Thaiki et al. (2026) Integrated analysis of the effects of urbanization on surface climate, runoff and net carbon assimilation: Literature review and bibliometrics

Identification

• Journal: BIO Web of Conferences
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: Mohammed Thaiki, Rifat Ballot, Zakaryae Koubaa, Hinde Cherkaoui Dekkaki
• DOI: 10.1051/bioconf/202621201017

Research Groups

• Laboratory of Research and Development in Applied Geosciences, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technique of Al Hoceima, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Al Hoceima, Morocco

Short Summary

This paper presents an integrated bibliometric analysis and literature review of 392 publications (1975-2025) from Scopus and Web of Science, examining the effects of urbanization on surface climate, runoff, and net carbon assimilation to synthesize current knowledge, identify gaps, and guide future research for sustainable urban management.

Objective

• To synthesize the current state of scientific knowledge and major advances regarding the effects of urbanization on surface climate, runoff, and net carbon assimilation.
• To identify spatial, thematic, and methodological gaps in the existing literature.
• To analyze scientific dynamics, collaborations, and networks of key players in this field.
• To identify main contributing journals and institutions to better orient future integrated and innovative research approaches.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global (based on a corpus of international publications).
• Temporal Scale: 1975 to 2025.

Methodology and Data

• Models used:
  • For bibliometric analysis: RStudio (bibliometrix package), Biblioshiny, VOSviewer.
  • Models discussed in the reviewed literature include: Simple Biosphere Model (SiB2), Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Hydrologic Engineering Center's Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS).
• Data sources: Scopus and Web of Science databases, yielding a final corpus of 392 unique publications.

Main Results

• Scientific production on the impact of urbanization shows exponential growth, with an average annual growth rate of 7.81% between 1975 and 2025, accelerating significantly from 2015 onwards.
• China dominates scientific output with 401 articles, followed by the USA (158 articles) and India (110 articles), indicating a shift in global scientific leadership in this field since 2006.
• Thematic analysis reveals three main clusters: "Urbanization and Urban Heat Island" (direct impacts, land use, climate change), "Surface Temperature and Remote Sensing" (technologies, monitoring, urban planning), and "Modeling and Climate Change" (simulations, hydrological effects, surface runoff).
• Key journals publishing in this field include "URBAN CLIMATE," "REMOTE SENSING," and "THEORETICAL AND APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY."
• Identified research gaps include the under-representation of studies in arid and tropical zones, a lack of longitudinal analyses on the long-term effects of urban planning policies, and underdeveloped multidisciplinary and international collaborations.
• Urbanization generally leads to increased surface and air temperatures (Urban Heat Island effect), altered precipitation patterns (increased intensity and frequency of intense rainfall), influences local and regional air quality, and reduces vegetation productivity and net carbon assimilation capacity.
• The review highlights the crucial role of green infrastructure and sustainable urban planning strategies in mitigating the negative environmental impacts of urbanization.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive, synthetic, and critical overview of the existing literature on the integrated effects of urbanization on surface climate, runoff, and net carbon assimilation.
• Identifies key scientific dynamics, prevalent methodologies, and significant research gaps (geographical, thematic, and methodological) in the field.
• Maps scientific collaborations, networks of players, and influential journals and institutions, offering a structured understanding of the research landscape.
• Offers strategic guidance for future research directions, emphasizing the need for integrated, interdisciplinary, and geographically expanded approaches to support sustainable urban management.

Funding

Not specified in the paper.

Citation

@article{Thaiki2026Integrated,
  author = {Thaiki, Mohammed and Ballot, Rifat and Koubaa, Zakaryae and Dekkaki, Hinde Cherkaoui},
  title = {Integrated analysis of the effects of urbanization on surface climate, runoff and net carbon assimilation: Literature review and bibliometrics},
  journal = {BIO Web of Conferences},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1051/bioconf/202621201017},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202621201017}
}