Author(s)

L.A. Baker, A.T. Brazel & P. Westerhoff

Abstract

The Phoenix metropolitan area (Arizona, USA) provides an excellent case study for examining the sustainability of a rapidly growing urban ecosystem in an arid region, having grown six-fold in population in 50 years (to 3 million in 2000). The example is important, because the world’s urban population will nearly double in 30 years, and most of this growth will occur in warm, arid regions. Urbanization has warmed the city by 3 oC, increasing heat stress to humans (doubling the number of \“misery hours per day”; hours over 37 oC), with generally negative impact on humans and their support systems. Water and land management practices have resulted in

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