City clusters in China: air and surface water pollution

China's economic growth over the past 20 years has brought many benefits to its citizens, but at the cost of an exponential increase in pollution over a relatively short time, making this rapid development unsustainable. City clusters, where both economic activity and large populations are concentrated, suffer from extensive environmental degradation. China's unique pollution complex is characterized by interactions between air and surface water pollution. Urbanization is a part of economic development, but at the cost of air and water quality.