Here is what I have come up with so far. I have had most luck finding examples of how urban settlement and houses have influenced water quality in Shanghai, but I am going to keep looking. There are so many aspects of how water and shelter are related in this city, but I figured that water quality and pollution is a good place to start.
Background information on Shanghai, water quality information
When investigating water quality in Shanghai, is it important to consider a variety of contributing factors to the situation. There is evidence that suggests a strong association between land use, population density, and water quality (Yin 2005). The municipality in Shanghai occupies an area of about 6400 km2 and it is located on the Yangtze River Delta. This region is a major industrial center in China, producing approximately 4.9% of the nation’s industrial output and 4.2% of gross national product (Bureau 2002). This figure is much higher that to be expected, as the city accounts for 1.2% of the total population of China. Because of the prominence of industry in Shanghai, was quality has often been compromised. Between the mid 1880s and 1949 a few wastewater treatment plants a relatively small area of the city, leaving a large portion of the municipality lacking sewage collection and water delivery systems.
When investigating water quality in Shanghai, is it important to consider a variety of contributing factors to the situation. There is evidence that suggests a strong association between land use, population density, and water quality (Yin 2005). The municipality in Shanghai occupies an area of about 6400 km2 and it is located on the Yangtze River Delta. This region is a major industrial center in China, producing approximately 4.9% of the nation’s industrial output and 4.2% of gross national product (Bureau 2002). This figure is much higher that to be expected, as the city accounts for 1.2% of the total population of China. Because of the prominence of industry in Shanghai, was quality has often been compromised. Between the mid 1880s and 1949 a few wastewater treatment plants a relatively small area of the city, leaving a large portion of the municipality lacking sewage collection and water delivery systems.
Urban setting and buildings influence on water quality
To understand the relationship between spatial patterns of urbanization and water quality in the city of Shanghai, a study was conducted my Zin-Yong Yin using water quality data of 1995 (Yin 2005). This study was conducted in anticipation that it would help future planning of the city in ways to alleviate water quality problems. In this study, Yin concluded that the intensity of urbanization (represented by the proportion of built up surface in an area) can be related to water quality parameters. As populations increase in the city, and built up surface increases, more runoff occurs, carrying pollutants into the river. Increases in population density also increases the demand for water, and the demand for water treatment. When cities are unable to keep up with these demands in a sustainable manner, water becomes polluted. Point sources in the central city of Shanghai are largely responsible for the pollution of the water in this region.
Sources:
Yin, Zin-Yong et al. (2005). An Analysis of the Relationship Between Spatial Patterns of Water Quality and Urban Development in Shanghai, China. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 29, 197-221
Shanghai Statistical Bureau (2002). The 2001 Year Book, online edition. Available: http://www.statssh.-
gov.cn/shtj/tjnj/2001/tjnj2001.htm.
