University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Climate risk and resilience of urban sanitation

O'Brien, William

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130215

Description

Title
Climate risk and resilience of urban sanitation
Author(s)
O'Brien, William
Issue Date
2025-07-22
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Guest, Jeremy S
Department of Study
Civil & Environmental Eng
Discipline
Civil Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • climate change
  • climate resilience
  • wastewater
  • sanitation
  • urban
  • cities
  • climate risk
  • non-sewered sanitation
  • nss
  • ssps
  • typology
  • geospatial analysis
  • flooding
  • climate
Abstract
Urbanization and climate change are placing unprecedented stress on sanitation systems worldwide. By 2050, nearly 70% of the global population will reside in urban areas, necessitating the expansion and restructuring of current infrastructure. Climate hazards—including sea level rise, flooding, extreme heat, and drought—disrupt wastewater systems and threaten public health. Research into these impacts on sanitation is limited and often focuses on centralized wastewater systems in high-income settings. Likewise, quantitative assessments of climate risk and financial damages on sanitation remain scattered and place-based, lacking a common framework for comparison. This study follows a typological approach to classify and group 192 cities across 92 countries based on climate risk, urban development, and wastewater infrastructure. Through robust data collection and machine learning algorithms, we identify 30 typologies and track how they evolve from 2050 to 2080 under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways: SSP2.45 and SSP5.85. This framework offers insights into adaptation strategies for urban sanitation to help build a more sustainable future. Moreover, we outline two case studies of current challenges cities are facing in urban sanitation, along with strategies some areas have adopted to bolster community resilience.
Graduation Semester
2025-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130215
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2025 William O'Brien

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