Tipping points in urban growth: How urbanization reshapes flood resilience and social vulnerability in China

Clicks: 13
ID: 320259
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Steady

Ranked #20 of 99 articles by views in PNAS nexus

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Urbanization is often portrayed as either a pathway to progress or a process that could amplify disaster risk. Yet its true influence lies in how it reshapes resilience to hazards and the vulnerability of people most at risk. Using provincial data from Chin (2006–2020), we integrate urbanization, flood resilience, and social vulnerability into a unified framework to examine their coupled evolution. We find that rapid urbanization is a double-edged process: while it initially increase exposure, the grouped cross-provincial analysis reveals a transition suggestive of a tipping point at the aggregate level, with social vulnerability declining sharply and resilience accelerating once the urbanization level enters the higher development stage (urbanization level > 0.75). Regional trajectories diverge, with provinces like Gansu trapped in vulnerability, Guangdong achieving resilience leaps, and Shanghai consolidating a high-level balance. Nationally, the coordination among the three systems rose by 83%, yet disparities persist, particularly in western and northeastern regions. These findings show that the design of urban growth - not its pace alone - determines whether cities amplify or mitigate climate-driven flood risks, with lessons extending far beyond China.
Reference Key
openalex_W7167828374 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Xiguang Liu, Yue Wu, Rui Ren, Hussam Mahmoud
Journal PNAS nexus
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag240
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag240
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.