Climate change has overwhelmingly amplified the challenges faced by urban streams globally, significantly impacting the ecological health and functionality of these systems. One of the core effects of climate change is the alteration of precipitation patterns. Climate change has drastically led to shifts in rainfall patterns, frequency and intensity, resulting in more frequent and severe flooding events. Urban areas which have been continuously subjected to increased level of developments are characterized by extensive impervious surfaces such as roads, pavements, and buildings have exacerbated flooding events. The increased runoff from these surfaces reduces natural infiltration into the ground, overwhelming urban streams. This intensified runoff contributes to increased erosion and sedimentation, which further degrades water quality. Additionally, the accumulation of pollutants from urban areas, such as heavy metals and hydrocarbons, are washed into streams during heavy rains, further compromising water quality and harming aquatic life.
Rising temperatures exacerbate the challenges faced by urban streams. Elevated air temperatures lead to warmer water temperatures in streams, which can have several detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. Many aquatic species are highly sensitive to temperature changes, and warmer waters can result in decreased dissolved oxygen levels, affecting fish and other aquatic organisms that require stable temperature ranges for survival and reproduction. Furthermore, higher temperatures can promote the growth of harmful algal blooms, which deplete oxygen levels and produce toxins, further degrading water quality and disrupting ecological balance. Climate change also affects streamflow regimes by altering the timing and magnitude of stream flows. Variations in snowmelt patterns, increased evaporation, and changes in rainfall can lead to unpredictable and extreme fluctuations in streamflow. These disruptions can affect habitat availability and migration patterns for aquatic species, potentially leading to declines in biodiversity and shifts in community composition.
Despite the various campaigns on the effects of climate change resulting from these activities on our environment little or nothing have been done on how this looming danger impact negatively our urban streams. This Research Topic aims to address how climate change is affecting the course of urban streams globally, therefore it is crucial to develop and implement adaptive management strategies that aim to mitigate the effects of climate change and safeguard these essential ecosystems.
We welcome submissions on the following sub-topics and other related sub-topics that are not listed here:
1) Negative impacts of climate change on urban streams, be it increased temperature regime, excessive rainfall, drought and any other climatic change factors on urban streams.
2) Climate change and biodiversity loss in urban streams.
3) Effect of climate changes on ecosystem services provided by urban streams.
4) Measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change and adaptive mechanisms to these impacts on urban streams at local, regional and global levels.
5) Innovative climate change policies and governance instruments to tackle the risks associated with climate change.
6) Development of climate change forecast models to reduce the impacts of the change on the fast-urbanizing streams.
Submissions, may be Original Research articles, Reviews, Opinion articles, Case Studies, and any other form or submissions that fall within the scope and related scopes of this Research Topic.
Keywords:
climate change, urbanization, urban land use, urban streams, extreme weather events, global warming, climate change policies and governance, biodiversity loss in urban streams, climate change mitigation and adaptation
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Climate change has overwhelmingly amplified the challenges faced by urban streams globally, significantly impacting the ecological health and functionality of these systems. One of the core effects of climate change is the alteration of precipitation patterns. Climate change has drastically led to shifts in rainfall patterns, frequency and intensity, resulting in more frequent and severe flooding events. Urban areas which have been continuously subjected to increased level of developments are characterized by extensive impervious surfaces such as roads, pavements, and buildings have exacerbated flooding events. The increased runoff from these surfaces reduces natural infiltration into the ground, overwhelming urban streams. This intensified runoff contributes to increased erosion and sedimentation, which further degrades water quality. Additionally, the accumulation of pollutants from urban areas, such as heavy metals and hydrocarbons, are washed into streams during heavy rains, further compromising water quality and harming aquatic life.
Rising temperatures exacerbate the challenges faced by urban streams. Elevated air temperatures lead to warmer water temperatures in streams, which can have several detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. Many aquatic species are highly sensitive to temperature changes, and warmer waters can result in decreased dissolved oxygen levels, affecting fish and other aquatic organisms that require stable temperature ranges for survival and reproduction. Furthermore, higher temperatures can promote the growth of harmful algal blooms, which deplete oxygen levels and produce toxins, further degrading water quality and disrupting ecological balance. Climate change also affects streamflow regimes by altering the timing and magnitude of stream flows. Variations in snowmelt patterns, increased evaporation, and changes in rainfall can lead to unpredictable and extreme fluctuations in streamflow. These disruptions can affect habitat availability and migration patterns for aquatic species, potentially leading to declines in biodiversity and shifts in community composition.
Despite the various campaigns on the effects of climate change resulting from these activities on our environment little or nothing have been done on how this looming danger impact negatively our urban streams. This Research Topic aims to address how climate change is affecting the course of urban streams globally, therefore it is crucial to develop and implement adaptive management strategies that aim to mitigate the effects of climate change and safeguard these essential ecosystems.
We welcome submissions on the following sub-topics and other related sub-topics that are not listed here:
1) Negative impacts of climate change on urban streams, be it increased temperature regime, excessive rainfall, drought and any other climatic change factors on urban streams.
2) Climate change and biodiversity loss in urban streams.
3) Effect of climate changes on ecosystem services provided by urban streams.
4) Measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change and adaptive mechanisms to these impacts on urban streams at local, regional and global levels.
5) Innovative climate change policies and governance instruments to tackle the risks associated with climate change.
6) Development of climate change forecast models to reduce the impacts of the change on the fast-urbanizing streams.
Submissions, may be Original Research articles, Reviews, Opinion articles, Case Studies, and any other form or submissions that fall within the scope and related scopes of this Research Topic.
Keywords:
climate change, urbanization, urban land use, urban streams, extreme weather events, global warming, climate change policies and governance, biodiversity loss in urban streams, climate change mitigation and adaptation
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.