ABSTRACT
Urban development processes that have taken place over the recent decades are affecting the human and natural environment, including urban hydrology, in many ways (EU, 2006). The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA, 2007) has predicted that from 2008 onwards, more than half of the world’s population, 3.3 billion people, will live in towns and cities, a number which is expected to swell to almost 5 billion by 2030. As a result of the increasing population living in urban areas, the demand for land in and around cities is becoming increasingly acute (EU, 2006).
