ABSTRACT
Urbanization may be defined on the basis of number of residents, population density, nonagricultural population, and the provision of basic amenities of life (PRB). However, urbanization and its strong impact on the environment are integral ramifications of the Anthropocene. The future growth of the world population will almost entirely occur in urban areas of developing countries. However, cities in developing countries are ill-prepared for explosion in urban population. Urbanization has adverse environmental impacts with regards to climate, hydrological cycle, air quality, and soil health. Urban ecosystems are characterized by drastically disturbed lands, strongly denuded original vegetation cover, simplified new vegetation cover, and disrupted and highly fragmented habitat with a low biodiversity. Understanding the waste–water–food nexus or interconnectivity is critical to promoting UA. Water quality and waste management are intricately linked in urban ecosystems. Soils of urban ecosystems are drastically disturbed by construction and use of heavy equipment.
