Making cities sustainable through rehabilitating polluted urban rivers: Lessons from China and other developing countries

The pollution of urban rivers is increasingly becoming a global challenge. It is estimated that more than half of the world’s 500 biggest rivers are seriously polluted. Keeping urban rivers clean is not only important for good ecological functioning (of nearby land and in water) but also for human health and the blue economy.

This publication, a joint effort of UN-Habitat and Tongji University, shares the rich experiences of China and other countries in addressing the enormous challenges faced during rapid population growth, urbanization and industrialization, and demonstrates the technical, managerial and financial solutions developed to improve water quality and the general environment of urban rivers through well-developed wastewater management systems. It is hoped that these solutions will be a catalyst for better practices globally.