farm residues to avoid burning them.

Indian Transportation of Pollution

As chocolates are to children, so is motor pollution to vehicles plying on Indian roads, especially city and urban areas. The environment is degraded by pollutants emitted out from the fumes of exhausts fitted to vehicles. They have ill effects on plant life, animal life and destroy the delicate balance present in the ecosystem. The motor or vehicular pollutants include carbon monoxide, toxic nitrogen oxide, ammonia, high hydrogen, and sulphur dioxide levels. Economic liberation in urban areas has made people more outgoing in their choices of vehicles.

A small family of four now has all four members having four different vehicles to use. It is not about necessity; it is a question of luxury. So the amount of pollution previously caused by a family vehicle has proportionately increased to nearly four-fold. The term ‘car pollution’ is commonly used in urban areas for obvious reasons. The greenhouse emissions can cause a lot of destruction to our atmosphere.

Petrol and diesel, when burnt, release harmful by-products into the environment. The smoke released from cars contains a huge list of pollutants. Particulate matter can choke our lungs and lead to deadly diseases like cancer. The fuel that silently escapes fuel tanks in vehicles is very toxic. They can silently deplete the protective layers of the atmosphere and add to the greenhouse effect.

Better Management of Resources

The primary and most prominent form of pollution in urban areas that reduces the green belt and improves specific contamination is air pollution . We cannot just blame vehicles for pollution. In our day-to-day lives, we depend on plastic items for almost every other need.

We have plastic toothbrushes, plastic mugs, plastic pens, etc. Our whole life revolves around plastic usage! Plastic, after being thrown, does not decay and can cause major health hazards that can’t be cured. Every year along big seashores, we find whales falling dead on the shore with a stomach filled with tons of plastic. So plastic is not a good choice, and we can replace it with other alternatives.

When we step outside our rooms, we forget to turn off lights and fans, leading to energy wastage. Every house, be it in urban or rural background, churns out piles of waste from their homes every day. A scientific way of waste disposal could end soil pollution and attract better ways of handling and treating waste and disposed of resources.

Paper can be recycled, but plastic cannot be recycled. So we can replace our plastic bags and use paper bags in their place. We have to ensure the safe disposal of paints, varnishes, worn-out batteries. Not disposing of them could pollute the air in the immediate environment/neighbourhood and cause further pollution.

Pollution and Loss to National Income

As we begin to put more things into our wardrobe, we should also consciously understand that we are adding to the heap of pollutants around us. When we don’t recycle items and litter our places, we congest our environment and degrade the quality of life. We cause pollution to the air and water sources. Industrial pollution adds debris and creates more havoc than we think. For every such pollution activity, there are associated costs that escalate now and then.

The costs associated with pollution are not directly assessed when a country’s GDP is taken into account. Yet, if we go by relative figures, we can see the same reflected in our national income. Take a simple example: every tourist who visited the sacred Ganges at Varanasi polluted or contributed to pollution. It could be plastic wastes or contaminating water sources.

When all this piled up and was no longer tolerable, the action was essential, and thus it took thousands of crores to clean up the river. This comes from the taxpayer’s money. With every such source of pollution at various other points, national income is seriously affected by pollution factors. Environmental woes add to the problem of pollution plus eat up into the taxpayer’s money since huge sums of relief funds need to be necessitated for welfare activities. Citizens charters have risen to bring about awareness, and we as responsible citizens should stop tolerating this menace.

International Reputation

Pollution, filth, and dirt are common sights when we visit public places in urban areas. Be its railway stations, airports, or bus stands, awareness and consciousness regarding cleanliness are less. When international delegates visit our country to explore business possibilities, they fight for space and greenery in a contaminated and germ-laden atmosphere. So, often the name we achieve in an international scene gets clutched and results in poor remarks in international arenas due to pollution and environmental degradation.

Threat of Diseases

Paying a casual visit to a nearby slum area will give you glaring images of filth, uncleared garbage, poor sanitation facilities, and above all, the spring of diseases and the thriving of life risky viruses and bacteria. Pollution can cause many deadly diseases to both humans and animals. Bronchitis and asthma are becoming common ailments in cities. Not just the older people, even younger generations are falling prey to it.

Smoking is a very normal activity in public places in cities. Smoking can cause cancer of the lungs. The onset of respiratory disease is mainly due to high levels of pollution in cities. Water-borne contaminants can easily cause cholera and diphtheria. Dysentery is a common problem in children when accidentally fed with polluted water. The sewage water mixed with good, potable water can cause mutations to genes and alter the specific creation of progeny in human beings.

Not just that, the high levels of adulterants and toxic minerals and chemicals present in the food we eat can cause gastrointestinal disorders and give way to incurable diseases. Mutations causing cancer are one of the most common things we get to hear, and the loss of lives due to pollution is undoubtedly on a steady rise.

WHO Reports

Some of the recent reports cited, formulated, and land out to the Indian public have shortlisted cities with very high pollution levels and threaten the people living there. Gwalior is one of those prominent cities where levels of air pollution are just unacceptable. The WHO also prescribes safety levels and permissible levels of air pollution. Cities like Delhi are much higher than these permissible levels. The cause of such high levels of toxic pollution can be attributed to a rich concentration of particulate matter.

The Kashmir region and neighbouring Himalayan states are also slowly creeping into the list, given their shift from slow pollution to high contamination levels in air matter. Global reports published by WHO every year collect research data from nearly thousands of Indian cities, say around 3000 and more, and then come up with the final list of most polluted cities. The Indian government has also set up committees to act upon this data and monitor pollution.

Ranking of Indian Cities

It is strange to find many Indian cities making their way into the world’s most polluted cities. The numbers are not just ones or twos; they have a major share in terms of pollution. Gwalior leads the list, followed by Allahabad, Patna, and Raipur. Delhi comes a close next. The power plants and industries in these cities contribute maximum to pollution.

All three categories of pollution – air, water, and land were taken into account while listing cities for pollution. Severe health issues and more effective laws to curb pollution in these cities are called for to enforce norms. Environmental degradation and the eruption of health hazards are some of the other threats and risks that can be expected due to pollution.

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• My Account Login
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Open access
• Published: 27 April 2021

Urbanization: an increasing source of multiple pollutants to rivers in the 21st century

• Maryna Strokal   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8063-7743 1 ,
• Zhaohai Bai   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7685-5441 2 ,
• Wietse Franssen 1 ,
• Nynke Hofstra 1 ,
• Albert A. Koelmans 3 ,
• Fulco Ludwig 1 ,
• Lin Ma   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1761-0158 2 ,
• Peter van Puijenbroek   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6370-2411 4 ,
• J. Emiel Spanier 1 ,
• Lucie C. Vermeulen   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8403-2442 5 ,
• Michelle T. H. van Vliet   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2597-8422 6 ,
• Jikke van Wijnen 7 &
• Carolien Kroeze 1  

npj Urban Sustainability volume  1 , Article number:  24 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

17k Accesses

85 Citations

17 Altmetric

Metrics details

• Element cycles
• Science, technology and society

Most of the global population will live in urban areas in the 21st century. We study impacts of urbanization on future river pollution taking a multi-pollutant approach. We quantify combined point-source inputs of nutrients, microplastics, a chemical (triclosan) and a pathogen ( Cryptosporidium ) to 10,226 rivers in 2010, 2050 and 2100, and show how pollutants are related. Our scenarios consider socio-economic developments and varying rates of urbanization and wastewater treatment. Today, river pollution in Europe, South-East Asia and North America is severe. In the future, around 80% of the global population is projected to live in sub-basins with multi-pollutant problems in our high urbanization scenarios. In Africa, future river pollution is projected to be 11–18 times higher than in 2010, making it difficult to meet Sustainable Development Goals. Avoiding future pollution is technically possible with advanced wastewater treatment in many regions. In Africa, however, clean water availability is projected to remain challenging. Our multi-pollutant approach could support effective water pollution assessment in urban areas.

Similar content being viewed by others

Current wastewater treatment targets are insufficient to protect surface water quality

Edward R. Jones, Marc F. P. Bierkens, … Michelle T. H. van Vliet

Chemical pollution imposes limitations to the ecological status of European surface waters

Leo Posthuma, Michiel C. Zijp, … Sebastian Birk

Domestic waste emissions to European waters in the 2010s

Olga Vigiak, Bruna Grizzetti, … Alberto Pistocchi

Introduction

Urban areas currently accommodate more than half of the global population 1 and generate over two-thirds of the world gross domestic products (GDP) 2 , 3 . In 2050, more than two-thirds of the global population will live in cities 1 , 4 , 5 . Rapid urbanization creates opportunities for economic developments 6 , but may also increase the use of freshwater resources 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 . This will increase competition for water between cities and agriculture 4 . More urban waste is likely to result in contamination of water with multiple pollutants such as nutrients 10 and pathogens 11 , 12 from human excretion, plastics 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , and chemicals 19 , 20 from personal care products. River pollution poses a threat to the availability of clean water in large parts of the world 7 , 21 , challenging the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG, clean water for all) and 11 (sustainable cities). Recent studies on impacts of rapid urbanization on water stress or water scarcity worldwide exist 4 , but often ignore water quality 7 .

Previous global studies likely underestimate the impact of urbanization on water pollution because of their strong focus on single pollutants 10 , 16 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 (Fig. 1 ). Urbanization (e.g., sewer connections in cities) is, however, often a common, point source of multiple pollutants in rivers, contributing to multiple impacts. Examples are eutrophication problems caused by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in many world regions 25 , 26 , and diarrhea caused by pathogens (e.g., Cryptosporidium ) especially in developing countries 11 , 27 . A multi-pollutant approach is, thus, urgently needed to account for interactions between drivers of urbanization (e.g., population, economy) and pressures such as emissions of different pollutants 21 . This can help to identify effective solutions accounting for synergies and trade-offs in pollution control. Furthermore, reducing multiple pollutants in rivers from urban-related sources might be easier (e.g., improved wastewater treatment) than from diffuse sources such as agricultural runoff (e.g., delay effects of reduction options due to accumulation of substances in soils). This may have a positive effect on the overall water quality status depending on diffuse sources.

The figure shows a difference between single-pollutant approaches (most existing studies) and a multi-pollutant approach (this study) to assess the impacts of the rapid urbanization on future global river quality. We take N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), pathogens and plastics as examples. Advances of the multi-pollutant approach are discussed in the main text.

In this paper, we study the impacts of urbanization on river pollution in the 21st century, taking a multi-pollutant perspective. We define multi-pollutant problems as increasing levels of more than one pollutant to rivers in future decades. We analyze, simultaneously, the following groups of pollutants: nutrients (N and P), pathogens (such as Cryptosporidium ), microplastics and chemicals (such as triclosan). These pollutants are selected because of their increasing pollution in many rivers worldwide 18 , 20 , 23 , 28 , 29 , 30 . Yet, these pollutants have common urban sources such as sewer systems (worldwide) and open defecation. We quantify point-source inputs of the pollutants to 10,226 rivers for 2010, 2050 and 2100 associated with urbanization: sewer systems and open defecation. For this, we use a global model of Strokal et al. 31 that takes the sub-basin scale modelling approach of Strokal et al. 32 for nutrients and integrates modelling approaches for other pollutants 18 , 20 , 23 (Supplementary Tables 1 , 2 and 3 ). We develop this model further for multiple-pollutants and future analyses based on evaluated, modelling approaches (see the “Methods” section).

To assess the impacts of urbanization, we develop five scenarios with different levels of urbanization and wastewater treatment rates (Fig. 2 ). The storylines are interpretations of the five Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 (Supplementary Tables 4 , 5 and 6 ). These SSPs are five pathways with different levels of socio-economic challenges for mitigation and adaptation 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 . SSP1 is a Green Road pathway with low socio-economic challenges (e.g., low population growth), but with high economic and urbanization development. It is largely oriented towards achieving sustainable goals (see Supplementary Tables 4 , 5 and 6 ). SSP2 is a middle of the road pathway with medium challenges to mitigation and adaptation. Future trends will not be very different from historical trends. SSP3 is a Rocky Road pathway with high challenges to mitigation and adaptation. It is a world with difficulties to control the population growth and has low economic and urbanization development (see Supplementary Tables 4 , 5 and 6 ). SSP4 is a Road Divided pathway with high challenges to mitigation and low to adaptation. It has a large gap between urban and rural development with the high urbanization rates especially in urban areas. SSP5 is a taking the highway pathway with high challenges to mitigate, but low challenges to adapt. It is a word with priorities towards economy (see Supplementary Tables 4 , 5 and 6 ).

Low, moderate and high urbanization is defined here as the increasing number of urban people and total people with sewer connections (see a and b panels and Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). The number of people opens defecating directly to water is assumed to decrease with sewer connection. Higher sewer connections imply that more wastewater treatment plants will be constructed to maintain the increasing volumes of the waste (see the “Methods” section). Low, moderate and high wastewater treatment levels refer here to a shirt (low, moderate, high) towards a next treatment type: e.g., from primary to secondary to tertiary ( a , b , Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). This implies the low, moderate and high ambitions to improve wastewater treatment ( b ). Future years are 2050 and 2100. Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 give quantitative interpretations of the storylines for our multi-pollutant model (see also the “Methods” section). GDP is the gross domestic product. Sources for the technologies are in the main text and in Supplementary Table 3 .

Our five scenarios incorporate socio-economic pathways of SSPs, but with quantitative interpretations of aspects related to urbanization and wastewater treatment (see the “Methods” section). Our scenarios aim to show the impact of urbanization on multiple pollutants in rivers. Thus, the names of our five scenarios correspond to the different levels of urbanization and wastewater treatment: from low urbanization and low wastewater treatment rates towards high urbanization and high wastewater treatment rates. This results in the following scenarios: low urbanization and low wastewater treatment rates (Low urb –Low wwt , based on SSP3), moderate urbanization and moderate wastewater treatment rates (Mod urb –Mod wwt , based on SSP2), high urbanization and low wastewater treatment rates (High urb –Low wwt , based on SSP4), high urbanization and moderate wastewater treatment rates (High urb –Mod wwt , based on SSP5), and high urbanization and high wastewater treatment rates (High urb –High wwt , based on SSP1) (Fig. 2 ). The five scenarios consider interactions between global change (socio-economic pathways), urbanization, sanitation and wastewater treatment.

Low, moderate and high urbanization reflect different levels of increases in urban population, and, indirectly, people with sewer connections between 2010 and future years (see the “Methods” section). As a net effect, the number of people practicing open defecation (direct inputs of human waste to rivers) may decrease. Increasing sewer connections assume higher capacities of treatment plants to manage increasing volumes of the wastewater. Low, moderate and high rates of wastewater treatment are defined based on a shift towards a next treatment type: e.g., from primary (technologies with <10% removal rates 10 , 18 , 20 , low) to secondary (50% removal rates 10 , 18 , 20 , 37 , moderate) or to tertiary (>75% removal rates 10 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , high, see the “Methods” section). The differences between the Low urb –Low wwt, and High urb –Low wwt scenarios indicate the impact of urbanization in terms of increasing numbers of people with sewer connections with low ambitions to improve the wastewater treatment under different socio-economic developments. The Mod urb –Mod wwt scenario could be considered business as usual. The differences between the High urb –Low wwt , High urb –Mod wwt and High urb –High wwt scenarios indicate the impact of improving the wastewater treatment in highly urbanized areas. Details are given in the “Methods” section on qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the five urbanization scenarios.

River pollution today

River pollution in Europe, South-East Asia and North America is already severe today. For these regions, we calculate high inputs of N (>50 kg km −2  year −1 ), P (>30 kg km −2  year −1 ), triclosan (>10 g km −2  year −1 ), microplastics (>5 kg km −2  year −1 ) and Cryptosporidium (>100 × 10 17 oocysts km −2 year −1 ) to many rivers in 2010 (Fig. 3 ). These regions experience severe water pollution problems 9 , 16 , 21 , 25 , 45 , contributing to negative impacts 21 such as eutrophication 45 and waterborne diseases (South-East Asian countries). For African sub-basins, pollution levels are not as high as in those regions (Fig. 3 ). However, some impacts of polluted water on children’s health are already indicated 21 . Globally, 9.5 Tg of N, 1.6 Tg of P, 0.45 Tg of microplastics, 0.72 kton of triclosan and 1.6 × 10 17 oocysts of Cryptosporidium entered rivers in 2010 (Fig. 4 , Supplementary Table 7 ). More than half of these inputs are to rivers in South-East Asia. Most of the pollutants in rivers are from sewer systems (see details in Supplementary Figs. from 1 to 29 ). Exceptions are some sub-basins in Africa and South-East Asia where open defecation contributes to over 20% of N, P and Cryptosporidium to their rivers. Existing assessments 9 , 10 , 13 , 20 , 23 reveal similar global estimates, but with diverse spatial scales. Our consistent spatial and temporal scales increase the robustness of our comparisons between multiple pollutants worldwide (e.g., Fig. 4 ).

Units are kg km −2 of sub-basin area year −1 for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and microplastics (MP), g km −2 of sub-basin area year −1 for triclosan (TCS) and 10 17 oocysts km −2 of sub-basin area year −1 for Cryptosporidium . Source: the global multi-pollutant model (model description is provided in the “Methods” section, and in Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 , model inputs are in Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 ). Model uncertainties are discussed in the “Methods” section.

a – e Future trends for individual pollutants. Pies show the shares of the surface areas by region as % of the global surface area. Spatially explicit results are shown in Fig. 3 for 2010 and Fig. 5 for the future. The description of the scenarios is in Fig. 2 , in the “Methods” section and Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 . Source: the global multi-pollutant model (model description is provided in the “Methods” section, and in Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 , model inputs are in Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 ). Model uncertainties are discussed in the “Methods” section.

High pollution levels result from the net effect of population densities, sewer connection rates (Supplementary Figs. 1 , 2 and 3 ), production of pollutants in human waste (Supplementary Figs. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 for individual pollutants) and wastewater treatment efficiencies (Supplementary Figs. 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 and 13 for individual pollutants) in countries (Supplementary Figs. 14 and 15 ). For South-East Asia, high pollution levels are driven by high population densities (Supplementary Figs. 3 and 16 ). This region accommodates approximately half of the global population (3 billion people, Supplementary Fig. 1 ) on 12% of the global surface area (Fig. 4 ). For comparison, sub-basins of Europe (excluding Russia) and North America accommodate around 10% of the global population (0.8 billion people, Supplementary Fig. 1 ) on 20% of the global surface area (Fig. 4 ). Approximately 20% of the total population in 2010 was connected to sewer systems (Supplementary Fig. 1 ) with relatively low wastewater treatment efficiencies (removal levels <50% for most pollutants, Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ). For Europe and North America, the high pollution levels per km 2 of sub-basins are driven by high connection rates to sewer systems especially in urban areas. Here, over two-thirds of the population live in urban areas and are largely connected to sewer systems with removal efficiencies above 50% for the studied pollutants (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ). Supplementary Fig. 17 shows the results of the sensitivity analysis indicating the importance of wastewater treatment and human development in river pollution (see the “Discussion” section).

Future river pollution globally

In the future, ~80% of the global population is projected to live in sub-basins with multi-pollutant problems (Figs. 5 and 6 ). These sub-basins cover over half of the global surface area (Fig. 6 ) for which inputs of more than one pollutant will increase at least 30% (Fig. 5 ) between 2010 and 2050 or 2100. This is for all scenarios, except for High urb –High wwt . In the scenario assuming low urbanization and low wastewater treatment (Low urb –Low wwt ), global inputs of most pollutants will less than double between 2010 and 2050 (Fig. 4 ). In this scenario, the population growth is high, and almost doubles between 2010 and 2100 (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). Approximately one-third of the total population globally will be connected to sewer systems. This number is much lower than in the other scenarios in 2100 (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). As a net effect of the low sewer connection (Supplementary Fig. 3 ) and low wastewater treatment (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ), future inputs of pollutants to rivers from sewage are lower in the Low urb –Low wwt scenario than in the others (Fig. 3 ). However, as a trade-off, more nutrients and Cryptosporidium are projected to enter rivers from open defecation, mainly in developing countries (see Supplementary Figs. 14 and 15 ) compared to the other scenarios.

Maps show changes in inputs of pollutants to rivers during the periods of 2010–2050, 2010–2100 and 2050–2100 according to the five scenarios. We classify sub-basins based on the number of pollutants for which the increases are higher or lower than 30% (Note: 30% is arbitrary; see Supplementary Figs. 18 and 20 for results based on 10 and 50% thresholds). The pollutants include Cryptosporidium , microplastic, triclosan, nitrogen and phosphorus. More information is available in Supplementary Figs. 18 – 29 . The description of the five scenarios is in Fig. 2 , in the “Methods” section and Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 . Results for 2010 are in Fig. 3 . Source: the global multi-pollutant model (model description is provided in the “Methods” section, and in Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 , model inputs are in Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 ). Model uncertainties are discussed in the “Methods” section.

Sub-basins are classified based on the number of pollutants for which the increases are higher or lower than 30% during the periods of 2010–2050, 2010–2100 and 2050–2100 according to the five scenarios. Graphs show the number of sub-basins ( a ), sub-basin areas ( b ), total population ( c ) and urban population ( d ) for the sub-basins with the increases of higher or lower than 30% (Note: 30% is arbitrary; see Supplementary Figs. 19 and 21 for results based on 10% and 50% thresholds). More information is available in Supplementary Figs. 18 – 29 . See Fig. 5 for the changes in inputs of pollutants during the periods of 2010–2050, 2010–2100 and 2050–2100. The description of the scenarios is in Fig. 2 , in the “Methods” section and Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 . Results for 2010 are in Fig. 3 . Source: the global multi-pollutant model (model description is provided in the “Methods” section, and in Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 , model inputs are in Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 ). Model uncertainties are discussed in the “Methods” section.

The future inputs of most pollutants to rivers are projected to be higher in the scenarios with moderate (Mod urb –Mod wwt ) and high urbanization (High urb –Low wwt , High urb –Mod wwt , Fig. 4 ). The population grows not as fast as in the Low urb –Low wwt scenario, but the rate of urbanization is much higher, especially in the High urb –Low wwt and High urb –Mod wwt scenarios (Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). As a result, over two-thirds of the global population is projected to be connected to sewer systems in 2100 (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). Wastewater treatment efficiency is slightly improved (Mod urb –Mod wwt , High urb –Mod wwt ) depending on the economic development (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ). As a net effect, the High urb –Low wwt and High urb –Mod wwt scenarios project, generally, higher inputs of most pollutants to rivers than the Low urb –Low wwt and Mod urb –Mod wwt scenarios (Fig. 4 ).

Pollutants differ in their future trends. For example, High urb –Low wwt projects the highest inputs of Cryptosporidium , microplastics and triclosan globally in 2100 compared to the other pollutants and scenarios (Fig. 4 ). For N and P, High urb -Low wwt and High urb -Mod wwt project somewhat similar amounts globally (Fig. 4 ). All these differences between pollutants and scenarios are a net effect of three important factors: socio-economic development (e.g., population, GDP), urbanization rates (population connected to sewer systems) and treatment efficiencies. For example, higher GDP results generally in higher N and P excretion rates per capita because of changes towards protein-rich diets 31 , 46 (Supplementary Figs. 4 – 5 ). Developed countries (Human Developing Index, HDI > 0.785) have generally lower infection rates, leading to less per capita excretion of Cryptosporidium 23 (Supplementary Fig. 8 ), but may lead to higher production of microplastics from car tyres 31 (Supplementary Fig. 7 ) as a result of industrialization. All these interactions are considered together with different trends in the population growth (Supplementary Fig. 3 ), urbanization rates (Supplementary Figs. 1 and 2 ) and treatment levels (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ) among scenarios and regions.

Future river pollution in Africa

Future river pollution is projected to be 11–18 times higher than in 2010 in the scenario with high urbanization and low wastewater improvements (High urb –Low wwt ). This range is for increasing inputs of the five pollutants by at least 30% during the period of 2010–2100 (Fig. 5 ). Africa may become a major contributor to river pollution in the world (Fig. 4 ). For example, by 2100, up to half of the global inputs of multiple pollutants are projected in Africa in High urb –Low wwt (Fig. 4 ). For comparison: in 2010 the contribution of African rivers to the global river pollution was <5% (Fig. 4 ). All scenarios project increasing river pollution in the future for Africa (Figs. 5 and 6 ). This is largely associated with the projected population growth and assumed wastewater treatment. The African population is projected to more than double in many sub-basins during 2010–2100 in all scenarios (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). Many people will live in urban areas (High urb –Low wwt and High urb –Mod wwt , Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ). More people will inevitably generate more waste, and this may not be treated effectively enough (e.g., High urb –Low wwt ). This all explains the large future increases in river pollution in Africa (Fig. 5 ). In the low urbanization scenario (Low urb –Low wwt ), less people will live in urban areas, and a lower percentage of people will be connected to sewer systems. Thus, open defecation may continue in Low urb –Low wwt especially by 2050. This is an important source of nutrients and Cryptosporidium to African rivers in this scenario. Supplementary Figs. 18 , 19 , 20 and 21 show results for increasing inputs of the five pollutants by at least 10% and 50% during the period of 2010–2100. Supplementary Figs. 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 and 26 show future trends in river pollution by individual pollutants. Supplementary Figs. 27 , 28 and 29 show scenarios and sub-basins where open defecation is an important source of P, N and Cryptosporidium in rivers.

Future river pollution in Asia

Future river pollution is projected to be 2–3 times higher than in 2010 in the scenario with high urbanization and low wastewater improvements (High urb –Low wwt ). This range is for at least 30% increases in inputs of the five pollutants for the period 2010–2100 (Fig. 5 ). Exceptions are rivers in sub-basins of China (Fig. 5 ). These rivers are projected to be cleaner in 2100 than in 2050, but inputs of the pollutants may still be higher in 2100 than in 2010 in the urbanized scenarios with the low (High urb –Low wwt and Low urb –Low wwt ) and moderate (Mod urb –Mod wwt and High urb –Mod wwt ) wastewater treatment improvements (Fig. 5 ). The Chinese population is projected to decrease in the future in all scenarios (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). However, with the rapid urbanization (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 2 ), the wastewater treatment (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ) may not keep up with the pollution loads. This explains higher river pollution levels. This is different for some other Asian countries such as India and Pakistan. By 2050, the total population of India and Pakistan will have increased (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). By 2100, the total population will have decreased or increased depending on the socio-economic development in the scenarios (Supplementary Fig. 3 , Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 for the scenario description). However, the wastewater treatment is poorer or absent compared to the Chinese sub-basins (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ), resulting in more pollutants in rivers (Fig. 5 , Supplementary Figs. 18 – 21 ).

Future river pollution in Europe and North America

Many rivers in Europe and North America may be cleaner in the future. European rivers (Western, Northern and Southern) may get cleaner in the future because of high removal efficiencies to treat wastewater (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ). However, in the High urb –Mod wwt scenario, high wastewater treatment efficiencies (>50% for all pollutants) may not be enough to reduce future pollution to the level below 2010. For American rivers, future trends differ largely between South and North in the scenarios with the low (Low urb –Low wwt ) and high (High urb –Low wwt ) urbanization trends. In the Low urb –Low wwt scenario, lower increases (<30%) in inputs of pollutants are projected for many Northern rivers whereas higher increases (>30%) for most Southern rivers (Fig. 5 , Supplementary Figs. 18 – 21 ). This difference can be explained by the higher population growth (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ) and less efficient wastewater treatment (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ) in South America compared to North America. In the High urb –Low wwt scenario, higher increases in river pollution are projected for South America by 2050, but lower by 2100. This is associated with the decreased population (Supplementary Fig. 3 ) and with the increased efficiencies of wastewater treatment between 2050 and 2100 (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ). Rivers in Australia may be more polluted in the future (Fig. 5 ). Exceptions are the Low urb –Low wwt and High urb –Low wwt scenarios with less pollution in 2100 than in 2050. This is largely associated with the decreasing population during 2050–2100 (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 13 , 18 – 21 ).

Reducing future river pollution

Advanced wastewater treatment can reduce future river pollution in many world regions, but not in Africa (High urb –High wwt ). In High urb –High wwt, all developed countries (HDI > 0.785) will shift completely towards tertiary treatment with enough capacities and high efficiencies to remove pollutants from the wastewater (>75% for all pollutants, Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 ). Examples of such technologies are annomox 47 for N, calcium precipitation for P 48 , disinfection by Ultraviolet radiation for Cryptosporidium 42 , reverse osmosis for nutrients 41 and microplastics 49 . Developing countries (HDI < 0.785) will also shift towards tertiary technologies, but in combination with secondary technologies 10 , 46 (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 ). Open defecation will stop by 2100. Thus, High urb –High wwt shows the technical potential of advanced technologies with enough treatment capacities to reduce future pollution from highly urbanized areas.

It will be difficult to reduce future river pollution in Africa to the level of 2010, even with advanced technologies (High urb –High wwt , Fig. 5 ). Inputs of most pollutants to many African rivers are projected to increase by at least 30% during 2010–2100 in High urb –High wwt (Fig. 5 ). The main reason is an increase in the total population, which is much higher (>doubling) than in other world regions (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). As a result, implementing advanced technologies in 2100 may help to reduce inputs of most pollutants to the level of 2050, but not to the level of 2010. For many other world’s rivers, advanced technologies with enough treatment capacities are projected to lower future inputs of pollutants in High urb –High wwt (Fig. 5 , Supplementary Fig. 20 ). This may have a positive impact on the overall pollution status depending also on the contribution of diffuse sources from agriculture. However, for some rivers in Asia (e.g. India, Pakistan), inputs of most pollutants from point sources will still increase by 2050, but may be lower by 2100 in High urb –High wwt (Fig. 5 ). Some rivers in North America, Middle Asia and Australia are projected to have higher inputs of pollutants in 2100 than in 2050, but lower than in 2010 (Fig. 5 , Supplementary Fig. 20 ). These trends are the net effect of the population growth, urbanization and wastewater treatment in High urb –High wwt (Figs. 2 , 5 and 6 ).

Scenario analyses are widely used to explore possible futures 1 , 34 , 36 , 50 , 51 , 52 . Our five scenarios are a combination of possible trends in urbanization, socio-economic development (existing SSPs 1 , 36 , 53 ) and our assumptions on sanitation, wastewater treatment capacities and removal efficiencies of pollutants. Our assumptions may, however, seem ambitious (Supplementary Tables 5 and 6 ). For example, we assume the full implementation of advanced technologies with enough treatment capacities in High urb –High wwt for all developed countries. We did this to show the effects of sustainable practices in urban areas on increasing the availability of clean water for people and nature. This assumption, however, might be ambitious to achieve. In our scenarios, we reflect a relation between urbanization (e.g., more urban people) and sewer connections (see High urb –Low wwt, High urb –Med wwt ) with sustainable urbanization practices (see High urb –High wwt ). This relation may, however, not emerge everywhere in the world. On the other hand, we explore possible futures; we do not state how likely or desirable these futures are. Our scenarios aim to identify impacts of future urbanization (e.g., differences between Low urb –Low wwt and High urb –Low wwt ) and the technical potentials of proven wastewater treatment technologies to reduce future river pollution from point sources (e.g., differences between High urb –Low wwt and High urb –High wwt ). Our insights may contribute to the formulation of sustainable urbanization practices where wastewater treatment is effective enough to reduce pollutants in the urban waste (e.g., SDG11) and thus to increase the availability of clean water in the future (e.g., SDG6).

Our global multi-pollutant model quantifies, simultaneously, five pollutants in rivers with consistent datasets in space and time. However, uncertainties exist. The model is developed based on existing, evaluated models for pollutants 11 , 18 , 20 , 23 , 29 , 32 (e.g., comparisons with observed concentrations and sensitivity analyses). We further evaluate our combined model using five approaches 54 (see the “Methods” section). First, we compare our model outputs with existing studies (see the “Methods” section, Supplementary Table 7 ), showing a good agreement for the five pollutants. Second, we compare the spatial pattern of pollution problems with existing models 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 16 , 55 , 56 , indicating the river pollution in densely populated and highly urbanized areas (Figs. 3 – 5 , Supplementary Tables 7 and 8 ). However, existing studies did not focus on a simultaneous reduction of the five pollutants from urbanized activities in the 21st century, which is a multi-pollutant perspective of our study. Third, we performed a sensitivity analysis for pollution hotspots. We define multi-pollutant hotspots as places with >30% increases in two or more pollutants between 2010 and future years (Fig. 5 ). This is an elegant way to combine the five pollutants. We realize that the 30% threshold is arbitrary. The results should, therefore, be interpreted as warning signals of future river pollution. In the sensitivity analysis, we changed the 30% threshold to 10% (Supplementary Figs. 18 – 19 ) and 50% (Supplementary Figs. 20 – 21 ). The results confirm the robustness of our main messages about future multi-pollutant hotspots. Fourth, we performed a sensitivity analysis for all important model inputs underlying the calculations (Supplementary Tables 9 , 10 , 11 and 12 , Supplementary Fig. 17 ). In total, 25 model inputs are changed with ±10%, resulting in 50 model runs for 10,226 sub-basins and five pollutants. The results show that the model is not very sensitive to changes in most model inputs. For most sub-basins, the model outputs are relatively sensitive to changes in <5 model inputs. These inputs are related to HDI, wastewater treatment types and removal efficiencies. The 10% changes in these inputs, resulted in up to 5% change in model output for sub-basins covering over two-thirds of the global surface area (see details in the “Methods” section for all sub-basins). Fifth, we compare model inputs with independent datasets (Supplementary Table 8 , Supplementary Figs. 15 and 16 ). All this gives trust in the model performance (see the “Methods” section).

Our results are future oriented. We focus on trends in future hotspots of multi-pollutant problems in the world. We believe that not all model uncertainties affect our main messages about trends. We also realize that our results are relatively sensitive to the assumptions on future HDI and wastewater treatment (see Approach 4 in the “Methods” section and sensitivity analysis). For HDI, we assumed an increase of 0, 10 and 20% between 2010 and 2050 and further increase by 2100 depending on scenario (Supplementary Tables 5 – 6 ). For wastewater treatment rates, we assumed a shift towards a next treatment type between 2010 and future years (e.g., 0–50% shift depending on scenario). To increase trust in our assumptions for future trends, we compared our model inputs with other independent studies. We did this for our five scenarios (Supplementary Table 8 , Supplementary Fig. 15 ). For example, future trends in our HDI between 2010 and future years are strongly in line with an independent study 57 ( R 2 above 0.88, see Supplementary Fig. 15 ). Crespo Cuaresma and Lutz 57 took into account differences in human development and their socio-economic wealth in projecting future HDI. Our wastewater treatment types in 2050 are also well compared with an independent study 10 (Supplementary Table 8 ).

Another potential source of uncertainties relates to the local variation in pollution levels. For example, sewage overflows may happen under heavy rain events, causing local peaks in water pollution. Such events are time dependent and may also contribute to global pollution levels 58 . We do not account for such local events in our model. We, however, believe that such omissions of events do not affect our messages for the multi-pollutants worldwide. This is because we explore future trends in the multi-pollutant hotspots worldwide that are influenced by global change, urbanization and wastewater treatment. Local analyses should, however, account for the impact of local events on local water quality (e.g., cities).

Our study aims to analyze the impact of the socio-economic drivers (e.g., GDP) and urbanization on future inputs of pollutants to rivers from point sources worldwide. However, we do not consider the transport of pollutants to rivers from agricultural fields, nor the impact of climate change on future river pollution. Next steps could be to further develop our global multi-pollutant model by calculating inputs of pollutants from agricultural fields and associated river export of pollutants. This will allow to explicitly combine the impact of both climate change and of socio-economic developments.

A multi-pollutant approach supports the search for effective solutions. A multi-pollutant approach might be more effective in reducing river pollution than a single-pollutant approach (Fig. 1 ). For example, reducing one pollutant may reduce (synergies) or increase (trade-offs) another pollutant. Our study serves as an illustrative example for the five pollutants. For example, increasing sewer connections may increase inputs of the five pollutants to rivers, but decrease inputs of N, P and Cryptosporidium from open defecation (Low urb –Low wwt ; trade-off). Higher economic developments may lead to less excreted Cryptosporidium per capita because of lower infection risks in developed countries 11 , 23 (Supplementary Fig. 8 ), but may generate more N and P in human excreta (Supplementary Figs. 4 – 5 ) as a result of protein-rich food consumption 10 , 46 (trade-off). Synergies also exist. For example, increasing sewer connections with advanced technologies and sufficient wastewater treatment capacities is projected to decrease the inputs of all five pollutants to many rivers in the future (High urb –High wwt ). This is also associated with synergies in treatment technologies to remove multiple pollutants. Some technologies are developed to target specific pollutants (e.g., N 47 , P 48 , Cryptosporidium 42 ). This implies that implementing technologies for one pollutant may not strongly influence another pollutant. However, technologies exist to treat more than one pollutant (e.g., 10 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 59 ). For example, secondary treatment with removal efficiencies of around 40–50% (assumed in Mod urb –Mod wwt and High urb –Mod wwt ) converts organic N into inorganic and gas, removing N from the waste 10 . They can also facilitate the biodegradation of triclosan 59 . Microplastics can host microorganisms (e.g., Cryptosporidium ) and serve as vectors for chemicals 15 , 49 , 60 . As a result, biofilms and flocs can form in, for example, activated sludge ponds and then settle down 49 . Triclosan can sorb to large particles and also settle down with other pollutants 38 , 39 , 59 . Advanced technologies (assumed in High urb –High wwt ) such as efficient ultrafiltration methods can reduce Cryptosporidium 42 and microplastics 49 , and reverse osmosis can recover nutrients 41 and reduce microplastics 49 . Nature-based solutions such as stabilization ponds and constructed wetlands are largely effective to reduce Cryptosporidium 42 and nutrients 61 . Accounting for synergies and trade-offs is essential to identify effective solutions for multiple pollutants. This can support the achievement of SDG11 for sustainable cities and SDG6 for clean water.

Our results can support policy assessment of water pollution in urban areas, and form the basis for actionable and region-specific solutions. We identify hotspots of urban-related river pollution and show possible effects of future urbanization on river quality under global change. This could help to prioritize short-term actions to avoid river pollution in the 21st century. Improving wastewater treatment is important to avoid multi-pollutant problems in an urbanized world (Fig. 5 , differences between High urb –High wwt and High urb –Low wwt ). Our sensitivity analysis indicates where improved wastewater treatment could have a larger impact (Supplementary Fig. 17 ). Our model indicates that water pollution is related to human development (expressed as human development index). This is important to realize when reducing Cryptosporidium and microplastics. Some countries in the world already introduced policies such as a ban of detergents and triclosan in products. Combing such policies with improved wastewater treatment may contribute to synergetic solutions for achieving SDGs and reducing river pollution from urban waste. For Africa, improving wastewater treatment may not be enough. Controlling the African population growth to reduce waste production in the future may be needed in urban and water policy assessments.

Our study quantifies future trends in inputs of five pollutants to rivers for five scenarios. We argue that a multi-pollutant perspective is needed in quantitative analyses of future trends in global change, urbanization, sanitation and wastewater treatment. We analyzed multiple pollutants simultaneously in a consistent way. We did this for 10,226 sub-basins for 2010, 2050 and 2100. Our insights are in how future trends differ between pollutants, sub-basins and how hotspots of multi-pollutant problems change in the 21st century. Our study provides an example of multi-pollutant problems from urban point sources. We show that future inputs of pollutants are projected to increase with increasing urbanization. We also show that it is technically possible to avoid these increases with advanced proven technologies to treat wastewater, except in Africa. In Africa, clean water availability is projected to remain a challenge because of the fast increasing population. This will consequently challenge the achievement of SDGs 6 and 11 in Africa. Our model may serve as an example for multi-pollutant modelling of diffuse sources such as agricultural runoff and other pollutants, such as pesticides 62 , antibiotics 24 and antimicrobial resistance. Another opportunity is to analyze the economic (e.g., costs), societal, institutional and political feasibilities of future pollution reduction options. This is important to identify region-specific solutions. Our long-term projections can help to increase the awareness of society and decision makers about pollution hotspots in the 21st century. This can facilitate short-term actions in different regions to avoid pollution in the future and contribute to achieve SDGs 6 and 11.

Model description and inputs

We used a model of Strokal et al. 31 that takes the sub-basin scale modelling approach of Strokal et al. 32 for nutrients and integrates modelling approaches for other pollutants 18 , 20 , 23 . We developed it further for future analyses of point-source inputs of pollutants to rivers (Supplementary Table 1 ). Our model quantifies inputs of five pollutants to 10,226 rivers: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), microplastics, triclosan and Cryptosporidium for 2010, 2050 and 2100. The model of Strokal et al. 31 was developed for 2010 taking the sub-basin modelling approach of Strokal, et al. 32 for N 29 , 32 , P 29 , 32 and integrating the existing modelling approaches for microplastics 18 , triclsan 20 and Cryptosporidium 23 . We developed the model for the years 2050 and 2100 based on the urbanization storylines of the SSPs and our assumptions. Our multi-pollutant model quantifies simultaneously annual inputs of the five pollutants to rivers at the sub-basin scale using the consistent spatial and temporal dataset for model inputs for 2010, 2050 and 2100. The model quantifies inputs of the five pollutants from sewer systems and open defecation. These are the point sources of the pollutants in rivers. Sewer systems discharge five pollutants to rivers. Open defecation is a point source of N, P and Cryptosporidium in our model. Model evaluation is presented below after the scenario descriptions.

Inputs of the pollutants to rivers from open defecation are quantified as a function of the population that is open defecating and the excretion or consumption rates of pollutants per person per year (Supplementary Tables 1 and 2 ). Inputs of pollutants from sewer systems are quantified as a function of the population that is connected to sewer systems, the excretion or consumption rates of pollutants per person per year and removal efficiencies of pollutants during treatment. We quantified inputs of the pollutants at 0.5° grid and then aggregate the results to 10,226 river sub-basins (Supplementary Table 1 ). Model inputs for 2010 are directly from Strokal, et al. 31 . Model inputs for 2050 and 2100 are based on the SSPs with different trends in urbanization and wastewater treatment (see scenario descriptions below).

Below, we explain how model inputs were derived (Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 ). Population for 2010, 2050 and 2100 are aggregated to 0.5° grid from the global, 0.125 degree cell database of Jones and O’Neill 53 . The number of people with sewer connections and open defecation are quantified at 0.5° grid using the population map of 0.5° grid and the fraction of people with sewer connections or open defecation. For 2010, the fraction of urban and rural people with sewer systems and open defecation were available by country from the Joint Monitoring Program (see details in Strokal et al. 31 and Hofstra and Vermeulen 11 ). We assigned the national values to grids of 0.5° grid. Then, we multiplied the number of people per grid (aggregated from Jones and O’Neill 53 ) with the fraction of people connected to sewer systems or open defecating (based on Hofstra and Vermeulen 11 ). For 2050 and 2100, we made assumptions for the fractions of people connected to sewer systems and with open defecation. These assumptions were based on storylines of SSPs for economy, population and urbanization (Fig. 2 , Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). Our assumptions differ among urban and rural people, and among developing and developed countries (see scenario descriptions below).

Excretion or consumption rates of pollutants were largely derived based on existing, evaluated approaches and sources. Excretion rates of N and P in human waste per person are quantified as a function of GDP (gross domestic product) at purchasing power parity, following the approach of Van Drecht et al. 46 , but adjusted to the unit of 2005 (see details in Strokal et al. 31 , Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 ). For 2010, 2050 and 2100, GDP at 0.5° grid was derived from the global SSP database with the projections from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA, 63 ). P in detergents was from Van Drecht et al. 46 for the world regions (Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 ).

Excretion rates of Cryptosporidium were quantified based on the infection rate in developed (5%) and developing (10%) countries and the excretion rate per ill person (10 9 oocysts) according to Hofstra et al. 23 . For 2010, developed and developing countries were defined based on the Human Development Index (HDI), following the approach of Hofstra et al. 23 : HDI > 0.785 (developed) and HDI < 0.785 (developing). For 2050 and 2100, we made assumptions for HDI for countries depending on SSP storylines for the economy, population growth and urbanization (see scenario descriptions below and Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ).

Consumption rates of microplastics per person per year were derived directly from Siegfried et al. 18 , but with some modifications (details are in Strokal et al. 31 ). Microplastics in sewer systems result from car tyres, PCPs (personal care products), household dusts and laundry. For PCPs, dust and laundry, consumption rates are 0.071, 0.08 and 0.12 kg of microplastics per person per year according to Siegfried, et al. 18 . We assumed that these values do not change over time. For tyres, this is different. Strokal et al. 31 assumed that developed countries will contribute more microplastics to sewage from car tyres as a side-effect of economic and infrastructural developments. Thus, we assigned 0.18 kg of microplastics from tyres per person for developed countries (HDI > 0.785) and 0.018 kg of microplastics from tyres per person for developing countries (HDI < 0.785) according to Strokal et al. 31 . We assumed changes in HDI by country in the future based on the SSPs storylines (see scenario descriptions below and Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 ).

Consumption rates of triclosan per person in the world were directly taken van Wijnen et al. 20 (0.5 kg per person per year for 2010). We assumed that the consumption rate will not change largely in the future and thus will remain as in 2010.

Removal efficiencies of pollutants during treatment were derived based on the existing studies. For N, P and Cryptosporidium , removal efficiencies were quantified by country using the national distribution of wastewater treatment types (primary, secondary, tertiary, no treatment) and their treatment efficiencies for pollutants, following the approaches of 11 , 23 , 46 (see Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 , Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 ). The quantified national removal efficiencies were then assigned to corresponding grids of 0.5°. For 2010, national distributions of wastewater treatment types were derived from Hofstra and Vermeulen 11 with a few corrections for countries with missing data (details are in Strokal et al. 31 ). For 2050 and 2100, we assumed changes (low, moderate, high) in the distribution of the treatment types depending on the storylines of SSPs (see scenario descriptions below). These changes imply a shift towards a next treatment type: e.g., from primary to secondary to tertiary (Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 ). Removal efficiencies of pollutants for different treatment types were taken directly from literature (see Supplementary Table 3 ) and do not vary among years.

For triclosan and microplastics, removal efficiencies were quantified based on the approaches of van Wijnen et al. 20 and Siegfried et al. 18 (details are in Strokal et al. 31 ). We used the known removal rate of phosphorus to assume the removal of triclosan and microplastics. For our assumptions, we used data about the removal of triclosan and microplastics from literature 39 , 59 , 64 , 65 , 66 . Based on these data, we related average phosphorus removal in a watershed to triclosan removal. We formulated three classes of triclosan removal (0, 60 or 90%) and related these to known phosphorus removal in each sub-basin (details are in van Wijnen et al. 20 ). A similar approach was carried out for microplastics. We formulated four microplastics removal classes based on literature and related those to the known average phosphorus removal in each sub-basin 18 , 30 . These classes represent an average microplastics removal in each sub-basin. Microplastic removal depends on the size and density of the microplastics. Therefore, the removal at each individual WWTP will be dependent on these and other characteristics. In our study, on a global scale, we chose to assume average removal for each sub-basin.

Scenario description

Storylines of the five scenarios are summarized in Fig. 2 , Supplementary Tables 1 – 6 and Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 . Our five scenarios are with low urbanization and low wastewater treatment rates (Low urb –Low wwt ), moderate urbanization and moderate wastewater treatment rates (Mod urb –Mod wwt ), high urbanization and low wastewater treatment rates (High urb –Low wwt ), high urbanization and moderate wastewater treatment rates (High urb –Mod wwt ), and high urbanization and high wastewater treatment rates (High urb –High wwt ) (Fig. 2 ). These scenarios follow future trends in the socio-economic development based on the existing SSPs 1 , 63 , combined with our assumptions for population with sewer connections, open defecation and for wastewater treatment capacities and technologies (Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). Below, we describe each scenario. Quantitative interpretations of the scenario assumptions are presented in Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 for 2050 and 2100, and inputs are given in Supplementary Figs. 1 – 14 .

The Low urb -Low wwt scenario is based on SSP3 projections for the socio-economic development (Fig. 2 , Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). The scenario assumes a fragmented world with difficulties to control population growth. In this world, It is projected a low economic development with low urbanization rates and high population growth. For example, a global population of approximately 12 billion people is projected for 2100, of which 58% will be urban (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ). Low economic developments will not allow to develop technologies largely. For 2050, HDI is assumed to stay as in 2010 and increase by 10% between 2050 and 2100 on a county level (Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). The society will not focus on reducing or avoiding future river pollution. As a result, the fraction of the population with sewer connections (around one-third of the global population) and the treatment efficiencies of wastewater (e.g., 14–18% globally depending on pollutant) will remain in 2050 as in 2010 (Supplementary Figs. 3 , 9 – 13 ). The same holds for the wastewater treatment capacities. However, by 2100 more people may be connected to sewer systems (above one-third of the global population). This will result in higher capacities of the wastewater treatment plants with slightly improved treatment technologies (e.g., 21–24% of removal efficiencies globally depending on pollutant). However, future wastewater treatment efficiencies vary largely among world countries: e.g., 0–96% in 2100 depending on region and pollutant. In general, higher wastewater treatment efficiencies are projected for Europe, North America and Australia (Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ),

The Mod urb -Mod wwt scenario is based on SSP2 projections of the middle of the road for the socio-economic development (Fig. 2 , Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). The scenario assumes a moderate economic development, moderate urbanization rates and moderate population growth compared to the other scenarios. For example, 9 billion people are projected globally for 2100 and 80% will be urban (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ). From 2010, HDI is assumed to increase by 10% by 2050 and further increase by 10% by 2100 on a county level (Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). Technological development follows the business as usual trends. As a result, more people will be connected to sewer systems than today (45% in 2050 and 68% in 2100 globally, Supplementary Fig. 3 ). A number of wastewater treatment plants will be constructed to maintain the increasing volume of the wastewater from connected population to sewer systems. The amount of waste that is collected will be treated with slightly improved wastewater treatment. For example, on average, 33–42% of removal efficiencies globally are projected for 2100. This range is for the five pollutants. The removal efficiencies vary largely among regions (0–97% depending on region and pollutant, Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ). The number of people connected to sewer systems will be larger for urban (over two-thirds) than for rural (less than one-third) population. Some people may still experience open defecation in 2050. By 2100, all people who opened defecated in 2050 will become connected to sewer systems.

The High urb -Low wwt scenario is based on SSP4 projections for the socio-economic development (Fig. 2 , Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). The scenario assumes a large gap between urban and rural developments. The economic development is projected to be moderate compared to the other scenarios. HDI is projected to increase as in the Mod urb –Mod wwt scenario (Supplementary Tables 1 – 3 , Supplementary Fig. 14 ). The population is projected to increase in the future, but not largely: e.g., around 30% between 2010 and 2100 globally. By 2100, the global population is projected to reach 9.3 billion people (Supplementary Fig. 3a ). However, the urban population will develop faster than the rural. Urbanization will be high: e.g., 76% and 90% of the global population will be urban in 2050 and 2100, respectively. As a result, the connection rate of the population to sewer systems will increase in the future for urban areas. For example, 80% of urban and 11% of rural population globally is projected to be connected to sewer systems in 2100 (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ). Wastewater treatment capacities will be enough to maintain the waste from sewer systems and treatment will be improved as in the Mod urb -Mod wwt scenario. For rural areas, the fraction of people connected to sewer systems in 2050 may remain the same as in the Low urb -Low wwt scenario and will be improved by 2100 (Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). By 2050, some rural people may still open defecate. By 2100, all rural people who opened defecated in 2050 will become connected to sewer systems with better treatment.

The High urb –Mod wwt scenario is based on SSP5 projections for the socio-economic development (Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 , Fig. 2 ). The scenario assumes a high economic development with high urbanization and low population growth (Fig. 2 , Supplementary Table 4 ). For example, the total population globally is projected to increase by less than 10% between 2010 and 2100, reaching 7.4 billion people in 2100 (Supplementary Fig. 3a ). However, more than 90% of the global population will be urban in 2100. From 2010, HDI is assumed to increase by 20% by 2050 and further increase by 20% by 2100. The technological development is relatively high compared to the Mod urb -Mod wwt scenario. This will lead to a higher population with sewer connections. More than half of the global population will be connected to sewer systems in 2050. For 2100, this number is over two-thirds of the global population (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ). The capacities of the wastewater treatment plants will be enough to manage the amount of waste from sewer systems. However, people will invest less in improving wastewater treatment. People will focus more on the economy rather than on reducing river pollution. As a result, wastewater treatment may follow the business as usual trends. For example, on average, 34–44% of the wastewater treatment efficiencies are projected globally for 2100. However, these efficiencies vary largely among regions (0–97% depending on area and pollutant, Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ). Furthermore, some people may still open defecate in nearby water systems in the future. By 2100, all people who opened defecated in 2050 will become connected to sewer systems.

The High urb –High wwt scenario is based on SSP1 projections for the socio-economic development (Fig. 2 , Supplementary Tables 4 – 6 ). The society will develop fast with high urbanization rates as comparable to the High urb –Mod wwt scenario. The global population is projected to reach 6.9 billion people in 2100 (Supplementary Fig. 3a ). The share of urban people globally is projected to be 77% in 2050 and 92% in 2100 (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ). The share of the total connected people to sewer systems is projected to be 55% in 2050 and 82% in 2100. HDI is projected to increase in the same rate as in the High urb –Mod wwt scenario. However, in this world, a strong focus is on reducing or avoiding river pollution by using the best available advanced technologies in all areas. Technological development is high because of the high economic development. People will invest in improving technologies to treat wastewater with multiple pollutants. There will be opportunities to develop technologies for multiple pollutants and combine them with nature-based solutions. As a result, the wastewater treatment is assumed to be improved largely with high removal efficiencies (60–98% depending on year, area and pollutant, Supplementary Figs. 9 – 13 ).

Model evaluation

We evaluated the uncertainties in our model using four approaches following a building trust circle method 54 . This method has been applied in several water quality studies 32 , 67 , 68 . First, we compare model outputs with existing studies. Second, we compare the spatial pattern of the pollution problems with existing models for individual pollutants. Third, we perform a sensitivity analysis for pollution hotspots. Fourth, we perform a comprehensive sensitivity analysis for all important model inputs underlying the calculations. Fifth, we compare model inputs with independent datasets. Model validation against observed concentrations is, unfortunately, challenging. This is because our model does not quantify concentrations. Some of the existing global models calculate concentrations and were evaluated against observations (Supplementary Tables 7 – 8 ). Thus, we used those models to compare their results with ours for individual pollutants. Below, we elaborate on these five approaches. Details are in Supplementary Tables 7 – 12 and Supplementary Figs. 15 , 17 .

Approach 1: evaluating model outputs by comparing them with other models and studies for individual pollutants. This comparison is presented in Supplementary Table 7 . The results show that our model outputs for global inputs of nitrogen, phosphorus, microplastics, triclosan and Cryptosporidium are generally in line with other models and studies. For example, our model quantified 9.5 Tg of nitrogen to rivers from point sources in 2010. Other models quantified 6.4–10.4 Tg of nitrogen to rivers from points sources during 2000–2010 10 , 46 , 69 (Supplementary Table 7 ). For phosphorus, we quantified 1.6 Tg in 2010 whereas the other models quantified 1.0–1.5 Tg for the period of 2000–2010 10 , 46 , 69 . For 2050, we quantified 5.4–21.0 Tg of nitrogen and 0.6–3.5 Tg of phosphorus in 2050 (ranges for the five scenarios). van Puijenbroek et al. 10 quantified 13.5–17.9 Tg of nitrogen and 1.6–2.4 Tg of phosphorus in 2050 under the five SSPs. For Cryptosporidium , our model quantified 1.6 × 10 9 oocysts in 2010 which is 1.1–1.4 × 10 9 oocysts in another model in 2000–2010 11 , 23 (Supplementary Table 7 ). For 2050, our model quantified 0.4–2.9 × 10 9 oocysts (range for the five scenarios). For the Low urb -Low wwt scenario, this value is 2.44 × 10 9 oocysts, which is comparable with 2.28 × 10 9 oocysts from the other model 11 , 23 . To our knowledge, van Wijnen, et al. 20 is the only study quantifying triclosan export by rivers. Our estimates for Danube, Zhujiang and Ganges are comparable with estimates of van Wijnen et al. 20 (Supplementary Table 7 ). For microplastics, our model quantified 0.45 Tg entering rivers globally in 2010. Best 9 indicated loads of 0.41–4.00 Tg of plastics in 32 world’s rivers. This is higher than our estimate because Best 9 accounts for macro- and microplastics whereas we only consider microplastics. Avio et al. 13 indicated 0.27 Tg of plastics to oceans in some regions in the world. This is lower than our estimate because we quantify inputs of plastics to rivers and not to the oceans. The other reasons for the differences between our model and other studies are in data inputs and the spatial level of detail. We focus on sub-basin analyses with the consistent model inputs for multiple pollutants (Supplementary Table 7 , Supplementary Figs. 1 – 13 ).

Approach 2: evaluating model outputs by comparing the spatial variability in pollution hotspots with other studies. We reviewed the literature on pollution hotspots in the world for individual pollutants 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 16 , 55 , 56 , 70 . Our pollution hotspots for multiple pollutants are in line with the existing studies for individual pollutants. For example, most pollution often happens in densely populated and highly urbanized areas 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 16 , 55 , 56 . For example, Best 9 indicated over 80% of large transboundary rivers in the world with multiple pollutants. For many large cities in polluted regions, the demand for water already exceeds its availability. For example, water scarcity (ratio between the water demand and availability) has been already reported for cities in countries such as China (e.g., Shanghai, Beijing), India (e.g., Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad), Mexico, North America (e.g., Los Angeles) 70 . In the future, river pollution will further decrease the availability of clean water in many urban regions 4 , 7 , 8 , 71 . We show that it is technically possible to increase the availability of clean water with implementing advanced technologies (High urb _High wwt , Figs. 3 – 6 ). However, future analyses for multi-pollutant hotspots are lacking in the existing literature. A few global models performed future analysis for individual pollutants 10 , 11 , 18 , 20 where urbanization was taken into account by 2050. Their results indicate pollution hotspots where human activities are most intensive, which is in line with our study. However, studies exploring trends in multi-pollutant hotspots by 2100 do not exist. We explore trends in pollution hotspots for multi-pollutant problems covering the entire 21st century under the five scenarios with different socio-economic developments and levels of wastewater treatment.

Approach 3: evaluating model outputs for pollution hotspots by sensitivity analysis. In Fig. 5 , we showed multi-pollutant hotspots. These hotspots were defined as at least a 30% increase in inputs of more than one pollutant to rivers during 2010–2050, 2010–2100 and 2050–2100. This definition is modest and easier to understand and interpret. We checked if the pollution hotspots remain the same by changing a 30% increase to 10% (Supplementary Figs. 18 – 19 ) and 50% (Supplementary Fig. 20 – 21 ). Results of this sensitivity analysis indicate that our main messages stay the same: Africa will become a hotspot region with multiple pollutants in rivers in the 21st century and advanced technologies may help to reduce pollution in many rivers of the world.

Approach 4: evaluating model inputs by a sensitivity analysis. We performed a comprehensive sensitivity analysis for all important model inputs underlying the calculations. In total, there are 25 model input parameters included in this analysis. Every model input was changed by +10% and −10%. As a result, we did 50 runs of the model for the year 2010. We analyzed the results of the 50 runs for 10,226 sub-basins and five pollutants: Cryptosporidium , nitrogen, phosphorus, triclosan and microplastics. Details can be found in Supplementary Tables 9 – 12 and Supplementary Fig. 17 .

In general, increasing the model inputs (13 out of 25) that are responsible for excretion or consumption rates of pollutants in urban waste lead to more pollutants in rivers (Supplementary Tables 10 – 12 ). The opposite is observed when these model inputs are decreased. An exception is HDI for Cryptosporidium and microplastics. Model inputs that are responsible for wastewater treatments (6 out of 25) have the following effect on the model outputs: increases in these inputs lead to less pollutants in rivers and vice versa. Model inputs (6 out of 25) that are responsible for the number of people (urban and rural) connected to sewage systems have the following effect on the model outputs: increases in these inputs lead to more pollutants in rivers and vice versa (Supplementary Tables 10 – 12 ).

We find that model outputs are most sensitive to changes in 2–5 out of the 25 model inputs. The sensitivities vary among sub-basins and pollutants. These model inputs are HDI (sensitive for Cryptosporidium and microplastics), the fractions of secondary (sensitive for triclosan and microplastics) and tertiary (sensitive for all five pollutants) treatment, and the removal efficiencies of secondary (sensitive for triclosan and microplastics) and tertiary (sensitive for all five pollutants) treatment. We analyze model outputs for 10,226 sub-basins that are sensitive to changes in those 2–5 model inputs. Supplementary Tables 11 – 12 show the percentages of the sub-basin areas where model outputs for the five pollutants change by: <5%, 5–10%, 10–50% and >50%. Supplementary Fig. 17 shows the location of the sub-basins for which model outputs are sensitive to one or more model inputs.

The model results for sub-basins covering over two-thirds of the global surface area changed by less than 5% (Supplementary Tables 11 – 12 ). For ≤13% of the global surface area the model outputs changed between 5–10%. This is for all pollutants. For ≤8% of the global area, the changes are between 10–50% in the model outputs. Exceptions are Cryptosporidium and microplastics, which are relatively sensitive for HDI. In one-third of the sub-basin area the model output for Cryptosporidium changed 10–50% as a result of changes in HDI. For microplastic, the changes may be even higher. However, the number of basins with changes above 50% is small. These results show that HDI is an important model input for Cryptosporidium and microplastics (see Supplementary Tables 1 , 9 – 12 ).

Approach 5: evaluating model inputs by comparing them with independent datasets. We provide this comparison in Supplementary Table 8 , Supplementary Figs. 15 and 16 . Comparison results build trust in our model inputs. We compared the following important model inputs for 2010 and 2050 scenarios: total population, population with sewer connections, distribution of treatment types, removal efficiencies of pollutants, nutrients in human excretion (Supplementary Table 8 ). We compared these inputs with van Puijenbroek et al. 10 who recently published global analyses of nutrient inputs to rivers from point sources. We also compared our population from Jones and O’Neill 53 with another global dataset from Kc and Lutz 34 (Supplementary Fig. 16 ). Our model inputs are well compared with the mentioned studies. Furthermore, we compared our HDI index for 2010 and 2050 with the HDI index from Crespo Cuaresma and Lutz 57 (Supplementary Fig. 15 ). HDI is an important input in our model to quantify the excretion of Cryptosporidium . HDI influences the treatment developments and consumption of microplastics associated with the use of car tyres. Our values for HDI under the five scenarios are well compared with the values of Crespo Cuaresma and Lutz 57 ( R 2  > 0.88 for the five scenarios).

Results of these five approaches give us trust in using our multi-pollutant model to explore future trends in inputs of multiple pollutants to rivers from urbanization activities. All data are available in Strokal et al. 72 and Strokal et al. 73 .

Reporting summary

Further information on research design is available in the Nature Research Reporting Summary linked to this article.

Data availability

All the datasets generated and analysed during this study are publicly available in the Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS Easy) repository: https://doi.org/10.17026/dans-zyx-jce3 73 . The data will be available for download from 01–04–2021. The data supporting the findings of this study are described in the following metadata record: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13333796 72 .

Code availability

All equations to the model are provided in the supplementary information files of this study and in the Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS Easy) repository: https://doi.org/10.17026/dans-zyx-jce3 . The data will be available for download from 01–04–2021.

Jiang, L. & O’Neill, B. C. Global urbanization projections for the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Glob. Environ. Change 42 , 193–199 (2017).

Article   Google Scholar  

Acuto, M., Parnell, S. & Seto, K. C. Building a global urban science. Nat. Sustain. 1 , 2–4 (2018).

Seto, K. C., Golden, J. S., Alberti, M. & Turner, B. L. Sustainability in an urbanizing planet. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 114 , 8935–8938 (2017).

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Flörke, M., Schneider, C. & McDonald, R. I. Water competition between cities and agriculture driven by climate change and urban growth. Nat. Sustain. 1 , 51–58 (2018).

Li, X., Zhou, Y., Eom, J., Yu, S. & Asrar, G. R. Projecting global urban area growth through 2100 based on historical time‐series data and future Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Earth’s Future 7 , 351–362 (2019).

Keeler, B. L. et al. Social-ecological and technological factors moderate the value of urban nature. Nat. Sustain. 2 , 29–38 (2019).

Van Vliet, M. T. H., Florke, M. & Wada, Y. Quality matters for water scarcity. Nat. Geosci. 10 , 800–802 (2017).

Nagendra, H., Bai, X., Brondizio, E. S. & Lwasa, S. The urban south and the predicament of global sustainability. Nat. Sustain. 1 , 341–349 (2018).

Best, J. Anthropogenic stresses on the world’s big rivers. Nat. Geosci. 12 , 7–21 (2018).

Van Puijenbroek, P. J. T. M., Beusen, A. H. W. & Bouwman, A. F. Global nitrogen and phosphorus in urban waste water based on the Shared Socio-economic Pathways. J. Environ. Manage. 231 , 446–456 (2019).

Hofstra, N. & Vermeulen, L. C. Impacts of population growth, urbanisation and sanitation changes on global human Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water. Int. Hyg. Envir. Heal. 219 , 599–605 (2016).

Vermeulen, L. C., de Kraker, J., Hofstra, N., Kroeze, C. & Medema, G. Modelling the impact of sanitation, population growth and urbanization on human emissions of Cryptosporidium to surface waters—A case study for Bangladesh and India. Environ. Res. Lett. 10 , 094017 (2015).

Avio, C. G., Gorbi, S. & Regoli, F. Plastics and microplastics in the oceans: from emerging pollutants to emerged threat. Mar. Environ. Res. 128 , 2–11 (2017).

Boucher, J., Friot, D. & Boucher, J. Primary Microplastics in the Oceans: A Global Evaluation of Sources . (IUCN Gland, Switzerland, 2017).

Koelmans, A., Bakir, A., Burton, G. & Janssen, C. Microplastic as a vector for chemicals in the aquatic environment: critical review and model-supported reinterpretation of empirical studies. Environ. Sci. Technol. 50 , 3315–3326 (2016).

Lebreton, L. C. et al. River plastic emissions to the world’s oceans. Nat. Commun. 8 , 15611 (2017).

Schmidt, C., Krauth, T. & Wagner, S. Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea. Environ. Sci. Technol. 51 , 12246–12253 (2017).

Siegfried, M., Koelmans, A. A., Besseling, E. & Kroeze, C. Export of microplastics from land to sea. A modelling approach. Water Res. 127 , 249–257 (2017).

Diamond, J. et al. Use of prospective and retrospective risk assessment methods that simplify chemical mixtures associated with treated domestic wastewater discharges. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 37 , 690–702 (2018).

Van Wijnen, J., Ragas, A. & Kroeze, C. River export of triclosan from land to sea: a global modelling approach. Sci. Total Environ. 621 , 1280–1288 (2017).

Damania, R., Desbureaux, S., Rodella, A.-S., Russ, J. & Zaveri, E. Quality Unknown: The Invisible Water Crisis. Washington, DC: World Bank. © World Bank, https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/32245 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32245 , 142 pp., (2019).

Seitzinger, S. P. et al. Global river nutrient export: a scenario analysis of past and future trends. Glob. Biogeochem. Cycles 24 , GB0A08 (2010).

Hofstra, N., Bouwman, A. F., Beusen, A. H. W. & Medema, G. J. Exploring global Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water. Sci. Total Environ. 442 , 10–19 (2013).

Font, C., Bregoli, F., Acuña, V., Sabater, S. & Marcé, R. GLOBAL-FATE: A GIS-based model for assessing contaminants fate in the global river network. Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss. 2019 , 1–30 (2019).

Google Scholar  

Breitburg, D. et al. Declining oxygen in the global ocean and coastal waters. Science 359 , eaam7240 (2018).

Diaz, R. J. Overview of hypoxia around the world. J. Environ. Qual. 30 , 275–281 (2001).

Kiulia, N. M. et al. Global occurrence and emission of rotaviruses to surface waters. Pathogens 4 , 229–255 (2015).

Beusen, A., Bouwman, A., Van Beek, L., Mogollón, J. & Middelburg, J. Global riverine N and P transport to ocean increased during the twentieth century despite increased retention along the aquatic continuum. Biogeosci. Discuss. 12 , 20123–20148 (2015).

Mayorga, E. et al. Global Nutrient Export from WaterSheds 2 (NEWS 2): model development and implementation. Environ. Modell. Softw. 25 , 837–853 (2010).

Van Wijnen, J., Ragas, A. M. J. & Kroeze, C. Modelling global river export of microplastics to the marine environment: Sources and future trends. Sci. Total Environ. 673 , 392–401 (2019).

Strokal, M. et al. Global multi-pollutant modelling of water quality: scientific challenges and future directions. Curr. Opin. Env. Sust. 36 , 116–125 (2019).

Strokal, M., Kroeze, C., Wang, M., Bai, Z. & Ma, L. The MARINA model (Model to Assess River Inputs of Nutrients to seAs): model description and results for China. Sci. Total Environ. 562 , 869–888 (2016).

Dellink, R., Chateau, J., Lanzi, E. & Magné, B. Long-term economic growth projections in the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Glob. Environ. Change 42 , 200–214 (2017).

Kc, S. & Lutz, W. The human core of the shared socioeconomic pathways: population scenarios by age, sex and level of education for all countries to 2100. Glob. Environ. Change 42 , 181–192 (2017).

Leimbach, M., Kriegler, E., Roming, N. & Schwanitz, J. Future growth patterns of world regions – A GDP scenario approach. Glob. Environ. Change 42 , 215–225 (2017).

O’Neill, B. C. et al. The roads ahead: narratives for shared socioeconomic pathways describing world futures in the 21st century. Glob. Environ. Change 42 , 169–180 (2017).

Zhao, Y. & Xu, L. Analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus removal operation in biological systems in sewage treatment plant (in Chinese). Environ. Ecol. Three Gorges 2 , 29–31 (2009).

Halden, R. U. & Paull, D. H. Co-occurrence of triclocarban and triclosan in US water resources. Environ. Sci. Technol. 39 , 1420–1426 (2005).

Thompson, A., Griffin, P., Stuetz, R. & Cartmell, E. The fate and removal of triclosan during wastewater treatment. Water Envion. Res. 77 , 63–67 (2005).

Chen, X. et al. Ozonation products of triclosan in advanced wastewater treatment. Water Res. 46 , 2247–2256 (2012).

Mondor, M., Masse, L., Ippersiel, D., Lamarche, F. & Masse, D. Use of electrodialysis and reverse osmosis for the recovery and concentration of ammonia from swine manure. Bioresour. Technol. 99 , 7363–7368 (2008).

Nasser, A. M. Removal of Cryptosporidium by wastewater treatment processes: a review. J. Water Health 14 , 1–13 (2016).

Liao, P., Chen, A. & Lo, K. Removal of nitrogen from swine manure wastewaters by ammonia stripping. Bioresour. Technol. 54 , 17–20 (1995).

Liu, Y., Kwag, J.-H., Kim, J.-H. & Ra, C. Recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus by struvite crystallization from swine wastewater. Desalination 277 , 364–369 (2011).

Selman, M., Greenhalgh, S., Diaz, R. & Sugg, Z. Eutrophication and hypoxia in coastal areas: a global assessment of the state of knowledge. World Resources Institute 284 , 1–6 (2008).

Van Drecht, G., Bouwman, A. F., Harrison, J. & Knoop, J. M. Global nitrogen and phosphate in urban wastewater for the period 1970 to 2050. Glob. Biogeochem. Cycles 23 , GB0A03 (2009).

Kartal, B., Kuenen, J. & Van Loosdrecht, M. Sewage treatment with anammox. Science 328 , 702–703 (2010).

Jaffer, Y., Clark, T. A., Pearce, P. & Parsons, S. A. Potential phosphorus recovery by struvite formation. Water Res. 36 , 1834–1842 (2002).

Sun, J., Dai, X., Wang, Q., van Loosdrecht, M. C. & Ni, B.-J. Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: detection, occurrence and removal. Water Res. 152 , 21–37 (2019).

Kok, K., Pedde, S., Gramberger, M., Harrison, P. A. & Holman, I. P. New European socio-economic scenarios for climate change research: operationalising concepts to extend the Shared Socio-economic Pathways. Reg. Environ. Change 19 , 643–654 (2019).

Ma, L. et al. Exploring future food provision scenarios for China. Environ. Sci. Technol. 53 , 1385–1393 (2019).

Pedde, S. et al. Bridging uncertainty concepts across narratives and simulations in environmental scenarios. Reg. Environ. Change 19 , 655–666 (2019).

Jones, B. & O’Neill, B. Spatially explicit global population scenarios consistent with the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Environ. Res. Lett. 11 , 084003 (2016).

Strokal, M. River Export of Nutrients to the Coastal Waters of China: The Marina Model to Assess Sources, Effects and Solutions (PhD thesis). Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands 235 pp, (2016).

UNEP. A Snapshot of the World’s Water Quality: Towards a Global Assessment . 162pp (United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya, 2016).

Vörösmarty, C. J. et al. Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity. Nature 467 , 555–561 (2010).

Crespo Cuaresma, J. & Lutz, W. The demography of human development and climate change vulnerability: a projection exercise. Vienna Yearb Popul. Res. 1 , 241–261 (2016).

McClain, M. E. et al. Biogeochemical hot spots and hot moments at the interface of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Ecosystems 6 , 301–312 (2003).

Butler, E., Whelan, M. J., Sakrabani, R. & van Egmond, R. Fate of triclosan in field soils receiving sewage sludge. Environ. Pollut. 167 , 101–109 (2012).

Kooi, M., Van Nes, E. H., Scheffer, M. & Koelmans, A. A. Ups and downs in the ocean: effects of biofouling on the vertical transport of microplastics. Environ. Sci. Technol. 51 , 7963–7971 (2017).

Vymazal, J. Removal of nutrients in various types of constructed wetlands. Sci. Total Environ. 380 , 48–65 (2007).

Ippolito, A. et al. Modeling global distribution of agricultural insecticides in surface waters. Environ. Pollut. 198 , 54–60 (2015).

Crespo Cuaresma, J. Income projections for climate change research: a framework based on human capital dynamics. Glob. Environ. Change 42 , 226–236 (2017).

Heidler, J. & Halden, R. U. Mass balance assessment of triclosan removal during conventional sewage treatment. Chemosphere 66 , 362–369 (2007).

Von der Ohe, P. C. et al. A new risk assessment approach for the prioritization of 500 classical and emerging organic microcontaminants as potential river basin specific pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive. Sci. Total Environ. 409 , 2064–2077 (2011).

Dann, A. B. & Hontela, A. Triclosan: environmental exposure, toxicity and mechanisms of action. J. Appl. Toxicol. 31 , 285–311 (2011).

Wang, M. et al. Excess nutrient loads to Lake Taihu: Opportunities for nutrient reduction. Sci. Total Environ. 664 , 865–873 (2019).

Wang, M., Kroeze, C., Strokal, M., van Vliet, M. T. & Ma, L. Global change can make coastal eutrophication control in China more difficult. Earth’s Future 8 , 1–19 (2020).

Morée, A., Beusen, A., Bouwman, A. & Willems, W. Exploring global nitrogen and phosphorus flows in urban wastes during the twentieth century. Glob. Biogeochem. Cycles 27 , 1–11 (2013).

McDonald, R. I. et al. Water on an urban planet: Urbanization and the reach of urban water infrastructure. Glob. Environ. Change 27 , 96–105 (2014).

West, P. C. et al. Leverage points for improving global food security and the environment. Science 345 , 325–328 (2014).

Strokal, Maryna; et al. Metadata supporting the article: Urbanization: an increasing source of multiple pollutants to rivers in the 21st century. figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13333796 (2020).

Strokal, M. et al. Urbanization: an increasing source of multiple pollutants to rivers in the 21st century. Wageningen University & Research https://doi.org/10.17026/dans-zyx-jce3 (2021).

Download references

Acknowledgements

M.S. (the corresponding author) was financially supported by a Veni-grant (0.16.Veni.198.001) and a KNAW-MOST SURE + project (5160957392).

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Water Systems and Global Change group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands

Maryna Strokal, Wietse Franssen, Nynke Hofstra, Fulco Ludwig, J. Emiel Spanier & Carolien Kroeze

Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hebei, China

Zhaohai Bai & Lin Ma

Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands

Albert A. Koelmans

PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, the Hague, the Netherlands

Peter van Puijenbroek

Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands

Lucie C. Vermeulen

Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

• Michelle T. H. van Vliet

Open University, Faculty of Science - Environmental Sciences Dept, Heerlen, the Netherlands

Jikke van Wijnen

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

M.S. led this manuscript. M.S. was responsible for designing the manuscript, developing a multi-pollutant model, and analyzing and writing the manuscript. C.K. substantially assisted in designing the manuscript, developing the model and analyzing the results. Z.B., W.F., N.H., A.A.K., L.V., M.T.H.V., J.E.S. and J.W., contributed largely in developing the global multi-pollutant model that was used in the manuscript for future analyses of the impact of urbanization on river pollution. They and other authors provided information to the manuscript and advised on the analyses. All authors assisted the interpretations of the Shared Socio-economic Pathways. These pathways are used in the manuscript for multiple pollutants. All authors read and commented on the text. All authors approved the final version and were involved in the accountability for all aspects of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maryna Strokal .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information, reporting summary, rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Strokal, M., Bai, Z., Franssen, W. et al. Urbanization: an increasing source of multiple pollutants to rivers in the 21st century. npj Urban Sustain 1 , 24 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-021-00026-w

Download citation

Received : 04 December 2019

Accepted : 20 August 2020

Published : 27 April 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-021-00026-w

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

This article is cited by

A triple increase in global river basins with water scarcity due to future pollution.

• Mengru Wang
• Benjamin Leon Bodirsky
• Maryna Strokal

Nature Communications (2024)

Effect of urbanization and water quality on microplastic distribution in Conceição Lagoon watershed, Brazil

• Daniela Grijó de Castro
• Aurea Luiza Lemes da Silva
• Nei Kavaguichi Leite

Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2024)

Systematic review of ecological research in Philippine cities: assessing the present status and charting future directions

• Anne Olfato-Parojinog
• Nikki Heherson A. Dagamac

Discover Environment (2024)

River export of macro- and microplastics to seas by sources worldwide

• Paul Vriend
• Tim van Emmerik

Nature Communications (2023)

Global river water quality under climate change and hydroclimatic extremes

• Josefin Thorslund
• Luke M. Mosley

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (2023)

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization in English

Table of Contents

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization: Pollution is one of the biggest issues that we as a society face today. The everyday deteriorating environment is a big challenge for humans. The mixing of any harmful substance or pollutants in our natural environment is called pollution. It is due to human activity, many contaminators get introduced into the natural environment thereby polluting it to harmful levels. There are many reasons why pollution occurs and one of the major one is urbanization.

Fill Out the Form for Expert Academic Guidance!

Please indicate your interest Live Classes Books Test Series Self Learning

Verify OTP Code (required)

I agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy .

Fill complete details

Target Exam ---

Long and Short Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization in English

In this section we have tried to cover all aspects of pollution due to urbanization in varying lengths to help you with the same in your exam. You can select any Pollution due to Urbanization essay as per your need:

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization – Essay 1 (200 words)

Our mother earth is choking and we are helpless. We face many challenges today and one of them is pollution. When any contaminating substance is added in our environment and pollutes our natural resources called pollution. There are many reasons of pollution and human beings are responsible for most of it. Our activities have depleted our natural resources and our natural habitat.

One of the main reasons of human pollution is urbanization. When human being started establishing cities and industrialization happened than the level of pollution started increasing. The harsh reality of urbanization is that many beautiful valleys, mountains, hills stations and forests have been converted into vessels of pollution. The needs of human beings kept on increasing day by day and to satisfy those needs we exploited our mother earth. Trees were cut down, rivers and lakes were contaminated and natural reserves were misused.

Best Health Slogan

The result today is that we live in highly polluted cities where day to day life is becoming increasingly tuff. We face many health issues due to this urban pollution and the worst part is that we do not even realize that. It is high time that we must now adopt ways to curb this pollution and create a better world for our future generations.

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization in India – Essay 2 (300 words)

Introduction

The days are gone when kids would roam freely on streets and birds would fly in the sky. Such a nice scene has been very rare to see, nowadays. We should blame ourselves only! India was a land of villages; our culture arose from villages only. But than we did something so bad that we are paying the price of it even today. We have replaced the major part of earth with factories, mills and building causing pollution .

There are Various Levels at which Urban Pollution is happening like:

Types and Causes of Urban Pollution

• Air Pollution: The air in the urban areas is always polluted with harmful substances and it is becoming hazardous day by day to breathe. The air in the cities is choking. The smoke from automobiles, factories and power generators make the air unhealthy. There are other factors also like chemical spills and other toxic gases that contaminate the air.
• Water Pollution: As it is there are very less natural water sources in the urban areas and the ones that are there are getting increasingly polluted. There is a lot of disposal in the lakes and rivers like household & industrial disposal. A lot of waste gets mixed with rain and washed into the waters .
• Soil Pollution: The mixing of toxins in the soil is disturbing the eco-system.
• Noise Pollution: Urban areas are one of the noisiest ones. Various sources of noise pollution include traffic noises, loud-speakers and other unwanted noises cause many health issues .
• Radioactive Pollution: The accidental leakage by nuclear power plants poses a big threat.
• Visual Pollution: The over exposure of visuals in the cities in the form of signs, billboards, screens, high intensity lights etc. are also quite disturbing .
• Other than these there is also ‘Thermal pollution’ that is caused by excessive amount of heat trapped in earth’s atmosphere.

Conclusion:

The various means of pollution in urban areas can lead to many health issues in the people living in cities. We are everyday exposed to more than one of these health issues sources.

Essay about Problems Due To Urbanization – Essay 3 (400 words)

We achieved a big step when we urbanized our villages but it came with a price. We surely have a luxurious and a comfortable life in the modern day cities and towns but it has dent a big hole in the health of our environment. It has brought with it many problems that we face. The developing cities saw a rapid growth and this urbanization brought with it a web of difficulties and we seem to be stuck in them.

Problems Due to Urbanization

The need of free space to build roads, buildings and bridges etc made a massive deforestation happen. The trees were cut down, the fields were cleared and space was created to accommodate the ever rising population. It is a no-brainer that cutting of trees is a major reason of pollution. The high density of population created a lack of everything like space, natural resources like water, coal etc.

The interaction of urban population with environment caused some serious problems. The consumption patterns and the lifestyle of urban population changed the environment massively. The urban population consumes more food, energy and water. The air in urban areas is much more polluted than the rural ones. This is mainly because of the use of automobiles and building up of industries and factories that pollute the air at an increasing rate. Almost everything that we use works on electricity. The need for electricity in the cities is always rising and to meet that more power plants are build and that pollutes the air.

The lakes, rivers and any other water bodies in urban areas is always polluted by the dump of industrial waste and sewage. The marine life faces a lot of danger. We cannot ignore that noise pollution is one of the major causes of stress related issues in urban population. More and more trees are cut down to meet the needs of urban people and in exchange very less tress are planted. The use of plastic is another major reason of degradation of environment .

Studies show that urbanization is one of the major causes of depleting natural resources. We are constantly damaging our mother earth and the result is high pollution levels in the cities and towns. It is not possible to reverse the damage that we have already done but we can surely take some preventive measures and control the further damage. It is high time that we take some serious steps to save our planet and leave a better tomorrow .

Essay on Pollution Caused by Urbanization and Its Solutions – Essay 4 (500 words)

The advancement of technology and industrialization has caused the rapid growth in our lifestyle. Long back we started developing cities that are well equipped with all the facilities. The process of urbanization created a big dent in the health of our environment. The natural resources were depleted and this excessive use of technology and energy became a major source of pollution and today we live in a world that is highly polluted and unfit living .

Pollution Caused by Urbanization

There are various pollution that are caused by urbanization like air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, thermal pollution, global warming, deforestation etc. It is high time that now we must adopt ways and means by which we can improve the health of the environment.

There is a Number of Solutions that we can apply and create a Better Tomorrow.

Solutions and Prevention of Urban Pollution

• Conserve Energy: The urban area’s people always use more energy than the rural area’s people. The consumption of energy causes various kinds of pollution. Saving energy wherever possible is one of the best ways to curb pollution. Turn off the electrical appliances when they are not being used. This small step can help in a big way.
• Use less water: We waste a lot of water daily and this can lead to bad consequences. We must try and use as less water as possible .
• Plant more trees: The urban areas are the ones that have less greeneries. Try to plant many trees and vegetation as much as possible in your surrounding areas. Kitchen garden and small lawn near home is a good idea .
• Green belts: Government can help and declare some areas in every city as green belts so that trees and other plants can be grown there without any obstruction .
• Use less loudspeakers: The minimum use of loud speakers can reduce the noise pollution a lot. Decreasing the volume of music at functions after a certain time is also a good move.
• Indoors: The indoors of the homes are also highly polluted in cities. We must have some plants inside the homes also, that can filter the indoor polluted air.
• Industrial waste: The factory owners must try and make possible that industrial waste is not dumped in the lakes or rivers. Government can also make laws for the same.
• Say no to plastic: Plastic is one of the most harmful substances that can pollute air, water and soil all together. We must try and minimize the use of plastic as much as possible. Use just cloth bags instead of plastic.
• Use Public transport: Avoid using cars and bikes for daily use. Try to use public transport, bicycle and car pools. This will not only curb air pollution but will also decrease the traffic on roads.
• Walk: Try to go to nearby areas on foot i.e. walking, this will reduce pollution and will also improve your health .
• Better garbage disposal: Use the structural methods of garbage disposal in cities.

A small step can help in a big way and contribution of every citizen will make the urban areas more livable. Following these simple steps and with a little help from the government, we can definitely reduce the city pollution a lot. If we do not wake up today and do not realize the worst condition of natural resources then after some time our future generations will not be able to survive, It’s far to enjoy the environment .

Essay on Pollution Due To Urbanization and Digital India – Essay 5 (600 words)

In order to create a better tomorrow we have created a difficult toady. We have urbanized our villages and made them into hi-tech cities that have all the modern facilities and everyday we are creating something or the other new. Today we all dream of a digital India. In a country every citizen uses technology for his/her betterment. We aim to create a world where everything is just a button push away. Everyday more and more Indians are using technology for making their day to day life easy. Today we have become the slaves of technology and cannot live without technology even for a minute. We need to be connected all the time. Even our government is trying to transform the nation into a digitally empowered society.

Digital India and Environmental Importance

We see a smart phone in the hands of everybody even a labor of these days. Everybody understands the power and the reach of the internet. We no more call, now video call our loved ones. Any information can reach to any corner of the world in seconds now. We cannot ignore the power of digitalization. But what is the important question here is that can digitization of the digital movement be ‘environmental substantial’. We must ask this question to the founding fathers of digital India; can they assure that through this digitization our precious environment will not be harmed? Is it possible to move forward with modernization without harming the natural resources and without disturbing the ecological balance?

The digital revolution is such thing which touches every aspect of our life as it connects us to the rest of the world all the time. We all know that the digital appliances have carbon emissions and that has harmful effects on our eco system. We are also aware that these appliances emit radiations that are very harmful for humans. It is also advised not to keep mobile phones very near to your head or heart at night.

So in short, these digital devices are more harmful than helpful. We are also consuming power at a rapid speed and soon all the power will be exhausted. We are creating new and more advanced devices day by and day and we forget that all these use power and more devices means more use of power. The consumption is increasing day by day but what we do not realize that natural resources are scarce. There will be a day when they will not be able to satisfy our power needs. Soon there will be a time when these devices will become uncontrollable and we will then suffer from the harmful effects.

The digital India comes with a cost. It can have effects on us at many levels like, it pollutes our environment, it degrades our ecosystem and most importantly it causes many harmful effects on our physical health. The radiations cause vision problems, headaches and many other such issues. What we lack are the tools of awareness that can tell us how to control these effects. Do we really need a digital India today that cannot promise a better tomorrow?

There is a strong need to create a mass concern effort that can bring awareness about these problems. Digitization is good but it must be in controlled levels so that we can move forward but also make sure that our environment is safe. It is our duty to leave a pollution free environment and safe world for our future generations.

Noise Pollution Related Helpful Resources

Related content

Talk to our academic expert!

Language --- English Hindi Marathi Tamil Telugu Malayalam

Get access to free Mock Test and Master Class

Register to Get Free Mock Test and Study Material

Offer Ends in 5:00

Geospatial Analytics for Environmental Pollution Modeling pp 163–185 Cite as

Urban Areas and Air Pollution: Causes, Concerns, and Mitigation

• Shivali Gupta 5 &
• Rakesh Kumar   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4139-300X 5  
• First Online: 02 December 2023

147 Accesses

Urbanization has proven to be a catalyst for global economic growth. However, the concomitant progress in economic development has led to a degradation in air quality within urban settlements, primarily attributable to copious anthropogenic sources of pollutant emissions. Air pollution has numerous negative impacts on the well-being of humans and the environment. This includes the deleterious impacts on climate change as well as the emergence of serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. This chapter, therefore, discusses urban air pollution, encompassing the causal factors, associated concerns, and various strategies employed to mitigate its adverse effects. These strategies involve regulatory, technological, and behavioural responses, which are imperative to effectively address the issue of air pollution. Therefore, the examination of the complex interplay between urbanization across varying stages of development and air pollution is integral in attaining ambient air quality targets with respect to upcoming economic advancement and sustainable progression.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution .

Buying options

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Durable hardcover edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Agarwal, P., Sarkar, M., Chakraborty, B., & Banerjee, T. (2019). Phytoremediation of air pollutants. In Phytomanagement of polluted sites: Market opportunities in sustainable phytoremediation . Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813912-7.00007-7

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Ahmad, S. S., Urooj, R., & Nawaz, M. (2015). Air pollution monitoring and prediction. In Current air quality issues . Intech.

Google Scholar  

Alissa, E. M., & Ferns, G. A. (2011). Heavy metal poisoning and cardiovascular disease. Journal of Toxicology, 2011 , 870125.

Article   Google Scholar  

Ashmore, M. (2013). Air Pollution., 1 , 136–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384719-5.00283-5

Banerjee, T., & Srivastava, R. K. (2011). Evaluation of environmental impacts of Integrated Industrial Estate-Pantnagar through application of air and water quality indices. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 172 (1–4), 547–560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1353-3

Banerjee, T., Murari, V., Kumar, M., & Raju, M. P. (2015). Source apportionment of airborne particulates through receptor modeling: Indian scenario. Atmospheric Research, 164–165 , 167–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2015.04.017

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Barwise, Y., & Kumar, P. (2020). Designing vegetation barriers for urban air pollution abatement: A practical review for appropriate plant species selection. Climate and Atmospheric Science, 3 (1), 12.

Beaulant, A. L., Perron, G., Kleinpeter, J., Weber, C., Ranchin, T., & Wald, L. (2008). Adding virtual measuring stations to a network for urban air pollution mapping. Environment International, 34 (5), 599–605.

Bechle, M. J. (2011). Effects of income and urban form on urban {NO}. Environmental Science & Technology, 45 (11), 4914–4919.

Bikis, A., & Pandey, D. (2021). Air quality at public transportation stations/stops: Contribution of light rail transit to reduce air pollution. Aerosol Science and Engineering, 6 , 1–16.

Bozyazi, E., Incecik, S., Mannaerts, C., & Brussel, M. (2000). Analysis and mapping of air pollution using a GIS approach: A case study of Istanbul. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 42 . https://doi.org/10.2495/AIR000431

Cariolet, J. M., Colombert, M., Vuillet, M., & Diab, Y. (2018). Assessing the resilience of urban areas to traffic-related air pollution: Application in Greater Paris. Science of the Total Environment, 615 , 588–596.

Chen, H., Deng, G., & Liu, Y. (2022). Monitoring the influence of industrialization and urbanization on spatiotemporal variations of AQI and PM2.5 in three provinces, China. Atmosphere, 13 (9). https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13091377

Cheng, W. C., Liu, C. H., & Leung, D. Y. (2009). On the correlation of air and pollutant exchange for street canyons in combined wind-buoyancy-driven flow. Atmospheric Environment, 43 (24), 3682–3690.

Cope, W. G., Leidy, R. B., & Hodgson, E. (2004). Classes of toxicants: Use classes. In A textbook of modern toxicology (pp. 49–74).

Eleni, D., Dessinioti, C., & Christina, V. A. (2014). Air pollution and the skin. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2 , 11.

Ferrante, M., Fiore, M., Copat, C., Morina, S., Ledda, C., Mauceri, C., & Conti, G. O. (2015). Air pollution in high-risk sites–Risk analysis and health impact. Current Air Quality Issues . 419–442. https://doi.org/10.5772/60345

Fino, A. (2018). Air quality legislation. In Encyclopedia of environmental health (2nd ed.). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11045-0

Fortoul-van der Goes, T., Rodriguez-Lara, V., Gonzalez-Villalva, A., Colin-Barenque, L., Rojas-Lemus, M., Bizarro-Nevares, P., et al. (2015). Health effects of metals in particulate matter. In Current air quality issues .

Ghosh, S., & Maji, T. (2011). An environmental assessment of urban drainage, sewage and solid waste management in Barddhaman municipality, West Bengal. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2 (1), 92–104. http://www.ipublishing.co.in/jesvol1no12010/volumetwo/EIJES3010.pdf

CAS   Google Scholar  

Glaeser, E. L., & Kahn, M. E. (2003). Handbook (2003) urban sprawl. In The handbook of regional and urban economics, IV (pp. 2481–2528).

Haque, M. S., & Singh, R. B. (2017). Air pollution and human health in Kolkata, India: A case study. Climate, 5 (4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli5040077

He, C., Morawska, L., Hitchins, J., & Gilbert, D. (2004). Contribution from indoor sources to particle number and mass concentrations in residential houses. Atmospheric Environment , 38 (21), 3405–3415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.03.027

Heal, M. R., Heaviside, C., Doherty, R. M., Vieno, M., Stevenson, D. S., & Vardoulakis, S. (2013). Health burdens of surface ozone in the UK for a range of future scenarios. Environment International, 61 , 36–44.

Ho, B. Q. (2012). Urban air pollution. In Air pollution monitoring, modelling and health (pp. 1–38). InTech.

Kamińska, I. A., Ołdak, A., & Turski, W. A. (2004). Geographical Information System (GIS) as a tool for monitoring and analysing pesticide pollution and its impact on public health. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 11 (2), 181–184.

Komar, I., & Lalić, B. (2015). Sea transport air pollution. In Current air quality issues (pp. 165–202). InTech.

Kumar, B., & Singh, R. B. (2003). Urban development and anthropogenic climate change: Experience in Indian metropolitan cities . Manak Publication Pvt Ltd..

Kumar, M., Singh, R. K., Murari, V., Singh, A. K., Singh, R. S., & Banerjee, T. (2016). Fireworks induced particle pollution: A spatiotemporal analysis. Atmospheric Research, 180 (June), 78–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2016.05.014

Leung, D. Y. C. (2015). Outdoor-indoor air pollution in urban environment: Challenges and opportunity. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2 (JAN), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2014.00069

Li, X. X., Liu, C. H., & Leung, D. Y. C. (2009). Numerical investigation of pollutant transport characteristics inside deep urban street canyons. Atmospheric Environment, 43 (15), 2410–2418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.02.022

Liang, L., & Gong, P. (2020). Urban and air pollution: A multicity study of long-term effects of urban landscape patterns on air quality trends. Scientific Reports, 10 (1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74524-9

Manisalidis, I., Stavropoulou, E., & Stavropoulos, A. (2020). Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A Review., 8 (February), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00014

Martínez-Bravo, M., & Martínez-del-Río, J. (2019). Urban pollution and emission reduction. Sustainable Cities and Communities. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals , 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71061-7_30-1

Memon, R. A., Leung, D. Y., & Liu, C. H. (2009). An investigation of urban heat island intensity (UHII) as an indicator of urban heating. Atmospheric Research , 94 (3), 491–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2009.07.006

Mhawish, A., Banerjee, T., Broday, D. M., Misra, A., & Tripathi, S. N. (2017). Evaluation of MODIS Collection 6 aerosol retrieval algorithms over Indo-Gangetic Plain: Implications of aerosols types and mass loading. Remote Sensing of Environment, 201 (March), 297–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.09.016

Milner, J., Harpham, C., Taylor, J., Davies, M., Le Quéré, C., Haines, A., & Wilkinson, P. (2019). The challenge of urban heat exposure under climate change: An analysis of cities in the Sustainable Healthy Urban Environments (SHUE) database. Climate (Basel, Switzerland), 5 (4), 93.

Mitchell, D., Heaviside, C., Vardoulakis, S., Huntingford, C., & Masato, G. (2016). Attributing human mortality during extreme heat waves to anthropogenic climate change. Environmental Research Letters, 11 , 074006.

Mo, Z., Fu, Q., Lyu, D., Zhang, L., Qin, Z., Tang, Q., et al. (2019). Impacts of air pollution on dry eye disease among residents in Hangzhou, China: A case-crossover study. Environmental Pollution, 246 , 183–189.

Pandey, M., Singh, V., Vaishya, R. C., & Shukla, A. K. (2013). Analysis & application of GIS based air quality monitoring- state of art. International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, 2 (12), 3788–3796.

Piracha, A., & Chaudhary, M. T. (2022). Urban air pollution, urban heat island and human health: A review of the literature. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14 (15). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159234

Ramanathan, V., & Carmichael, G. (2008). Global and regional climate changes due to black carbon. Nature Geoscience, 1 (4), 221–227. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo156

Rodríguez, M. C., Dupont-Courtade, L., & Oueslati, W. (2016). Air pollution and urban structure linkages: evidence from European cities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 53 , 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.190

Rosário Filho, N. A., Urrutia-Pereira, M., d'Amato, G., Cecchi, L., Ansotegui, I. J., Galán, C., et al. (2021). Air pollution and indoor settings. World Allergy Organization Journal, 14 (1), 100499.

Salmond, J., Sabel, C. E., & Vardoulakis, S. (2018). Towards the integrated study of urban climate, air pollution, and public health. Climate, 6 (1), 14.

Shendell, D. G. (2019). Community outdoor air quality: Sources, exposure agents and health. In Encyclopedia of environmental health (Vol. 1, Issue April, 2nd ed.). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11824-X

Singh, R. B., Haque, S., & Grover, A. (1972). Drinking water, sanitation and health in kolkata metropolitan city: Contribution towards urban. Geography Environment Sustainability, 8 (4), 64–81.

Sofia, D., Gioiella, F., Lotrecchiano, N., & Giuliano, A. (2020). Mitigation strategies for reducing air pollution. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27 (16), 19226–19235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08647-x

Sówka, I., Badura, M., Pawnuk, M., Szymański, P., & Batog, P. (2020). The use of the GIS tools in the analysis of air quality on the selected University campus in Poland. Archives of Environmental Protection, 46 (1), 100–106. https://doi.org/10.24425/aep.2020.132531

Strosnider, H., Kennedy, C., Monti, M., & Yip, F. (2017). Rural and urban differences in air quality, 2008-2012, and community drinking water quality, 2010-2015 - United States. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66 (13), 2010–2015. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6613a1

Tecer, L. H., & Tagil, S. (2013). Spatial-temporal variations of sulfur dioxide concentration, source, and probability assessment using a GIS-based geostatistical approach. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 22 (November 2016), 1491–1498.

UNEP, UNICEF, & WHO. (2002). Children in the new millennium: Environmental impact on health . World Health Organization.

Ung, A., Wald, L., Ranchin, T., Groupe, T., De Paris, M., Antipolis, S., Weber, C., Hirsch, J., Image, L., & Pasteur, U. L. (2002). Satellite data for air pollution mapping over a city – Virtual stations . In Observing our environment from space - new solutions for a new millennium (pp. 147–151). CRC Press.

Vaddiraju, S. C. (2020). Mapping of air pollution using GIS: A case study of Hyderabad . June 2019 . https://doi.org/10.32622/ijrat.752019328

Vallero, D. (2014a). Air pollutant hazards. In Fundamentals of air pollution (pp. 197–214). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-401733-7.00007-4

Vallero, D. (2014b). Air pollutant kinetics and equilibrium. In Fundamentals of air pollution (pp. 437–474).

Vallero, D. (2014c). Respiratory effects of air pollutants. In Fundamentals of air pollution (pp. 247–256).

Wang, Q. (2018). Urbanization and global health: The role of air pollution. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 47 (11), 1644–1652.

Wang, S., Gao, S., Li, S., & Feng, K. (2020). Strategizing the relation between urbanization and air pollution: Empirical evidence from global countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 243 , 118615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118615

Wargocki, P., Wyon, D. P., Sundell, J., Clausen, G., & Fanger, O. (2000). The effects of outdoor air supply rate in an office on perceived air quality, sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and productivity. Indoor Air, 10 (4), 222–236. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0668.2000.010004222.x

Weisskopf, M. G., Kioumourtzoglou, M. A., & Roberts, A. L. (2015). Air pollution and autism spectrum disorders: Causal or confounded? Current Environmental Health Reports, 2 , 430–439.

Weyens, N., Thijs, S., Popek, R., Witters, N., & Przybysz, A. (2015). The role of plant – microbe interactions and their exploitation for phytoremediation of air pollutants (pp. 25576–25604). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms161025576

Book   Google Scholar  

WHO global air quality guidelines: Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Table 3.26, Recommended 2021 AQG levels and 2005 air quality guidelines. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574591/table/ch3.tab 26/

World Bank. (2022). https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview

Download references

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Jammu, JKUT, Jammu, India

Shivali Gupta & Rakesh Kumar

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Fayma Mushtaq

Majid Farooq

LeadsConnect Services Pvt Ltd, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Alok Bhushan Mukherjee

Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India

Mili Ghosh Nee Lala

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter.

Gupta, S., Kumar, R. (2023). Urban Areas and Air Pollution: Causes, Concerns, and Mitigation. In: Mushtaq, F., Farooq, M., Mukherjee, A.B., Ghosh Nee Lala, M. (eds) Geospatial Analytics for Environmental Pollution Modeling. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45300-7_7

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45300-7_7

Published : 02 December 2023

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-031-45299-4

Online ISBN : 978-3-031-45300-7

eBook Packages : Earth and Environmental Science Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences Essay

Environmental pollution is the unwarranted discharge of mass or energy into the planet’s natural resource pools, such as land, air, or water, which detriments the environment’s ecological stability and the health of the living things that inhabit it. There is an intensified health risk and pollution in middle and low-income countries due to the increased use of pesticides, industrialization, the introduction of nitrogen-based fertilizers, forest fires, urbanization, and inadequate waste management (Appannagari, 2017). Air pollution, lead and chemicals exposure, hazardous waste exposure, and inappropriate e-waste disposal all result in unfavorable living conditions, fatal illnesses, and ecosystem destruction. The essay will provide an overview of pollution and proffer solutions to combating pollution for a sustainable environment and health.

In addition to hindering economic development and considerably accelerating climate change, pollution exacerbates poverty and inequality in urban and rural areas. The most pain is always experienced by the poor, who cannot afford to protect themselves against pollution’s harmful effects. The main environmental factor contributing to sickness and early mortality is pollution due to premature deaths resulting from pollution (Appannagari, 2017). Due to the unacceptably high cost to human capital and health, as well as the resulting GDP losses, pollution must be addressed. Through initiatives like reducing black carbon and methane emissions, which are responsible for air pollution and climate change, pollution management can also significantly contribute to climate change mitigation (Appannagari, 2017). Additionally, pollution control can promote competitiveness through, for instance, job growth, increased energy efficiency, better transportation, and sustainable urban and rural development. Below are the various approaches for solutions to health and pollution problems.

First, governments should evaluate pollution as a national and international priority and integrate it into the city and country planning process. Pollution affects the health and well-being of societies and, as such, cannot be solely viewed as an environmental issue (The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, 2017). All levels of government should give pollution prevention a high priority, incorporate it into development planning, and tie it to commitments regarding climate change, SDGs, and the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Some options are both affordable and offer good returns on investment.

Secondly, governments should increase funding for pollution control and prioritize it by health impacts. There should be a significant increase in the financing for pollution management in low- and middle-income nations, both from national budgets and international development organizations (The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, 2017). The most effective international support for pollution reduction is when it mobilizes additional actions and funding from others. Examples include helping towns and nations that are quickly industrializing concerning technical capacity building, regulatory and enforcement support, and support for direct actions to save lives. Monitoring financing initiatives are necessary to determine their cost-effectiveness and to raise accountability.

Thirdly, organizations should work to build multicultural partnerships for pollution control. Public-private partnerships and interagency cooperation can be powerful tools in creating clean technology and energy sources that will ultimately prevent pollution at its source (The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, 2017). Collaborations between ministries that include the ministries of finance, energy, development, agriculture, and transport, as well as the ministries of health and the environment, are crucial in pollution control. Governments should promote monitoring systems that could identify and apportion pollution sources, measure pollution levels, guide enforcement, and assess progress toward goals. The use of new technology in pollution monitoring, such as data mining and satellite images, can boost effectiveness, broaden the monitoring area, and cut costs.

One of the main issues facing the world in the current period is pollution. Natural resources are depleting daily due to car emissions, new technologies, factories, and chemicals added to food. All of these factors seriously harm the world. However, the problems caused by pollution can be prevented by building multicultural partnerships, increasing funding for pollution control, integrating it into the country’s planning process, and adopting new technology for monitoring pollution. Preventing pollution lowers the cost to the environment and the economy.

Appannagari, R. R. (2017). Environmental pollution causes and consequences: A study . North Asian International Research Journal of Social Science and Humanities , 3 (8), 151-161. Web.

Excell High School. (2018). Environmental Science . Excel Education Systems, Inc. Web.

The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health. (2017). Pollution and health: Six problems and six solutions. Knowledge, Evidence, and Learning for Development.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, December 18). Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/

"Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." IvyPanda , 18 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences'. 18 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." December 18, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

1. IvyPanda . "Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." December 18, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." December 18, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

• Environmental Pollution: Causes and Solutions
• Environmental Revolution: Air Pollution in China
• Air Pollution Impacts on Weather and Climate
• Environment Destruction: Pollution
• Coal Pollution in China as an Environmental Problem
• Value of Sustainable Energy
• Causes of Water Pollution and the Present Environmental Solution
• Climate Change: Reducing Industrial Air Pollution
• Air Pollution Effects on the Health and Environment
• Pollution & Climate Change as Environmental Risks
• The Santa Ana Sucker as an Endangered Organism
• Climate Crisis and Wildlife in Danger
• Red and Blue Ocean: Oklahoma City Case
• Water's Role in Society and Its Applications
• The Decline in Shark Population in Trinidad and Tobago

• Descriptive
• Imagination
• My Favourite
• Famous Personality

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization

Hello, students today we have come up with an essay on Pollution due to Urbanization. In this essay we have given information about pollution caused due to urbanization. So let us start with the essay.

Pollution due to Urbanization Essay

Urbanization is the process by which more and more people move from rural areas to urban centers, resulting in the growth and development of cities. This process has numerous benefits, such as increased access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. However, it also has significant negative consequences, one of which is pollution.

In conclusion, urbanization can lead to pollution, which has negative consequences for the environment and human health. To address this issue, it is necessary to adopt sustainable development practices and educate the public about the importance of protecting the environment.

Students, what are your thoughts on pollution caused by urbanization? Do tell us in the comment section below.

This essay can be used by students of classes 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th for their educational purposes.

Students, we hope this essay was helpful to you and if you need an essay any other topic then do tell us in the comment section below.

You may like these posts

Post a comment.

• Autobiography 8
• Descriptive 235
• Educational 68
• Experience 60
• Famous personality 27
• Festivals 16
• Imagination 10
• My favourite 27
• Pollution 6
• Spiritual 3

Menu Footer Widget

• Engineering
• Write For Us
• Privacy Policy

Essay on Environmental Pollution

Here we have shared the Essay on Environmental Pollution in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Environmental Pollution in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams. 

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Environmental Pollution in 150-200 words

Essay on environmental pollution in 250-300 words, essay on environmental pollution in 500-1000 words.

Environmental pollution is the contamination of the natural environment by harmful substances, resulting in adverse effects on living organisms and ecosystems. It encompasses air, water, and soil pollution caused by human activities such as industrialization, transportation, and waste disposal.

Pollution poses severe threats to human health and the environment. It leads to respiratory problems, waterborne diseases, and ecosystem disruptions. Air pollution affects air quality, causing respiratory illnesses and contributing to climate change. Water pollution degrades water sources, impacting aquatic life and jeopardizing human access to clean drinking water. Soil pollution affects agriculture and food safety.

Addressing environmental pollution requires collective action. It involves adopting sustainable practices, promoting renewable energy sources, and implementing strict regulations on industrial emissions and waste management. Awareness campaigns and education about environmental conservation are vital to inspire behavioral changes.

Efforts to reduce pollution can help create a healthier and more sustainable environment for future generations. By prioritizing pollution control and embracing eco-friendly practices, we can protect human health, preserve biodiversity, and safeguard the planet’s natural resources.

Environmental pollution refers to the contamination of the natural environment by various pollutants, resulting in harmful effects on living organisms and ecosystems. It is a pressing global issue that poses significant threats to the health and well-being of both humans and the planet.

Various forms of pollution contribute to environmental degradation. Air pollution occurs when harmful gases and particles are released into the atmosphere from industrial activities, transportation, and the burning of fossil fuels. Water pollution occurs when pollutants such as chemicals, sewage, and waste are discharged into rivers, lakes, and oceans, endangering aquatic life and contaminating drinking water sources. Soil pollution occurs when harmful substances like pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial waste contaminate the soil, affecting plant growth and the food chain.

The consequences of environmental pollution are far-reaching. It leads to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and other health issues in humans. It also disrupts ecosystems, causing the decline of plant and animal species, and damaging habitats. Pollution affects the quality of air, water, and soil, posing a threat to biodiversity and the overall balance of nature.

Addressing environmental pollution requires collective efforts from individuals, governments, and organizations. Sustainable practices such as reducing emissions, conserving resources, recycling, and using eco-friendly technologies are crucial in mitigating pollution. Strict regulations and policies need to be implemented to control industrial emissions and ensure proper waste management. Awareness campaigns and education on the importance of environmental conservation can inspire individuals to make conscious choices and adopt environmentally-friendly lifestyles.

In conclusion, environmental pollution poses a significant threat to our planet and its inhabitants. It is imperative that we take immediate and proactive measures to reduce pollution levels and preserve the environment for future generations. By adopting sustainable practices and promoting environmental awareness, we can work towards creating a cleaner and healthier planet for all.

Title: Environmental Pollution – A Global Crisis in Need of Urgent Action

Introduction :

Environmental pollution is a pressing global issue that threatens the health and well-being of both humans and the planet. It refers to the introduction of harmful substances or pollutants into the natural environment, resulting in adverse effects on living organisms and ecosystems. Pollution can take various forms, including air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution. Each of these forms poses unique challenges and impacts different aspects of the environment. Addressing environmental pollution is crucial to protect human health, preserve biodiversity, and ensure the sustainability of our planet.

Air Pollution

Air pollution is one of the most significant forms of environmental pollution. It occurs when harmful gases, particles, and chemicals are released into the atmosphere, primarily as a result of industrial activities, transportation, and the burning of fossil fuels. The main pollutants include carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Air pollution poses severe health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions. It can cause respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular problems, and even premature death. Additionally, air pollution contributes to climate change, global warming, and the depletion of the ozone layer.

Water Pollution

Water pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies, including rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater sources. It occurs when pollutants such as chemicals, sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff are discharged into waterways without adequate treatment. Water pollution not only affects aquatic life but also endangers human health, as polluted water is often used for drinking, irrigation, and recreational activities.

The consequences of water pollution are far-reaching. It leads to the destruction of aquatic ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, and the contamination of food sources. Waterborne diseases, such as cholera and typhoid, are prevalent in areas with contaminated water supplies. Moreover, the pollution of oceans and seas poses a threat to marine life and can cause widespread ecological damage.

Soil Pollution

Soil pollution occurs when the soil is contaminated by toxic substances, including heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, and industrial waste. It can result from improper waste disposal, industrial activities, agricultural practices, and mining operations. Soil pollution not only affects plant growth and agricultural productivity but also poses risks to human health through the ingestion of contaminated food.

The impact of soil pollution extends beyond the immediate area of contamination. It can lead to the loss of fertile land, soil erosion, and the disruption of ecosystems. The accumulation of pollutants in the soil can enter the food chain, affecting the quality and safety of agricultural products. Long-term exposure to contaminated soil can lead to various health issues, including cancers, respiratory problems, and neurological disorders.

Noise Pollution

Noise pollution refers to excessive or unwanted noise that disrupts the environment and causes discomfort. It can arise from various sources, including transportation, industrial activities, construction sites, and urbanization. Prolonged exposure to high levels of noise can have detrimental effects on human health, including hearing loss, stress, sleep disturbances, and impaired cognitive function.

Effects on Human Health

Environmental pollution poses significant risks to human health. The inhalation of air pollutants can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer. Waterborne diseases caused by contaminated water sources can result in gastrointestinal issues, skin infections, and even death. Exposure to soil pollution can lead to various health problems, including organ damage, developmental disorders, and certain types of cancer. Additionally, noise pollution can have detrimental effects on mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Environmental pollution also has devastating effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. Air pollution harms plant and animal life disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to the loss of biodiversity. Water pollution affects aquatic habitats, leading to the decline of fish populations, the destruction of coral reefs, and the loss of other marine species. Soil pollution impairs soil fertility and affects the growth and survival of plants, which are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems. The contamination of land and water by pollutants disrupts natural processes, jeopardizing the delicate balance of ecosystems and leading to ecological imbalances.

Solutions and Mitigation Strategies

Addressing environmental pollution requires a multi-faceted approach involving individuals, communities, governments, and international organizations. Some key solutions and mitigation strategies include:

• Transitioning to clean and renewable energy sources to reduce air pollution and combat climate change.
• Implementing stricter regulations on industrial emissions and promoting sustainable industrial practices.
• Encouraging sustainable agricultural practices that minimize the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers to reduce soil pollution.
• Improving waste management systems, including recycling and proper disposal of hazardous waste.
• Promoting water conservation and implementing effective wastewater treatment methods to reduce water pollution.
• Raising awareness and educating communities about the importance of environmental conservation and responsible behavior.
• Investing in research and technological innovations that support sustainable development and pollution control.

Conclusion :

Environmental pollution is a global crisis that demands immediate and collective action. The consequences of pollution on human health, biodiversity, and ecosystems are severe and far-reaching. By adopting sustainable practices and implementing effective pollution control measures, we can mitigate the impacts of environmental pollution. It requires the commitment and collaboration of individuals, communities, governments, and international entities to address this pressing issue.

Through a combination of policy interventions, technological advancements, and behavioral changes, we can create a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations. It is essential to prioritize sustainable practices, reduce emissions, conserve resources, and promote responsible consumption and production patterns.

Ultimately, the fight against environmental pollution requires a global effort to protect our planet and ensure a sustainable future. By working together, we can preserve the beauty of our natural world, safeguard human health, and create a harmonious coexistence between humans and the environment. It is our collective responsibility to take action today for a cleaner and greener tomorrow.

Related Posts

• Essay on Pollution
• Essay on “Impact of Social Media on Youth”

Essay on Urbanization for Students and Children

500 words essay on urbanization.

Urbanization refers to the movement of the population from rural areas to urban areas. It is essentially the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas. Furthermore, urbanization is quite a popular trend in the contemporary world. Moreover, people mostly undertake urbanization due to more work opportunities and a better standard of living. According to the expert prediction, by 2050, 64% of the developing world and 86% of the developed world will be urbanized.

Causes of Urbanization

First of all, political causes play a big role in urbanization. Many people get forced to leave rural areas for urban areas due to political unrest. Therefore, many families go to urban areas in search of food, shelter, and employment .

Another important cause of urbanization is an economic cause. Furthermore, poverty is a widespread phenomenon in rural areas. Moreover, farmers are finding it very hard to earn enough money and make a living. Consequently, rural people move to urban areas in search of better job opportunities.

Education is a strong cause of urbanization. Urban areas offer opportunities for seeking high-quality education. Moreover, urbanization offers opportunities for studying at universities and technical colleges. Such handsome education opportunities attract many young people in rural areas to move to urban areas.

Environmental degradation also plays a part in contributing to urbanization. Deforestation destroys the natural habitat of many farming families. Furthermore, mining and industrial expansion also harm the natural habitat of farming families.

The social cause is another notable reason for urbanization. Many young rural people migrate to urban areas in order to seek a better lifestyle. Moreover, many young people want to escape the conservative culture of rural areas. Most noteworthy, urban areas offer a more easy-going liberal lifestyle. Furthermore, cities have clubs to attract youth.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Benefits of Urbanization

First of all, urban areas are much more efficient in providing resources than rural areas. Important and basic amenities like housing, clean water, and electricity are easily available in urban areas.

People in urban areas find it quite easy to access to various important services. Most noteworthy, these services are high-quality education, expert health care, convenient transportation, entertainment, etc. Furthermore, some or all of the services are unavailable in rural areas.

Urban areas offer better employment opportunities. Furthermore, these employment opportunities are the result of industrialization and commercialization.

Urban areas play a critical role as creators and disseminators of knowledge. This is because of the highly connected urbanized world. Most noteworthy, the geographical proximity of people in urban areas helps in the propagation of ideas.

Urban areas enjoy the benefits of technological development. Furthermore, many types of technologies get implemented in urban areas. Moreover, urban people quickly get in touch with the latest technology. In contrast, many rural individuals remain ignorant of many types of technologies.

To sum it up, urbanization is a process which is on a continuous rise. Furthermore, urbanization ensures the transformation of rural culture into urban culture. Moreover, the government must be vigilant to the rapidly increasing urbanization. A fully urbanized world looks like the ultimate destiny of our world.

FAQs on Urbanization

Q1 State any two causes for urbanization?

A1 Any two causes for urbanization are high-quality education and good job opportunities in urban areas.

Q2 Why urban areas offer better employment opportunities?

A2 Urban areas offer better employment opportunities due to high industrialization and commercialization.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Iran J Public Health
• v.47(11); 2018 Nov

Urbanization and Global Health: The Role of Air Pollution

1. Dept. of Economic, School of Business, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, Liaoning, China

2. Dept. of Social Medicine and Maternal & Child Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China

Background:

The world is experiencing the biggest wave of urban growth in history. The association between urbanization and health at the global level, as well as the role of air pollution, has not been studied. We aimed to examine the effect of urbanization on global health and the role of air pollution.

Unbalanced panel data comprising 3, 093 observations of 163 countries for 1990–2012 from the World Bank database was used. An infinite distributed lag model was applied to estimate the contemporary and long-term effects of urbanization on health outcomes measured by mortality, under-five mortality, infant mortality, life expectancy at birth(all; female; and male).

Urbanization was positively related to global health in the short term and long term. In the short run, 1% increase in urbanization was associated with reduced mortality, under-five mortality, and infant mortality of 0.05%, 0.04%, and 0.04%, respectively, as well as increased life expectancy of 0.01 year. The effects of urbanization were stronger for high-income countries. However, air pollution undermined the positive impacts of urbanization on health.

Conclusion:

Although urbanization leads to improved global health, air pollution undermines the positive effects of urbanization on health. Developing sustainable urbanization practices is crucial for addressing the challenges of pollution caused by urbanization.

Introduction

Urbanization refers to the process of expansion in the proportion of population residing in urban areas. The world is experiencing the biggest wave of urban growth in history. Currently, over 50% of the global population lives in urban areas- this is 3.9 billion, and by 2030, this number will rise to about 5 billion ( 1 ). Urbanization leads to great social and economic progress. Although urbanization is related to a series of human welfare outcomes, its influence on population health is not so clear. Urban residents may benefit from improved sanitation, infrastructure, and access to health services; however, they may be confronted with other issues, including unhealthy lifestyles and environmental pollution in urban areas ( 2 – 5 ).

The early empirical studies on the relationship between urbanization and health focus on developed or high-income countries, which reveal that the association of urbanization and health is complex. The majority of studies found that urbanization results in health improvement ( 6 – 9 ). However, in urban areas, where the bulk of the population excessively concentrates, unsatisfying sanitation and health promotion intervention leave much to be desired; thus, urbanization may be related to poorer health ( 10 – 12 ). Urban growth is expected to occur faster in low-income or developing countries. The urbanization in some countries is related mostly to economic development. In developing countries, the largest cities are concentrated in the largest economies (e.g. Brazil in Latin America and China in Asia). “There are also some cities in other regions (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa) where movement occurs despite economic stagnation and in others whose urban population is increased by the movement thereof people displaced by wars, civil strife, or drought” ( 5 ). Thus, the empirical literature on the association between urbanization and health laid emphasis on either large cities or ghettos in developing or low-income countries. Few studies found urbanization improves health, most of them asserted that urbanization results in a health penalty ( 13 – 20 ). It is unknown whether, and if so, to what extent, urbanization affects global health.

The heterogeneous findings across countries may lie on the facts that the levels of pollution in low-income or developing countries are often several orders of magnitude higher than those in high-income or developed countries. Most of that pollution is coming from urbanization development ( 21 ). Air pollution causes obvious health damage to humans ( 22 ). Lives are cut short by heart disease, stroke, lung disease or cancer that are triggered or exacerbated by air pollutants ( 23 , 24 ). Air pollution is expected to play a more important role in the association of urbanization and health outcomes, not studied in the literature ( 25 ). Our study attempts to fill these gaps by investigating two questions: 1) How does urbanization affect health in the world with various levels of urbanization? 2) What is the role of air pollution?

We evaluated the relationship between urbanization and health in 163 countries for which the relevant data for analysis are available from the World Bank. Our findings not only supported the improved health outcomes related to urbanization but also indicated that air pollution might threaten the positive health influence of urbanization.

Materials and Methods

To estimate the effects of urbanization on mortality, unbalanced panel data comprising 3093 observations from 163 countries for the period 1990–2012. The primary data source used in this study is World Development Indicators compiled by the World Bank ( 26 ).

In this study, mortality rate, under-five mortality, infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births), and life expectancy (all, female, male) were applied to demonstrate global health status. Mortality rate and life expectancy at birth are both major indicators determined for evaluation in most epidemiological studies and clinical trials. In addition, mortality rate and life expectancy are “hard” data with easily understandable meaning of the health status outcome ( 27 ).

An infinite distributed lag model (IDL) was applied to estimate the contemporary and lagged effect of urbanization on health. In the model, no lag length needs to be taken into account for the lagged effect of urbanization on health, therefore the model solves the problem of choosing the correct lag length ( 28 ). The IDL model, on the basis of Neumayor’s study, can be presented as follows with panel data context ( 28 , 29 ):

In Equation [1] , Y it represents the health outcomes for country i at time t ; U it is the urbanization level of country i at time t; Pit and P it 2 are air pollution intensity and its quadratic term, respectively. Air pollution intensity refers to the indicator of total greenhouse gas emissions per Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (kt of CO2 equivalent/hundred billion dollars). U it ×P it is the interaction of air pollution emissions intensity and urbanization.

X it is a vector representing other covariates for city i at time t . To represent the channels through which macroeconomic variables may influence health, X it includes population density; gender ratio; the proportion of population aged 65 year and older; GDP growth level; primary school enrollment rate; official development assistance per capita; and share of urban population with improved sanitation ( 30 ).

u i represents the country dummy variable, and v it is the idiosyncratic error term.

Following Arellano and Bond (1991), the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimator was used to estimate the equation [1]. The basic idea of this estimator is to use all prior dependent variables that are valid instruments. Robust standard errors were employed, which are robust toward arbitrary autocorrelation as well as heteroscedasticity. The LLC (Levin–Lin–Chu) and IPS (Im–Pesaran–Shin) tests rejected the hypothesis of unit roots ( P <0.01), the series are stationary. A Sargan test proved the validity of the model.

The contemporaneous effects of urbanization could be calculated by d+the mean of air pollution emissions intens ity×g, while the long-term effects could be computed by the contemporaneous effects/(1-b) for b<1; for b>1, the long-term effects denoted the health effect of urbanization in the next ten years, calculated by the contemporaneous effects× (1-b 10 )/(1-b). Analyses were also stratified by income level, which is set according to the World Bank’ criteria for 2012 ( 26 ). Statistical analyses were performed using STATA 14.0.

Statistical description

Country characteristics are presented in Table 1 . For the entire sample period, the average mortality rate per 1,000 individuals was 9.08; the average under-five mortality was 66.44% and the infant mortality was 45.73%.

Characteristics of 163 countries for the period 1990–2012 by income

Note: Data are presented as mean (standard deviation)

Life expectancy at birth was estimated at 64.93 year, with female life expectancy being 62.95 year, which was lower than the male life expectancy of 67.20 year.

The mean urbanization level was 46.26%. Air pollution intensity was 7.37 KT of CO2 equivalent per hundred billion dollars GDP.

Overall, health outcomes have fluctuated over countries. High-income countries fared better in health indicators, showing lower mortality and longer life expectancy (mortality: 7.03; life expectancy: 70.69) than low-income countries (mortality: 10.02; life expectancy: 62.33). Urbanization in high-income countries (59%) was significantly greater than that in low-income countries (41%). In contrast with urbanization and health, air pollution intensity in high-income countries (2.53 KT of CO2 equivalent per hundred billion dollars GDP) was significantly lower than in low-income countries (9.57 KT of CO2 equivalent per hundred billion dollars GDP).

Multivariate regression results

The relationship between urbanization and health outcomes as well as the role of air pollution was estimated ( Table 2 ). Urbanization brought benefits to health outcomes measured by mortality, under-five mortality, infant mortality, life expectancy, female life expectancy, and male life expectancy at birth ( P <0.01). A 1% increase in the urbanization level led to a reduction of 0.06%, 0.05%, and 0.06% in the mortality rate, under-five mortality, and infant mortality, respectively, as well as an increase of 0.01 in the life expectancy at birth (female: 0.002; male: 0.01), without considering the effect of air pollution. However, air pollution played an adverse role in the association of urbanization and health outcomes. After adjusting for air pollution, a 1% increase in the urbanization level was related to a lower 0.05% (−1%*5.85+1%*0.11*7.37) mortality rate, a lower 0.04‰ (−1%*5.18+1%*0.10*7.37) under-five mortality, and a lower 0.04% (−1%*5.86+1%*0.11*7.37) infant mortality, respectively. A 1% increase in the urbanization level was associated with a longer 0.01 (1%*1.28–1%*0.1*7.37) life expectancy at birth, a 0.02 (1%*2.32–1%*0.10*7.37) longer female life expectancy at birth. However, for male, urbanization decreased the life expectancy at birth by 0.00 (1%*0.58–1%*0.10*7.37).

Associations between urbanization level, air pollution and health outcomes

Note: Coefficient (Robust standard error) were calculated by the infinite distributed lag model, on the basis of Neumayor’s study

Table 3 presents the results when the analysis stratified by income level. Urbanization improved health outcomes for both high-income countries and low-income countries without considering the impact of air pollution. However, the favorable effects of urbanization on health outcomes were significantly reduced by air pollution in low-income countries. Air pollution played a significant and adverse role in the association of urbanization and health outcomes in low-income countries judging from the interaction of air pollution and urbanization. Whereas, compared to low-income countries, the adverse role of air pollution was insignificant for the majority of health indicators in high-income countries.

Associations between urbanization level and health outcomes by income level

Note: Control variables included urbanization; air pollution intensity and its quadratic term; the interaction of air pollution emissions intensity and urbanization; population density; gender ratio; the proportion of population aged 65 yr and older; GDP growth level; primary school enrollment rate; official development assistance per capita; share of urban population with improved sanitation and lag of independent variable. Coefficient (Robust standard error) were calculated by the infinite distributed lag model, on the basis of Neumayor’s study

The contemporary and long-term effects of urbanization on health outcomes were favorable controlling for air pollution. And the long-term effects were bigger. In the long run, a 1% increase of urbanization was associated with reduced mortality, under-five mortality, and infant mortality of 1.68%, 0.89%, and 1.01%, respectively, as well as increased life expectancy of 0.07 yr. Furthermore, the effects of urbanization were stronger for high-income countries ( Table 4 ).

The contemporary and long-term effects of urbanization on health outcomes

Note: Control variables included urbanization; air pollution intensity and its quadratic term; the interaction of air pollution emissions intensity and urbanization; population density; gender ratio; the proportion of population aged 65 yr and older; GDP growth level; primary school enrollment rate; official development assistance per capita; share of urban population with improved sanitation and lag of independent variable.

According to the World Bank, the ratio of urban population at the global level has already exceeded 53.86% in 2015, and this will continue to rise in the coming decades ( 31 ). Urbanization has been considered as one of the most important development strategies. Urbanization works as the engine of socio-economic development ( 32 ). At the same time, urbanization puts pressure on urban ecosystems, which may cause health damage ( 33 ). There is a significant variation in urbanization along with air pollution across the regions. Some countries are able to develop a satisfying urbanization with low air pollution in year 1990–2012 (e.g., Denmark (urbanization: 83.09%; air pollution intensity: 1.01 kt of CO2 equivalent/hundred billion dollars); some others achieve high-level urbanization, but air pollution is also serious (e.g., Russia (urbanization: 68.93%; air pollution intensity: 5.912 kt of CO2 equivalent/hundred billion dollars)); others’ urbanization maintain a low-level, but air pollution has been severe (e.g., Vietnam (urbanization: 21.71%; air pollution intensity: 5.66 kt of CO2 equivalent/hundred billion dollars)).

Such a variation provides data sets to estimate the association between urbanization and health, as well as the role of air pollution. No study has examined the effects of urbanization along with air pollution on health from a global perspective. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the health performance of urbanization at a global level.

Overall, urbanization led to improved global health. However, air pollution undermined the favorable impacts of urbanization on health and resulted in a health penalty. The health penalty is stronger for the low-income countries, where air pollution intensity was more serious. Some countries even find a substantial health penalty of urbanization that reverses the health effects linked to urbanization (e.g., China) ( 19 ).

Urbanization is undeveloped in low-income countries and air pollution is anticipated to keep rising along with urbanization for a long time ( 1 , 21 ). From a policy perspective, how to balance urbanization and air pollution to achieve sustainable development deserves attention. This study may still provide a new method for establishing urbanization policies as well as policies related to both individual health and public health concerns. First, developing sustainable urbanization practices is crucial for addressing the challenges of pollution caused by urbanization ( 34 , 35 ). Governments should take health and environmental protection into consideration for urbanization construction and evaluation. In this regard, governments and various non-governmental organizations worldwide have been increasingly introducing low-carbon measures to guide the practices of sustainable urbanization toward better health, including the UN’s Millennium Declaration ( 36 ), the Istanbul Declaration of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( 37 ) the Mexico City Government, Green Plan ( 38 ), and the Government of Singapore’s Green Plan ( 39 ). The promotion of sustainable and low-carbon urbanization in the last decade has resulted in many positive experiences, and sharing and learning the best practice between different countries can significantly contribute to the global mission of sustainable urbanization ( 40 ).

Second, our findings provide justification for interventions of health that target exposure to air pollution along with the improved urbanization level. Economic development cannot solve all the health problem, what is worse, economic development may bring health penalty (e.g. air pollution brought by urbanization). In this case, we cannot rely on economic development to tackle down all the health issues. As such, basing policy on urbanization and economic development may be insufficient to protect population health. More precise measures should be determined and implemented to meet the health needs of those people. For instance, public health policy should provide information to them on how to deal with the adverse effects of air pollution. Further, health outcomes among individuals living in low-income countries were particularly susceptible to fluctuations in air quality. The difference of health status between high-income countries and low-income countries are expected to be widened if air pollution continues to be serious in the latter countries. Special attention should be paid to population health in low-income countries. The governments and international organizations should work to enhance urbanization as well as focus prevention strategies and environmental regulation in the low-income countries.

This study extends the research on the subject of health effects of urbanization by testing the relationship between the two all over the world and the role of air pollution. However, the limitations of this study must be taken into consideration.

While we highlight air pollution as an important mechanism, other channels exist through which urbanization may impact health. Unhealthy lifestyles and other pollution forms are significant determinants. There is a growing concern over the pollution of water and solids and lifestyles linked to urbanization ( 41 , 17 , 19 ). Social cohesion, mutual trust, and social integration are also related to global health ( 42 ). Future research must consider these points when analyzing the effects of urbanization on population health.

Using an unbalanced panel data of 163 countries for 1990–2012 from the World Bank database, this study evaluated the short-run and long-term effects of urbanization on global health. The role of air pollution was also estimated. Overall, global health gained benefits from urbanization. However, air pollution may undermine the health improvement from urbanization. Government should seek balance between urbanization and air pollution regulation to achieve sustainable development.

Ethical considerations

Ethical issues (Including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication and/or falsification, double publication and/or submission, redundancy, etc.) have been completely observed by the authors.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71503059), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. DUT17RC( 4 )24), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2018m630284). The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of author.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests.

Pollution due to Urbanization. Do you agree or disagree?

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

• Paragraph 1 - Introduction
• Sentence 1 - Background statement
• Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
• Sentence 3 - Thesis
• Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
• Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2 - Example
• Sentence 3 - Discussion
• Sentence 4 - Conclusion
• Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
• Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
• Sentence 1 - Summary
• Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
• Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ » — a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

• Check your IELTS essay »
• Find essays with the same topic
• View collections of IELTS Writing Samples
• Show IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics

Some countries spend a lot of money to make bicycle usage easier why is that is this the best solution to traffic congestion

: in today’s world, private companies rather than the government pay for and conduct most scientific research. do you think the advantages outweigh disadvantages, in their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that thier products are new in some way. why is this do you think it is a positive or negative developments, the plans below show a public park when it first opened in 1920 and the same park today. summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant., some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school. discuss both views and give your opinion..

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization

Pollution is one of the biggest issues that we as a society face today. The everyday deteriorating environment is a big challenge for humans. The mixing of any harmful substance or pollutants in our natural environment is called pollution. It is due to human activity, many contaminators get introduced in the natural environment thereby polluting it to harmful levels. There are many reasons why pollution occurs and one of the major one is urbanization.

Long and Short Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization in English

In this section we have tried to cover all aspects of pollution due to urbanization in varying lengths to help you with the same in your exam. You can select any Pollution due to Urbanization essay as per your need:

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization – Essay 1 (200 words)

Our mother earth is choking and we are helpless. We face many challenges today and one of them is pollution. When any contaminating substance is added in our environment and pollutes our natural resources called pollution. There are many reasons of pollution and human beings are responsible for most of it. Our activities have depleted our natural resources and our natural habitat.

One of the main reasons of human pollution is urbanization. When human being started establishing cities and industrialization happened than the level of pollution started increasing. The harsh reality of urbanization is that many beautiful valleys, mountains, hills stations and forests have been converted into vessels of pollution. The needs of human beings kept on increasing day by day and to satisfy those needs we exploited our mother earth. Trees were cut down, rivers and lakes were contaminated and natural reserves were misused.

The result today is that we live in highly polluted cities where day to day life is becoming increasingly tuff. We face many health issues due to this urban pollution and the worst part is that we do not even realize that. It is high time that we must now adopt ways to curb this pollution and create a better world for our future generations.

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization in India – Essay 2 (300 words)

Introduction

The days are gone when kids would roam freely on streets and birds would fly in the sky. Such a nice scene has been very rare to see, nowadays. We should blame ourselves only! India was a land of villages; our culture arose from villages only. But than we did something so bad that we are paying the price of it even today. We have replaced the major part of earth with factories, mills and building causing pollution .

There are Various Levels at which Urban Pollution is happening like:

Types and Causes of Urban Pollution

• Air Pollution: The air in the urban areas is always polluted with harmful substances and it is becoming hazardous day by day to breathe. The air in the cities is choking. The smoke from automobiles, factories and power generators make the air unhealthy. There are other factors also like chemical spills and other toxic gases that contaminate the air.
• Water Pollution: As it is there are very less natural water sources in the urban areas and the ones that are there are getting increasingly polluted. There is a lot of disposal in the lakes and rivers like household & industrial disposal. A lot of waste gets mixed with rain and washed into the waters .
• Soil Pollution: The mixing of toxins in the soil is disturbing the eco-system.
• Noise Pollution: Urban areas are one of the noisiest ones. Various sources of noise pollution include traffic noises, loud-speakers and other unwanted noises cause many health issues .
• Radioactive Pollution: The accidental leakage by nuclear power plants poses a big threat.
• Visual Pollution: The over exposure of visuals in the cities in the form of signs, billboards, screens, high intensity lights etc. are also quite disturbing .
• Other than these there is also ‘Thermal pollution’ that is caused by excessive amount of heat trapped in earth’s atmosphere.

Conclusion:

The various means of pollution in urban areas can lead to many health issues in the people living in cities. We are everyday exposed to more than one of these health issues sources.

Essay about Problems Due To Urbanization – Essay 3 (400 words)

We achieved a big step when we urbanized our villages but it came with a price. We surely have a luxurious and a comfortable life in the modern day cities and towns but it has dent a big hole in the health of our environment. It has brought with it many problems that we face. The developing cities saw a rapid growth and this urbanization brought with it a web of difficulties and we seem to be stuck in them.

Problems Due to Urbanization

The need of free space to build roads, buildings and bridges etc made a massive deforestation happen. The trees were cut down, the fields were cleared and space was created to accommodate the ever rising population. It is a no-brainer that cutting of trees is a major reason of pollution. The high density of population created a lack of everything like space, natural resources like water, coal etc.

The interaction of urban population with environment caused some serious problems. The consumption patterns and the lifestyle of urban population changed the environment massively. The urban population consumes more food, energy and water. The air in urban areas is much more polluted than the rural ones. This is mainly because of the use of automobiles and building up of industries and factories that pollute the air at an increasing rate. Almost everything that we use works on electricity. The need for electricity in the cities is always rising and to meet that more power plants are build and that pollutes the air.

The lakes, rivers and any other water bodies in urban areas is always polluted by the dump of industrial waste and sewage. The marine life faces a lot of danger. We cannot ignore that noise pollution is one of the major causes of stress related issues in urban population. More and more trees are cut down to meet the needs of urban people and in exchange very less tress are planted. The use of plastic is another major reason of degradation of environment .

Studies show that urbanization is one of the major causes of depleting natural resources. We are constantly damaging our mother earth and the result is high pollution levels in the cities and towns. It is not possible to reverse the damage that we have already done but we can surely take some preventive measures and control the further damage. It is high time that we take some serious steps to save our planet and leave a better tomorrow .

Essay on Pollution Caused by Urbanization and Its Solutions – Essay 4 (500 words)

The advancement of technology and industrialization has caused the rapid growth in our lifestyle. Long back we started developing cities that are well equipped with all the facilities. The process of urbanization created a big dent in the health of our environment. The natural resources were depleted and this excessive use of technology and energy became a major source of pollution and today we live in a world that is highly polluted and unfit living .

Pollution Caused by Urbanization

There are various pollution that are caused by urbanization like air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, thermal pollution, global warming, deforestation etc. It is high time that now we must adopt ways and means by which we can improve the health of the environment.

There is a Number of Solutions that we can apply and create a Better Tomorrow.

Solutions and Prevention of Urban Pollution

• Conserve Energy: The urban area’s people always use more energy than the rural area’s people. The consumption of energy causes various kinds of pollution. Saving energy wherever possible is one of the best ways to curb pollution. Turn off the electrical appliances when they are not being used. This small step can help in a big way.
• Use less water: We waste a lot of water daily and this can lead to bad consequences. We must try and use as less water as possible .
• Plant more trees: The urban areas are the ones that have less greeneries. Try to plant many trees and vegetation as much as possible in your surrounding areas. Kitchen garden and small lawn near home is a good idea .
• Green belts: Government can help and declare some areas in every city as green belts so that trees and other plants can be grown there without any obstruction .
• Use less loudspeakers: The minimum use of loud speakers can reduce the noise pollution a lot. Decreasing the volume of music at functions after a certain time is also a good move.
• Indoors: The indoors of the homes are also highly polluted in cities. We must have some plants inside the homes also, that can filter the indoor polluted air.
• Industrial waste: The factory owners must try and make possible that industrial waste is not dumped in the lakes or rivers. Government can also make laws for the same.
• Say no to plastic: Plastic is one of the most harmful substances that can pollute air, water and soil all together. We must try and minimize the use of plastic as much as possible. Use just cloth bags instead of plastic.
• Use Public transport: Avoid using cars and bikes for daily use. Try to use public transport, bicycle and car pools. This will not only curb air pollution but will also decrease the traffic on roads.
• Walk: Try to go to nearby areas on foot i.e. walking, this will reduce pollution and will also improve your health .
• Better garbage disposal: Use the structural methods of garbage disposal in cities.

A small step can help in a big way and contribution of every citizen will make the urban areas more livable. Following these simple steps and with a little help from the government, we can definitely reduce the city pollution a lot. If we do not wake up today and do not realize the worst condition of natural resources then after some time our future generations will not be able to survive,  It’s far to enjoy the environment .

Essay on Pollution Due To Urbanization and Digital India – Essay 5 (600 words)

In order to create a better tomorrow we have created a difficult toady. We have urbanized our villages and made them into hi-tech cities that have all the modern facilities and everyday we are creating something or the other new. Today we all dream of a digital India. In a country every citizen uses technology for his/her betterment. We aim to create a world where everything is just a button push away. Everyday more and more Indians are using technology for making their day to day life easy. Today we have become the slaves of technology and cannot live without technology even for a minute. We need to be connected all the time. Even our government is trying to transform the nation into a digitally empowered society.

Digital India and Environmental Importance

We see a smart phone in the hands of everybody even a labor of these days. Everybody understands the power and the reach of the internet. We no more call, now video call our loved ones. Any information can reach to any corner of the world in seconds now. We cannot ignore the power of digitalization. But what is the important question here is that can digitization of the digital movement be ‘environmental substantial’. We must ask this question to the founding fathers of digital India; can they assure that through this digitization our precious environment will not be harmed? Is it possible to move forward with modernization without harming the natural resources and without disturbing the ecological balance?

The digital revolution is such thing which touches every aspect of our life as it connects us to the rest of the world all the time. We all know that the digital appliances have carbon emissions and that has harmful effects on our eco system. We are also aware that these appliances emit radiations that are very harmful for humans. It is also advised not to keep mobile phones very near to your head or heart at night.

So in short, these digital devices are more harmful than helpful. We are also consuming power at a rapid speed and soon all the power will be exhausted. We are creating new and more advanced devices day by and day and we forget that all these use power and more devices means more use of power. The consumption is increasing day by day but what we do not realize that natural resources are scarce. There will be a day when they will not be able to satisfy our power needs. Soon there will be a time when these devices will become uncontrollable and we will then suffer from the harmful effects.

The digital India comes with a cost. It can have effects on us at many levels like, it pollutes our environment, it degrades our ecosystem and most importantly it causes many harmful effects on our physical health. The radiations cause vision problems, headaches and many other such issues. What we lack are the tools of awareness that can tell us how to control these effects. Do we really need a digital India today that cannot promise a better tomorrow?

There is a strong need to create a mass concern effort that can bring awareness about these problems. Digitization is good but it must be in controlled levels so that we can move forward but also make sure that our environment is safe. It is our duty to leave a pollution free environment and safe world for our future generations.

Related Information:

National Pollution Control Day

Pollution Essay

Speech on Pollution

Speech on Pollution Caused by Firecrackers

Slogans on Pollution

Article on Pollution

Paragraph on Water Pollution

Paragraph on Air Pollution

Essay on Urbanization

Essay on Pollution and its Effects

Essay on Pollution due to Festivals

Essay on Pollution Due to Firecrackers

Essay on Environmental Pollution

Essay on Vehicle Pollution

Related Posts

Money essay, music essay, importance of education essay, education essay, newspaper essay, my hobby essay.