Abstract
The high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) plays a crucial role in economic transformation in China. Climate change, rapid population growth, and increased urbanization have contributed towards increased pressures on the water, energy, food (WEF) nexus system of YREB. Thus, there is an imperative need to improve the efficiency of WEF in YREB. However, few studies have conducted spatial-temporal heterogeneity exploration of YREB about the input-output efficiency of WEF (IOE-WEF). Using panel data from 2008–2017, a super slack based model (SSBM), combined with the spatial autocorrelation and spatial econometric method, were proposed to calculate the IOE-WEF of YREB’s 11 provinces, the results indicated that: (1) From the perspective of time, the IOE-WEF in YREB was relatively low and displayed a fluctuating downward pattern while considering the undesirable outputs. (2) From the perspective of space, the spatial distribution of IOE-WEF in YREB was uneven. The efficiency values of the three sub-regions of YREB were “the lower reaches > the middle reaches > the upper reaches”. The IOE-WEF of YREB had a prominent positive spatial correlation and also had a spatial spillover effect. (3) The spatial aggregation effect of IOE-WEF of YREB is gradually weakening. The spatial aggregation types of IOE-WEF in YREB were “high-high” cluster areas in lower reaches and “low-low” cluster areas in upper reaches. (4) From the perspective of driving forces, environmental regulation and technological innovation promoted the improvement of IOE-WEF of YREB, while the industrial structure and mechanization level inhibited the improvement of IOE-WEF of YREB. Furthermore, the role of government support of IOE-WEF of YREB was not obvious. The improvement of IOE-WEF in adjacent regions also had a notable positive spatial spillover effect on the region.
Highlights
WEF is the material basis of the essential needs of humanity’s survival and development and is central to the sustainable development of regions and countries
The middle reaches are comprised of Hunan and Jiangxi
The average value of the input-output efficiency of WEF (IOE-WEF) in Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) fluctuated in the range of [0.4–0.6], which did not reach DEA efficiency
Summary
WEF is the material basis of the essential needs of humanity’s survival and development and is central to the sustainable development of regions and countries. In China, YREB passes through the eastern, central, and western plates, covering 11 provinces along the Yangtze River. Relying on the resource advantages of the Yangtze River Golden Waterway, the YREB has achieved rapid economic development and become the main force leading China’s high-quality economic development [9,10,11]. Due to its advantageous geographical location, the water and soil resources of the YREB are sufficient [12]; its total grain output accounts for more than one-third of the country [13].
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