Urbanization effects on the food-water-energy nexus within ecosystem services: A case study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration in China

Abstract

This research centers on the necessity for synchronized management of natural resources in urban agglomerations. This study utilizes the ecosystem services theory to analyze the interplay between land use and the Food-Water-Energy (F-W-E) nexus in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (B-T-H) region from 2000 to 2030. Assessment of ecosystem services is conducted using InVEST models, which include Habitat Quality (HQ), Water Yield (WY), Carbon Sequestration (CS), Soil Retention (SDR), and Food Production (FP). The findings indicate an annual increase in construction land with a concurrent notable decrease in cultivated land. Furthermore, HQ, CS, and per capita FP show an annual decline until 2020, which is expected to continue until 2030. Conversely, WY and SDR have been growing annually, albeit projected to decline by 2030. Spearman coefficient analysis uncovers synergies between HQ and CS, SDR and CS, and SDR and HQ, alongside trade-offs between CS and WY and HQ and WY. Trade-offs are also observed between FP and SDR, CS, and HQ. Applying K-means clustering analysis facilitates county-based spatial planning for the F-W-E system, providing crucial insights and suggestions for sustainable resource management.