ABSTRACT
Dramatic urbanization has taken place in many regions creating a number of metropolises in the world. The PRD region is one such area. The region is located on the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), known as the third largest metropolitan area in China, experiencing tremendously fast development during the past 30 years. The region has rapidly become urbanized, with a population of over 19 million in an area of over 21,000 km2 (Fan et al. 2008). One of the major features of such rapid urbanization is the increase in the spread of impervious surfaces.
