Over 50% of the world population lives in the cities, thus the sustainable development of the urban area should be put into the priority in the study. However, the frequent occurrences of natural disasters and environmental crisis have posed a grave threat to the progress of the cities. In March 2011, the earthquake, its subsequent tsunami and nuclear radiation pollution happened in Japan, which is an obvious example. Therefore, the reinforcement of urban environmental crisis study and effective management is in great urgency.

The Collaborative Urban Environmental Crisis Management (UECM) Research Project in China was established in 2006 at Yale University addressing different types of urban crisis that affect sustainable urban development. This project was initiated by Dr. Yajie Song, Research Scholar at Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The research team includes experts, scholars and students from both US and China. The research is theoretically based on ecosystem ecology, directed by sustainable development, underpinned by the study of economy, society, natural resources and environment. etc, measured by the innovation, pragmaticality and feasibility. Currently, the study has been conducted in Shenzhen Dapeng Peninsula, Liaodong Peninsula, Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, and other crucial eco-regions in China.

The UECM researches aim to help strengthen the urban environmental crisis prevention and control, as well as the management. For its representative features in economy, society, natural resources and environment, Shenzheng become pioneering in the UECM research.

For its abundance in vegetation, species diversity and forest coverage up tp 76%, Dapeng Peninsula is known as Shenzhen's "eco-kidney", moreover, it boasts profound culture, exemplified with the Dapeng Old Town, and thriving economy, represented by by the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, the world's fourth-largest container port – Yantian and the Kuichong Baguang industrial zone in planning.- Foreign exchange-oriented industries in Kuichong and Pingshan provide the main financial resources in Dapeng Peninsula. However, due to the great demand for labor, natural resources and ecological damage to the environment in the process of these industries’ development, Dapeng Peninsula faces many potential challenges and risks for sustainability.

Yale UECM research analyses water, forest, and industry in Dapeng Peninsula, seeking for active management mechanism to deal with increasingly potential disasters like earthquakes, tsunami, and typhoon, etc.. The research also pays attention to prevention and eradication of potential nuclear leak and nuclear radiation based on the lessons from Japan. By learning from the UFORE model which is very advanced worldwide, the research proposes to monetize the functions of biomass contributed to the ecosystem services and adapt other cities. The research will also complete the ecological indexes system, bringing forward environmental crisis precaution and management plan separately targeted on region, community, and family/individuals. During the research process, the project also brings forward training sessions aiming on leaders, practitioners, and common people to promote the environmental protection and environmental crisis management, which systematically integrate the research, social demands, universal education and research output application.

This project also provides a learning platform for youngsters with the Educational Ecosystem Practice (EEP), from which round 38 excellent college and high school students got opportunities to enhance themselves.

The Yale UECM Shenzhen research passed the evaluation in May 2012 by nine well-known experts. The research also innovatively proposed to realize the regional ecological symbiosis and establish the "Shenzhen Dapeng Ecological Zone" crossing the administrative boundaries, which would make contributions to the interdisciplinary ecosystem development of the region and could be introduced to other cities in China and beyond.