Urban Transformation in China and Beyond: Ecosystems, Health, and Solar Energy

Thursday, 26 March 2026, 3-4pm, S0.50 Social Sciences BuildingLink opens in a new window

This seminar brings together two talks by visiting scholars from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in a single session, offering complementary perspectives on contemporary urban and environmental change in China. The first talk examines how rapid urbanisation is reshaping urban ecosystems, biodiversity, climate, and human health in Shanghai. The second explores the expansion of solar energy and its implications for urban-rural transformation, low-carbon development, and energy access in China and other parts of the world. Together, these two presentations highlight major environmental challenges and opportunities associated with urban development and sustainability transitions.

Talk 1: The Impacts of Urbanization on Urban Ecosystems and Human Health in Shanghai, China

In the past few decades, China has experienced a rapid urbanization process, with the urbanization rate increasing from 19% in the early 1980s to 68% by the end of 2025.

This rapid urbanization has led to a series of issues, including air pollution, biodiversity loss, changes in plant phenology, the urban heat island effect, and heatwaves, which significantly affect urban ecosystems, human health, and urban sustainability.

This presentation will illustrate how urbanization processes impact urban plant biodiversity and phenological patterns, urban climate change, and their associated effects on human health in Shanghai, China.

Junxiang Li

Professor of Urban Ecology and Coupled Human-Nature Systems at the School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

His research interests focus on urban landscape dynamics, urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, urban climate change, and human habitat health. His studies are aimed at identifying nature-based solutions to alleviate the adverse impacts of urbanization on urban ecosystems and human health, and at offering insights into the sustainable development of Chinese cities.

Talk 2: Solar Energy Development and Urban-Rural Transformation in China and Beyond

China has become the global leader in solar energy, achieving a record approximately 315 GW of new capacity in 2025 and pushing total capacity beyond 1.2 TW.

The country accounts for over 80% of global solar manufacturing, driven by massive utility-scale desert projects and rising installations.

China has also developed many models for solar energy deployment, including agrivoltaics, ecovoltaics, rangevoltaics, solar-plus poverty alleviation, and solar-plus rural revitalization programmes.

In addition, China has developed rooftop and balcony solar systems, which are widely used in many cities and have contributed to low-carbon urban development.

China has also exported large amounts of solar technology to African and South Asian countries, helping to expand energy coverage and accessibility. This presentation will show the progress of China’s solar energy development and its wide-ranging impacts.

Ruishan Chen

Professor of Climate Change and Human-Environmental Interaction, and Vice Dean at the School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

He is the Director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) East Asian Hub and has worked as a lead author on two UCCRN themes: climate change, COVID-19, and cities; and nature-based solutions in cities. He has also been involved in the Global Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment and the Transformative Change Assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Over the past 20 years, he has worked on climate change, urban disaster risk reduction, and clean energy transition.