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The Industrial Revolution brought exponential economic growth and opportunities, catalyzing rapid urbanization. While this has helped humanity to make significant progress, it has also confronted us with the caveats of environmental degradation, such as the emergence of urban heat islands and the surge in human ailments, which are greatly intensified under climate change scenarios. With demographic trends indicating rapid growth in urban centers, there is an urgent need to redesign our cities to foster sustainable urban landscapes. The growing focus on urban forestry and its capacity to address contemporary environmental challenges has garnered significant interest. A science-backed approach to managing and developing urban forests can offer a hyper-local solution to address critical environmental challenges and harness the flow of ecosystem services in urban landscapes. This capacity of urban forests to act as a first line of defense in localized pollution abatement and climate change mitigation positions them as a pivotal tool for achieving the global objectives of carbon neutrality. Urban forest's ability to enhance resilience aligns seamlessly with environmental sustainability goals. Optimizing ecosystem services from urban forests amidst challenges like elevated temperatures, water scarcity, and a heavy pollution load is imperative for the anthropogenic cause. This requires a scientific screening of tree species that exhibit positive physiological responses and adaptations to various abiotic stressors, accompanied by effective management strategies for urban planning under different climatic and socio-economic scenarios. Urban forests are recognized as a potential, cost-effective, nature-based solution that also ensures enhanced accessibility to green spaces for all, improving the livability of cities by many folds. These green sanctuaries prophesied to play a key role in helping develop a future-proof and sustainable urban landscape demand a multi-pronged comprehension. This chapter examines the origins of this concept, its global evolution, and the prevailing discussions within the field of urban forests to inform future researchers and urban planners in developing a sustainable and resilient urban landscape.

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Emerald Canopies in Concrete Jungles: Harnessing Urban Forests for Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Bhavya Thapa,
  • Agnish Kumar Das,
  • Diksha Verma,
  • Bhoomika Ghale

摘要

The Industrial Revolution brought exponential economic growth and opportunities, catalyzing rapid urbanization. While this has helped humanity to make significant progress, it has also confronted us with the caveats of environmental degradation, such as the emergence of urban heat islands and the surge in human ailments, which are greatly intensified under climate change scenarios. With demographic trends indicating rapid growth in urban centers, there is an urgent need to redesign our cities to foster sustainable urban landscapes. The growing focus on urban forestry and its capacity to address contemporary environmental challenges has garnered significant interest. A science-backed approach to managing and developing urban forests can offer a hyper-local solution to address critical environmental challenges and harness the flow of ecosystem services in urban landscapes. This capacity of urban forests to act as a first line of defense in localized pollution abatement and climate change mitigation positions them as a pivotal tool for achieving the global objectives of carbon neutrality. Urban forest's ability to enhance resilience aligns seamlessly with environmental sustainability goals. Optimizing ecosystem services from urban forests amidst challenges like elevated temperatures, water scarcity, and a heavy pollution load is imperative for the anthropogenic cause. This requires a scientific screening of tree species that exhibit positive physiological responses and adaptations to various abiotic stressors, accompanied by effective management strategies for urban planning under different climatic and socio-economic scenarios. Urban forests are recognized as a potential, cost-effective, nature-based solution that also ensures enhanced accessibility to green spaces for all, improving the livability of cities by many folds. These green sanctuaries prophesied to play a key role in helping develop a future-proof and sustainable urban landscape demand a multi-pronged comprehension. This chapter examines the origins of this concept, its global evolution, and the prevailing discussions within the field of urban forests to inform future researchers and urban planners in developing a sustainable and resilient urban landscape.