Environmental Studies and Forestry

Managing urban development could halve nitrogen pollution in China

O. Deng, S. Wang, et al.

Halving nitrogen pollution is vital for Sustainable Development Goals, and this groundbreaking research by Ouping Deng, Sitong Wang, and colleagues from China reveals that urban development could significantly reduce nitrogen emissions and water contamination by 2050, yielding substantial economic benefits.

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Abstract

Halving nitrogen pollution is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study shows that reactive nitrogen (Nr) pollution could be roughly halved by managed urban development in China by 2050, with significant declines in atmospheric emissions and Nr to water bodies. While rural-urban migration increases point-source emissions in cities, it also promotes large-scale farming, reducing rural pollution. An investment of approximately US$ 61 billion yields an overall benefit of US$ 245 billion, highlighting the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this approach.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Jan 09, 2024

Authors

Ouping Deng, Sitong Wang, Jiangyou Ran, Shuai Huang, Xiuming Zhang, Jiakun Duan, Lin Zhang, Yongqiu Xia, Stefan Reis, Jiayu Xu, Jianming Xu, Wim de Vries, Mark A. Sutton, Baojing Gu

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