How can online citizen complaints provide solutions to refine environmental management: A spatio-temporal perspective

Abstract

E-government serves as a crucial platform for citizens to voice their demands, providing valuable data for understanding public concerns. However, limited research has explored the textual features of citizen complaints and their implications for environmental management. This study integrates time analysis, spatial hotspot analysis, and influencing factor analysis, building upon sentiment analysis of 7,657 environmental complaints (from 2018 to 2021) in Guangzhou City, China, to elucidate the specific contribution of citizen complaints in improving environmental management solutions. The findings reveal that environmental complaints exhibit time-sensitive and spatially diverse patterns, and the influence of socioeconomic factors on environmental complaints varies in terms of direction and intensity. The study reveals that the majority of environmental complaints (94.14 %) exhibit negative emotions. The sentiment of complaints is found to be time-sensitive, with significant variations in issues related to air, noise, and light. Interestingly, the hot spots of environmental complaints do not necessarily align with areas of high negative sentiment, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in key regions. The analysis identifies the influence of various factors, such as entertainment venues, industrial activities, and land use patterns, on different types of complaints. Notably, the study reveals no statistical correlation between complaint response efficiency and sentiment, emphasizing the importance of considering emotional intensity in government responses. These findings contribute to the advancement of refined environmental engagement and management.