Effects of urbanization and accessibility to sanitation services on water quality in urban streams in Uruguay

The world’s urban population is growing rapidly, and threatening natural ecosystems, especially streams. Urbanization leads to stream alterations, increased peak flow frequencies, and reduced water quality due to pollutants, morphological changes, and biodiversity loss, known as the urban stream syn...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental monitoring and assessment 2024-02, Vol.196 (2), p.185-185, Article 185
Main Authors: Teixeira de Mello, Franco, Sierra, Pablo, Moi, Dieison A., Alonso, Jimena, Lucas, Christine, Suárez, Bárbara, Alvareda, Elena, Alvarez, Jimena, Andrade, María Soledad, Arimon, Lucia, Urtado, Lucía, Piperno, Adriana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Biodiversity
Biodiversity loss
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecology
Ecosystem
Ecotoxicology
Environment
Environmental Management
Environmental Monitoring
Freshwater
Freshwater resources
Freshwater resources management
Geographic information systems
Geographical information systems
Green infrastructure
Information systems
Inland water environment
Monitoring/Environmental Analysis
Parameter identification
Parameters
Physicochemical processes
Remote sensing
Resource management
Rivers
Sanitation
Sanitation services
Streams
Sustainability management
Urban areas
Urban populations
Urbanization
Uruguay
Water pollution
Water Quality
Watersheds
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Summary:The world’s urban population is growing rapidly, and threatening natural ecosystems, especially streams. Urbanization leads to stream alterations, increased peak flow frequencies, and reduced water quality due to pollutants, morphological changes, and biodiversity loss, known as the urban stream syndrome. However, a shift towards recognizing urban streams as valuable natural systems is occurring, emphasizing green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. This study in Uruguay examined water quality in various watersheds with different urbanization levels and socio-environmental characteristics along a precipitation gradient. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and in situ data, we assessed physicochemical parameters, generated territorial variables, and identified key predictors of water quality. We found that urbanization, particularly urban areas, paved areas, and populations without sanitation, significantly influenced water quality parameters. These factors explained over 50% of the variation in water quality indicators. However, the relationship between urbanization and water quality was non-linear, with abrupt declines after specific urban intensity thresholds. Our results illustrate that ensuring sanitation networks and managing green areas effectively are essential for preserving urban stream water quality. This research underscores the importance of interdisciplinary teams and localized data for informed freshwater resource management.
ISSN:0167-6369
1573-2959
DOI:10.1007/s10661-024-12365-z