Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation in China, and the Asia Pacific region in general, have resulted in a substantial increase in energy consumption and carbon emissions, while climate change is significantly impacting the region, threatening Asia’s environment, economy, and society. This situation underscores the urgent need for effective mitigation and adaptation measures, including Nature-based solutions (NbS), to build climate-resilient societies.
Addressing climate change requires joint efforts from all sectors of society, including governments, private sectors, civil society, and individuals, to collaborate and create systemic and lasting change. Existing studies of China’s urbanisation and climate control are customarily undertaken in separation, with the former focusing on the patterns and processes of rural-urban migration and the latter on climate mitigation and adaptation. This SRT, “Urbanisation, Sustainability & Governance”, is timely and pertinent as, for the first time in history, the majority of China’s population is residing in cities, making the need for climate resilience more pressing than ever. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between urbanisation and climate control studies.
