Abstract
In this paper, emergy analysis is used in association with the ternary diagrams and geographic information system (GIS) tools to improve the evaluation of sustainability for the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region. Emergy accounting of PPRD is estimated, and various emergy-based indicators are reported. Ternary diagrams are drawn to provide a graphical representation of the emergy accounting data. Finally, the GIS tools are employed to assist in the emergy-based spatial analysis, and emergy density based on flat land area is mapped to reflect the intensity of emergy use in human activity areas. Results show the following: (1) the current development path of the PPRD region, with the value of emergy sustainability index (ESI = 0.227) significantly lower than one, is unsustainable in the long run; (2) Guangdong has the lowest ESI value (0.071), and the ESI values of Fujian, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi are lower than 0.5, indicating that the economy in these provinces overly relies on non-renewable and imported resources; (3) Guizhou has a high emergy yield rate and is thus the main energy supplier in PPRD; and (4) among the nine provinces in PPRD, only Hainan has an ESI value (2.145) higher than one.
Highlights
A region is an open system whose development depends on the interaction between its subsystems and its reciprocity with an external system
In Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD), most of the total emergy used is caused by high quantities of non-renewable resources that consist of imported fuels and minerals (F) and relatively higher urban concentrated use (N1)
Emergy synthesis was used in association with the geographic information system (GIS) and ternary diagrams to assess the sustainability of PPRD and its provinces
Summary
A region is an open system whose development depends on the interaction between its subsystems and its reciprocity with an external system. Interaction and reciprocity are maintained through the flow of resources, including energy, matter, human activities, money and information. Regional sustainable development is dependent on the contribution from various goods and services, as traditionally valued, and on various environmental resource flows that have been discounted or even completely ignored [1]. Emergy synthesis, which is based on biology energetics and general systems theory and systems ecology [2], allows us to quantify these flows and provides a comprehensive balance to evaluate the sustainability of a region [3]. In some theoretical studies and discussions [3,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16], emergy synthesis was compared with other sustainability metrics, such as ecological footprint, well-being index and surplus biocapacity measure
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