A wavelet coherence analysis: nexus between urbanization and environmental sustainability

The present study aims to explore the co-movement between urbanization and environmental sustainability for the period 1950 to 2014 using the wavelet coherence technique within the global framework. The wavelet coherence technique allows us to investigate both the long-run and short-term causal relationships between urbanization and environmental sustainability within the global framework. The findings reveal that (i) wavelet correlation from the global perspectives indicates a significant wavelet relationship between urbanization and environmental sustainability for medium- and long-term horizons; however, the correlations are not significant for the short-term horizons; (ii) significant vulnerabilities in urbanization and environmental sustainability are observed at different periods and different frequency levels; (iii) urbanization has reliable power for explaining environmental sustainability at different periods between 1970 and 2000. Based on our study, we suggest that global urban planners and policymakers should support modern environment-friendly technologies and renewable energies to control global CO2 emissions and pollutions created by industrialization; policy action to fight climate change is as well recommended as evidence supports to compact city theory.