Abstract
The measurement of eco-efficiency is an important tool to evaluate the level of urban sustainable development. Therefore; improving urban eco-efficiency in the lower reaches of the Yellow River ensures the implementation of ecological protection and high-quality development strategies in the Yellow River Basin. In this study; the dynamic changes of urban eco-efficiency and spatiotemporal differences in the lower reaches of the Yellow River were investigated using the Super-SBM (Super-Slack measure model) model with undesirable outputs and standard deviation ellipse. The STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression Population; Affluence and Technology) model was introduced to analyze the factors affecting the change in urban eco-efficiency. The results showed that the overall urban eco-efficiency in the lower reaches of the Yellow River has not reached the optimal level. The overall eco-efficiency in the lower reaches of the Yellow River in Shandong Province was higher than that in Henan Province but the gap is narrowing. The spatial differentiation of urban eco-efficiency in the lower reaches of the Yellow River showed the following trends: “blooming in the middle and reverse development at both ends” in the high-value area and gradual decrease in the low-value area. From 2007 to 2018; a direction was notable with respect to the development of urban eco-efficiency in the lower reaches of the Yellow River; with the centripetal force weakening. Although the mean center of urban eco-efficiency located in Shandong Province; it notably shifted to the west during the study period. In terms of driving factors; affluence and technological progress play positive roles in driving eco-efficiency; while investment intensity; industrial structure; and foreign investment intensity hindered the optimization and improvement of urban eco-efficiency in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The results of this study show that urban eco-efficiency in the lower reaches of the Yellow River is improving; but the regional coordination is poor. The main methods promoting the sustainable development in the study area include changing the mode of extensive investments and the introduction of foreign capital; which improve the energy efficiency and promote faster and better economic development.
Highlights
MethodsBecause the close relationship between regional can be divided from Taohuayu to Lijin County [43]
As economic, political, and cultural centers, cities accommodate more than 50% of the world’s population and contribute to 80% of the gross domestic product (GDP) growth [1,2]
The results show that the sustainable development of cities in Shandong Province reflected the main development of urban eco-efficiency in the study region
Summary
Because the close relationship between regional can be divided from Taohuayu to Lijin County [43]. Because the close relationship between regional economic development in the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the integrity of administrative economic development in the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the integrity of administrative divisions at the prefectural level, the areas covered by the irrigation areas in the lower reaches of the divisions at the prefectural level, the areas covered by the irrigation areas in the lower reaches of the Yellow River are merged into the study area [41,44] (see Figure 1). Because the research was merged with Jinan City in 2019, forming the Laiwu District. By 2018, the GDP in the study area reached 6.63 trillion yuan, accounting for more than 40% of city.
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