Introduction

Rapid urbanization, climate change, and industrial development have intensified environmental pollution within urban and built environments, posing significant challenges to human health, ecosystem integrity, and sustainable city development. While conventional pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and heavy metals remain important concerns, increasing attention is being directed toward emerging contaminants, including microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, rare earth elements, and other technology-critical chemicals that are increasingly detected in air, water, soil, indoor environments, and urban infrastructure. Their complex environmental behaviour, persistence, and potential health impacts require innovative monitoring approaches, interdisciplinary assessment, and effective mitigation strategies.

This Research Topic, “Urban Environmental Pollution and Climate Resilience: Emerging Contaminants in the Built Environment”, aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for advancing knowledge on the occurrence, transport, exposure pathways, environmental fate, and health implications of emerging contaminants within urban systems. It also seeks to highlight climate-resilient solutions, sustainable urban planning, nature-based interventions, smart sensing technologies, predictive modelling, and evidence-based policy frameworks that enhance the resilience of cities against evolving environmental risks.

This topic welcomes original research articles, comprehensive reviews, short communications, and perspectives addressing topics related to environmental monitoring, indoor and outdoor air quality, urban water systems, waste management, circular economy, contaminant remediation, building science, climate adaptation, environmental epidemiology, exposure assessment, risk analysis, and digital technologies for environmental management. Interdisciplinary studies integrating engineering, environmental science, public health, urban planning, architecture, and data science are particularly encouraged.

By bringing together cutting-edge research and practical applications, this Research Topic seeks to foster scientific collaboration, support informed decision-making, and contribute to the development of healthier, safer, and more climate-resilient urban environments in line with global sustainability and resilience goals.

Topics of Interest

This Research Topic aims to cover topics that include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Emerging contaminants in urban environments
• Indoor and outdoor environmental quality
• Climate change and urban resilience
• Human exposure and health risk assessment
• Smart monitoring and digital technologies
• Sustainable building and green infrastructure
• Urban water, waste, and circular economy
• Environmental remediation and pollution control
• Policy, governance, and sustainable urban development
• Interdisciplinary approaches to healthy and resilient cities

Academic Editors

• Dr. Nur Azalina Suzianti Feisal (nur_azalina@msu.edu.my)
  Affiliation: MSU Centre of Climate Resilience and Strategy (M-CREST), Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Dr. Nur Azalina Suzianti Feisal is Head of Centre at the MSU Centre for Climate Resilience and Strategy (M-CREST). She holds a PhD in Public Health, a Master’s degree in Community Health, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science.

Her research focuses on environmental and public health, with particular expertise in air quality and air pollution, climate change and health, environmental exposure and health risk assessment, microplastics and microfibres, water quality, occupational and environmental health, and emerging environmental contaminants. Her research also incorporates data analytics and interdisciplinary approaches to better understand the relationships between environmental exposures, climate-related factors, and human health.

Dr. Nur Azalina is actively engaged in national and international research collaborations involving partners across Southeast Asia and Japan. Her current research interests include airborne microbiome monitoring, climate-driven health risk assessment, air pollution exposure, microplastic contamination, heavy metals and technology-critical elements, and environmental health risk assessment. She has also participated in research grants, community-based environmental initiatives, and international collaborative projects addressing climate resilience and sustainable environmental health.

In addition to research and teaching, she contributes to scientific publications, peer review, academic collaborations, and capacity-building activities. Her work supports interdisciplinary approaches that bridge environmental science, public health, climate resilience, and sustainable development, with particular emphasis on translating scientific evidence into practical strategies for protecting human and environmental health.

• Ts. Dr. Nurzawani Md Sofwan (nurzawani@uitm.edu.my)
  Affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sarawak, Malaysi

Ts. Dr. Nurzawani Md Sofwan is an academic and professional technologist at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, with expertise in environmental engineering, sustainable urban development, environmental monitoring, and climate resilience. Her research focuses on advancing sustainable solutions for environmental pollution control, resource management, and resilient built environments through interdisciplinary approaches that integrate engineering, environmental science, and emerging technologies.

Her research interests encompass environmental pollution assessment, water and wastewater management, solid waste and resource recovery, environmental risk assessment, green infrastructure, and sustainable urban systems. She has been actively involved in multidisciplinary research projects and collaborations addressing environmental quality, climate adaptation, and sustainable development. Her work combines field investigations, laboratory analyses, modelling, and data-driven approaches to support evidence-based environmental management and policy development.

As a registered Professional Technologist (Ts.), Dr. Nurzawani is committed to translating research into practical applications that benefit industry, government, and local communities. She has contributed to scientific publications, research grants, and academic collaborations while actively supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students. Her dedication to research excellence, innovation, and capacity building has strengthened partnerships across academia and industry, particularly in areas related to sustainable infrastructure, environmental resilience, and smart urban development. Through her research and professional engagement, she continues to promote environmentally responsible practices that contribute to healthier, more resilient, and sustainable cities.

• Dr. Cheah Wai Yan (cheahwaiyan@ukm.edu.my)
  Affiliation: Environmental Management Programme, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Dr. Cheah Wai Yan is an academic and researcher at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia, whose research focuses on environmental health, exposure science, environmental toxicology, and public health. Her work explores the impact of environmental pollutants on human health, with particular emphasis on exposure assessment, environmental risk evaluation, and the development of evidence-based strategies to support healthier and more sustainable communities.

Her research encompasses environmental monitoring, air and water quality, emerging contaminants, occupational and community health, biomonitoring, and quantitative health risk assessment. Dr. Cheah has been actively involved in multidisciplinary research collaborations addressing contemporary environmental challenges, including pollution exposure, climate-related health risks, and sustainable urban development. She integrates laboratory investigations, field-based environmental assessments, epidemiological approaches, and advanced statistical analyses to better understand the relationships between environmental exposures and health outcomes.

In addition to her research activities, Dr. Cheah is dedicated to teaching, student supervision, and academic service. She has contributed to scientific publications, collaborative research projects, and professional networks that promote interdisciplinary solutions to environmental and public health issues. Her commitment to research excellence and knowledge translation supports the development of effective environmental management practices and policies aimed at improving population health and strengthening climate-resilient urban environments.

• Dr. Noor Haziqah Kamaludin (noorhaziqah@uitm.edu.my)
  Affiliation: Occupational Health and Safety Risk Management (OHSeRM) Research Initiative Group and Centre for Environmental Health and Safety Study, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

Dr. Noor Haziqah Kamaludin is a researcher and academic at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, with expertise in environmental health, air quality, occupational hygiene, exposure assessment, and public health. Her research focuses on understanding the interactions between environmental pollutants, human exposure, and health outcomes, with particular emphasis on indoor and outdoor air quality, environmental monitoring, and risk assessment in urban and occupational settings.

Dr. Noor Haziqah has actively contributed to multidisciplinary research involving environmental pollution, climate resilience, and sustainable urban development through collaborations with national and international institutions. Her work integrates field measurements, environmental monitoring technologies, statistical analysis, and health risk assessment to generate evidence that supports environmental management and public health decision-making. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and has participated in research projects addressing emerging environmental challenges, including air pollution, occupational exposure, and environmental sustainability.

Beyond her research, Dr. Noor Haziqah is committed to teaching, student supervision, and community engagement. She has been involved in developing future researchers through academic mentorship while contributing to professional collaborations that bridge environmental science, engineering, and public health. Her research interests include environmental epidemiology, exposure science, climate-resilient urban environments, sustainable environmental management, and the application of innovative approaches to improve environmental quality and human well-being.

Important Dates

• Submission opens: 15 August 2026
• Submission deadline: 30 June 2027
• Expected publication: before 31 August 2027

All accepted papers will be published in the earliest available issue.

Submission Guideline

To submit your manuscript, please visit the Urban and Building Science journal website:
https://sciflux.org/authors/submissions/add-submissions?journalCode=1909189238240141313
When submitting your manuscript, please ensure that you select the Research Topic:
“Urban Environmental Pollution and Climate Resilience”
Author submission guidelines can be found at:
https://www.sciltp.com/journals/ubs/instructionForAuthors

There is No Article Processing Charge (APC) for all submissions and accepted papers.

All manuscripts will undergo peer review in accordance with the journal’s established policies and procedures. Final acceptance will be based on the peer-review reports and the evaluation of the Academic Editors and the Editor-in-Chief. Decisions will be made by the Editor-in-Chief or Academic Editors who have no conflicts of interest with any of the authors.