Assessment Of Sustainable Development Research Articles

Sustainable development assessment of ecological vulnerability in arid areas under the influence of multiple indicators

The fragile ecosystems of arid areas are highly vulnerable, especially under the impact of human activities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop appropriate ecological vulnerability assessment models for these areas. In this study, Zhongwei City was taken as the study area. And a multi-indicator comprehensive assessment system was constructed using the optimized featured indicators-vulnerability scoping diagram (FVSD) model. The weights for each indicator were determined using the analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight (AHP-EW) method, leading to the creation of the ecological vulnerability map of Zhongwei City. The results showed that the overall ecological vulnerability of Zhongwei City is high and there is a significant spatial aggregation. There was obvious spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of vulnerability, with high vulnerability mainly concentrated in Haiyuan County, showing a decreasing trend from south to north. Watershed area index, annual average temperature, PM10 and annual afforestation index were the most important indicators affecting the ecological vulnerability, the fragile environmental conditions and human activities combine to shape the spatial heterogeneity of ecological vulnerability. The results of the study have important theoretical and practical implications in guiding ecological management of Zhongwei City. Moreover, the research framework can be replicated in different areas and is instructive for ecological vulnerability studies.

Comprehensive assessment of sustainable development as a responsible investment tool

Subject. The article addresses methodology and practice of comprehensive assessment of economic efficiency, environmental, social responsibility, and organizational management. Objectives. The study aims at comprehensive consideration of problems of information and methodological support to ESG assessment of companies as a tool of responsible investment, identification of ways to improve the quality of ESG performance assessment to make fully informed, ESG-conscious, and strategically valuable investment decisions. Methods. The study employs methods of systems, complex, comparative, structural, and logical analysis. I performed a content analysis of approaches to the formation of ESG ratings of the world's leading rating agencies. The paper gives a comparative assessment of the content of major foreign and domestic ESG ratings. Results. The paper considers prerequisites for improving the quality of ESG assessment related to shortcomings of information and methodological support for the analysis of sustainable development, underpins the main areas for improving the ESG assessment, offers an approach to comprehensive assessment of company's sustainable development that complements ESG ratings and involves in-depth research on priority issues of sustainable development. Conclusions. Priority areas for improving the quality of ESG assessment include harmonization of sustainable development reporting standards, consistent transition to mandatory preparation of ESG reporting, elaboration of a standardized list of ESG reporting indicators, development of the institution of independent external confirmation of ESG reporting. It is crucial to increase transparency, validity, and objectivity of methodological approaches to ESG assessment. A comprehensive assessment that involves in-depth analysis on priority issues, enables to overcome the shortcomings of the ESG rating assessment, and, is, therefore, a more reliable basis for informed investment decisions.

Assessing the imbalance in interaction between ESG rating indicators and the financial performance of companies

Subject. This article examines the interdependence between the key financial indicators of companies and the rating assessment of sustainable development (ESG rating). Objectives. The article aims to determine the interdependence between the key indicators of the financial condition of companies and the ESG rating, and identify the factors that affect the correlation and assessment of the imbalance of the rating, sales and EBITDA indicators, for the further development of a unified ESG rating. Methods. For the study, I used an integrated approach to testing the impact of quantities, analyzing and approbation of the results, based on structural and regression analyses, and statistical sampling. Results. The article proposes a methodology for the practical application of the assigned rating to assess the financial condition of the company. The results of the study confirm the hypothesis about the connection and mutual influence of the ESG rating assessment and the main financial indicators (sales volume and EBITDA). It determines that when industries and companies are stratified by range depending on the scale of activity, an imbalance in the comprehensive ESG rating assessment gets revealed, which contradicts the essence of any rating. Conclusions. The article concludes that the ESG rating is primarily a qualitative indicator, which is determined by a point system based on financial and non-financial information about the activities of companies. The sustainability rating can affect the performance of companies and industries as a whole, but it also depends on the financial condition of companies. It is necessary to unify the approach to compiling a rating assessment and building rating models using dilution coefficients adapted to different types of companies' activities and adequately disclosing ESG principles.

Heavy metal pollution in surface water bodies in provincial Khanh Hoa, Vietnam: Pollution and human health risk assessment, source quantification, and implications for sustainable management and development

The global issue of heavy metal pollution in surface water poses a significant concern, with the potential to harm public health through various pathways. Given that pollution levels are dependent on water bodies and seasons and their potential impacts on human health vary with children and adults, it is crucial to identify and quantify pollution sources for the development of sustainable management strategies. The current study aimed to evaluate pollution levels and associated health risks of heavy metals and to quantify their pollution sources in various surface water bodies in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. Water samples were taken from three water bodies (reservoirs, rivers, and narrow waterways) during two seasons (dry and rainy) from 2016 to 2020 and analyzed for seven heavy metals. The results showed that iron had the highest concentration of 392.4 (μg L−1), followed by zinc (25.7 μg L−1), arsenic (3.93 μg L−1), copper (3.77 μg L−1), lead (2.77 μg L−1), chromium (2.71 μg L−1), and cadmium (0.57 μg L−1). Narrow waterways were more polluted with heavy metals (heavy metal pollution index, HPI = 29.5) than other water bodies, such as rivers (23.3) and reservoirs (21.7), and the dry season had a higher HPI (26.5) than the rainy season (24.0). The hazard index for children varied from 1.2 to 1.48, while that for adults was less than 1, suggesting that surface water may have adverse impacts on children's health. The factor analysis identified three primary sources of contamination, namely combustion emissions/street dust, agricultural run-off, and other sources. Cadmium is the most critical metal in determining HPI, while arsenic and chromium are the two key elements potentially influencing children's health. Managing pollution sources, reducing the metal concentration, and controlling the pathways through which metals enter the human body should be implemented for a healthier environment and long-term development.

An integrated methodology using geospatial data and remote sensing techniques for sustainability indicators integration: Sustainable development assessment in the Suez Canal Zone in Egypt

This research paper proposes a new framework for evaluating the impact of national projects on land sustainability by utilizing remote sensing techniques and geospatial data to assess various sustainability indicators. The proposed framework integrates different indicators to evaluate the three dimensions of sustainability, providing decision-makers with a flexible and customizable tool for promoting sustainable and equitable development. The study addresses the lack of a suitable framework for applying this evaluation to different study regions at different scales and highlights the inefficiency of relying on outdated census data. The proposed framework was applied to the Suez Canal Zone in Egypt, a vital and ecologically important area. we produced the necessary data for the evaluation process using different techniques after ensuring their accuracy for producing such important data. The framework can be easily modified and customized to fit the needs of study areas at different scales. The results obtained reveal that the study area has a high potential for sustainable development, with over 65% of it classified as "High or Very High Sustainability level". The study also evaluated the population equity distribution through the study area and found that approximately 73.9% of the population is living in areas categorized as "high sustainability level".

State-of-the-art literature review on green finance with tabular-graphical and network analyses

Green finance is a method of financing that supports investments with a positive impact on the environment, such as the acquisition of eco-friendly goods and services as part of sustainable development or the building of eco-friendly infrastructure. Green finance has started to occupy a very important place in the literature in recent years due to the increasing sensitivity towards the environment. In this literature review, the relations of green finance with fields such as green economy, sustainable development, environmental protection, green manufacturing, and risk assessment have been examined in all aspects with the help of tables and figures. In addition, a bibliometric analysis of green finance studies’ authors, publication sources, institutions, countries, subject areas, document types, and funding sponsors is presented with graphical analyses. The most widely publishing journals in the field of green finance, the most cited studies, conferences in this field, and books published on green finance are presented in tables. Instruments and components of green finance are also reviewed in detail by graphical illustrations.

A study on the sustainable development of regional water resources-socio-economic-ecological environment-tourism industry: survey evidence from the Yellow River Basin, China

High-quality development of socio-economic, ecological environment, tourism industry and natural resources in the Yellow River Basin is a major strategic task for national development. High-quality development in the Yellow River Basin still has a lot of room for improvement, so it is important for the coupled and coordinated development of water resources-socio-economic-ecological environment-tourism industry in the Yellow River Basin region. In this study, we focus on the major strategic issues of high quality development in the Yellow River Basin in the context of the above-mentioned background and the current forms and policies of sustainable development in China, and conduct research on the theory and methods of assessing the sustainable development of regional water resources-socio-economic-ecological environment-tourism industry. However, by analyzing the existing research literature on sustainable development assessment, we find that most of them focus on a single area or two combinations of modal development studies, and focus on exploring micro-coupling mechanisms, so the generality of macro policy support is rather mediocre, which we fill this gap through this study. The study relies on an innovative macroscopic research perspective that draws pioneeringly on the quality function deployment (QFD) theory in the field of product quality management in marketing, which, it is worth stating, allows for a framework of research perspectives from a systematic and holistic perspective. In this framework, we will propose a G1-entropy value method for indicator importance (weight) assessment. It is worth stating that the G1 method used in this paper is different from the traditional G1 method in that we will introduce the identity information weights of experts to improve the reliability of the subjective assignment method. We will also construct an indicator system for studying the regional sustainable development issues in the Yellow River Basin on this basis, so as to complete the ranking and analysis of the nine provinces and the importance of indicators in the Yellow River Basin. This study will provide a comprehensive theoretical basis for Chinese government and related departments to formulate policies for the high-quality development of water resources, socio-economic, ecological environment and tourism industry in the Yellow River Basin, and also provide theoretical and empirical references for the analysis and assessment of similar international regional sustainability cases.

GIS-based model for the assessment of the smart sustainable development of municipalities of Northeast Bulgaria

In recent years, Bulgarian municipalities have introduced smart development systems. The Bulgarian state is at the top of the world rankings regarding household internet access and connection speed. The authors develop and validate a GIS-based model for the analysis and evaluation of sustainable cities. The authors conclude that in a global digital economy and society, Bulgarian regions need to improve the accessibility of WI-FI networks to meet the challenges of Smart Development. In recent years, the authors have observed a growth of Smart Cities initiatives in large areas of Northeast Bulgaria. However, Bulgarian municipalities in the study area are lagging in deploying smart governance systems.

Assessment of sustainable innovative development of petroleum and gas chemical complex enterprises considering the impact of industrial risks

This study assesses the state of the petrochemical complex sustainable innovative development considering the influence of industrial risks. It is assumed that the comprehensive introduction of innovations with various types of effects in the long term will improve not only the economic indicators of the region, but also the social and environmental ones through the introduction of sustainable innovations. It should be also noted that within the framework of existing world and domestic practice, issues with the integration of indicators for the safe and accident-free operation of enterprises of the petrochemical complex remain poorly studied. The work investigates the main economic, social, and environmental indicators of the complex under consideration. An analysis of accident rates at enterprises was carried out. The main causes of emergency events have been identified and measures to reduce them have been proposed. As a result it is concluded that the development of the petrochemical complex in the long term should be safe and based on the introduction of sustainable innovations.

A Different View on the Country’s Sustainable Development Indicators – Latvia’s Example

Abstract The contemporary scientific and technical community claims that the new development paradigm will be based on the priority of the universal laws of nature, the principles of ecological economics and the widespread use of digital transformation. The analysis of the sustainable development strategy Latvia 2030 and the presented changes in the value of indicators showed that, it is quite difficult to put together a common unified picture of Latvia’s movement towards sustainable development. The main goal of the article is to present a new approach to the assessment of sustainable development and to monitoring system, using a system’s power changes analysis method. In the context of a Latvian sustainable development strategy, the authors presented the results of the formalisation of new approach to the sustainable development monitoring, using an invariant coordinate system in units of power (energy flow) in compare with calculated data in monetary terms. Calculations and the initial interpretation of the results of Latvia as well as of the five EU countries from the Baltic Sea region – Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania – were carried out for the period 1990.-2019. The presented indicators of sustainable development show that achieving the strategic goals of Latvia 2030 would be very difficult without any serious internal and external incentives. The results can provide a basis for creation of the development strategy both the country as a whole and each region separately.

Study on the substitutability of nighttime light data for SDG indicators: a case study of Yunnan Province

Introdution: One crucial method to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) involves timely adjustment of development policies, promoting the realization of SDGs through a time-series assessment of the degree of accomplishment. In practical applications, data acquisition is a significant constraint in evaluating the SDGs, not only in China but across the globe. Hence, expanding data channels and exploring the feasibility of various data sources for sustainable development assessment are effective strategies to tackle the challenge of data acquisition.Methods: In light of this issue, this study selected Nighttime Light Data, a remote sensing data source closely linked to human social activities, as an alternative data source. Using Yunnan Province as an example, 16 localized indicators of social, economic, and environmental types were chosen. These indicators were then subjected to a correlation analysis with the Total Nighttime Light Index (TNLI). The relationships between different types of indicators and TNLI were analyzed at both temporal and spatial scales, thus identifying the indicators for which TNLI could serve as a suitable substitute measure.Results: The study indicates that when the SDG indicators are classified into economic, social and environmental categories, the total value of nighttime light presents a significant correlation and substitutability with economic indicators; significantly correlated with some social indicators, it can reveal the weak links in the development of underdeveloped areas; it is not significantly correlated with environmental indicators, while a trend correlation exists, which can provide some reference values.Discussion: This study has demonstrated the feasibility of using Nighttime Light Data for sustainable development assessment. It provides a novel evaluation method for countries that, despite a lack of resources for conducting sustainable development assessments, have a greater need for such assessments due to their lower economic development. Furthermore, a multitude of assessment methods can be developed based on Nighttime Light Data.

Using the tools of economic analysis in the assessment of sustainable development

Subject. The article considers the issues of integrated use of economic analysis tools in assessing sustainable development. Objectives. The purpose is to identify opportunities for integrated use of economic analysis tools to assess sustainable development. Methods. On the basis of systems and logical approaches, we analyze existing approaches and tools in assessing the sustainable development. Results. Currently, the fourth stage of economic analysis continues to be formed, which is aimed at assessing the sustainable development of business entities. A wide range of economic analysis tools are used, which can be divided into four approaches. Each approach has certain advantages and disadvantages, the application depends on the purpose of sustainable development analysis. The traditional approach uses a significant number of indicators characterizing various aspects of sustainable development, where the main drawback is the lack of normative values of the invariant of development. The integrated approach consists in building ratings; it carries elements of subjectivity. The use of stochastic methods and models can lead to the loss of useful information due to distortions in the dynamics of development. In the resource approach, when assessing social, managerial, and environmental sustainability, it is not always possible to determine the cost of the resource and the result. Conclusions. The developed tools of economic analysis differ in approaches to assessing sustainable development, depending on the strategic goals and objectives. In retrospect, the purpose of the analysis is to determine the balance between economic, environmental and social results of achieving sustainable development, expectations of stakeholders and resources used in each direction of sustainable development, and in the long term – to identify possibilities of achieving such a balance in the foreseeable future. However, only an integrated approach can achieve this goal, that is, to combine existing tools into a single methodology.

Data Classification Technologies in Assessing the Level of Sustainable Development of Territories

Achievement of sustainable development goals is one of the urgent tasks both for an individual country and for its territory. The aim of the study is to develop a statistical methodology for monitoring and comprehensive assessment of sustainable development of the territory. The authors used open data of Rosstat and UN data as the information base of the study. Approbation of the proposed monitoring system was carried out on the object, including territories of different hierarchy levels: countries of the world, federal districts and regions of the Russian Federation.The methodology is presented in the form of an algorithm containing the following stages of research: selection of the object of observation, formation of a system of indicators of sustainable development of the territory, assessment of the level of sustainable development of the territory and complex analysis on its basis (calculation of the integral indicator, typology of territories, factor analysis, dynamics and forecasting, identification of new objects of observation by type of sustainable development) and development of recommendations to improve the level of sustainable development of a particular territory. The integral indicator of sustainable development of the territory is defined as the average value of indices for the three spheres of sustainability (social, economic, environmental). The authors propose to calculate the indices using the technology of multidimensional average for an array of indicators characterising a separate sphere of sustainable development of the territory.The paper calculates indices for the spheres of sustainable development and an integral indicator for 2010, 2015 and 2020. As part of the analysis, a typology of the world countries (2010, 2015 and 2020) and territories of the Russian Federation (2011, 2016 and 2021) by the level of sustainable development was carried out; a neural network and discriminant function for the identification of new objects of observation by the type of sustainable development were constructed; a modified matrix of portfolio analysis of the subjects of the Russian Federation for 2021 was performed as part of the typology. Conclusions and proposals regarding the development strategies of the considered territorial entities are made.

A Sustainable Development Assessment for the Load Capacity Factor and Carbon Footprint in India: The Role of Information and Communication Technologies, Renewable Energy, and Structural Changes

The increase in India’s carbon emissions and the decline in its environmental quality are a threat to the realization of the global sustainable development goals (SDGs). Minimizing the negative environmental impacts from fossil fuels through analysis of the determinants of India’s ecological quality is an important research topic. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT), renewable energy, and structural changes on environmental quality in India. In this context, the study uses the novel Fourier quantile causality test for the period 1995m1-2021m12. The results of the study show that structural changes have no impact on carbon footprint and load capacity factor, while renewable energy and ICT contribute to the improvement of environmental quality. Based on the findings of the study, the Indian government is recommended to rise investment in ICT and renewable energy to pursue a growth strategy in line with the SDGs.

Assessing the Sustainability Level of European Cultural and Creative Industries Based on Entropy Method

Abstract This paper aims to highlight the sustainable development level of European cultural and creative industries and their impact on national economic growth and establish a sustainable development assessment model based on the entropy weight method. The influence of different quantiles on the decision results is eliminated by standardizing the indicators. The objective evaluation method utilizes the entropy principle to avoid bias caused by human factors. The comprehensive evaluation method of sustainable development is utilized to gauge the trend and direction of enterprise development. It has been found that the annual added value of the cultural and creative service industry in Europe in 2022 is 226.976 billion yuan. It is an effective development strategy to promote economic growth in Europe, with an increase of 10.8% over the previous year.

Study on the response and prediction of SDGs based on different climate change scenarios: The case of the urban agglomeration in central Yunnan

Climate change has become one of the biggest challenges facing the world, which will affect the process of sustainable development in all aspects such as economy, society, environment, etc., and the integration of climate change into the sustainable development management strategy will help to realize the process of SDGs indicators. However, there is a lack of quantitative research on the correlation between climate variables and sustainable development, especially from the perspective of climate change. Therefore, the experiment systematically proposes a framework for ecosystem service-based sustainable development assessment in the context of climate change, and tries to explore the response relationship between climate variables and sustainable development goals. The experiment takes the central Yunnan urban agglomeration as the study area, and based on the climate data of CMIP6, adopts the PLUS model and the InVEST model, predicts the spatial distribution of ESs and calculates the indicators of future SDGs, and explores the response of the climate to the indicators of SDGs by using the Spearman's correlation analysis. The experimental results showed that both the overall ESs and SDGs metrics declined under the influence of future climate change. Through the response analysis, among the eight climate indicators, evapotranspiration, dryness, barometric pressure, and temperature showed negative impacts in the study go, while precipitation, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation promoted sustainable progress in the study area. However, under the influence of future climate change, the positive indicators may translate into negative impacts. There is a strong correlation between climate change and sustainable development, and the results of this experiment can provide a scientific reference for the sustainable development of similar regions in order to minimize the negative impacts of climate change in the future.

Variation in the Ecological Carrying Capacity and Its Driving Factors of the Five Lake Basins in Central Yunnan Plateau, China

The Five Lakes Basin of Central Yunnan Plateau (FLBOCYP) is located in the core area of Yunnan Province and has a developed economy, but the ecological and environmental problems in the basin are serious and the sustainable economic development is threatened. The analysis of ecological carrying capacity change and the study of influencing factors in the basin is conducive to protecting the ecology of the basin and maintaining the sustainable development of the social economy. Ecological carrying capacity is an important indicator for the quantitative assessment of regional sustainable development, and the assessment of regional ecological carrying capacity based on grid scale can more accurately and vividly reflect the regional sustainable status and provide reference for regional coordinated development. With the support of GIS technology, based on the unique ecosystem characteristics of the river basin itself, the research method of quantifying the ecological carrying capacity from the three perspectives of ecological function elasticity, resource and environmental capacity and socio-economic coordination was carried out, and a relatively complete comprehensive evaluation index system of ecological carrying capacity was constructed. The ecological carrying capacity of the five major lake basins of Qilu Lake and Yangzonghai from 2000 to 2018 was evaluated, and the temporal and spatial changes and driving mechanisms of ecological carrying capacity were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The FLBOCYP has an overall moderate ecological carrying capacity (average of ~0.5). The temporal trend in ecological carrying capacity was an initial rise followed by a fall, but there was an overall increasing trend at a rate of 0.019. (2) Areas with a strong ecological carrying capacity were mainly distributed in the mountainous and semi-mountainous regions outside of the lake area, whereas areas of weaker ecological carrying capacity were mainly distributed in the plain area around the lake. The ecological carrying capacity gradually increased from the area around the lake to the periphery. (3) At a basin scale, the ecological carrying capacities of the Dian, Fuxian, and Yangzong lake basins were relatively high, whereas those of the Xingyun and Qilu lake basins were relatively low. The greatest increase in ecological carrying capacity of Fuxian Lake has occurred since 2000. (4) The spatial pattern of ecological carrying capacity showed clear agglomeration. This agglomeration has been continuously enhanced but remained relatively stable over the past 19 years. The main agglomeration modes were identified as “high-high” (HH), “low-low” (LL), and “not obvious agglomeration”. (5) Among the many driving factors, ecological elasticity, biological abundance index, proportion of forest land, and degree of human disturbance showed the greatest explanatory power for spatial differentiation of ecological carrying capacity, and the interaction of any two factors affected the spatial analysis of ecological carrying capacity even more. In summary, the overall ecological environment of the FLBOCYP has experienced significant improvement since 2000, whereas that of the plain area has deteriorated more seriously in recent years.

Religion and development in Samoa: Time to draw on the strength of local culture?

AbstractMotivationAs in much of the Pacific, Samoans understand their culture through Western religious lenses. Christianity and fa'a‐Samoa (culture and practices) are entangled; they determine Samoa's daily reality of governance, society, and economic development. To discuss Samoa's development over the past two centuries without addressing Samoan agency in maintaining the Christian mantle to navigate their worldviews would be to misrepresent modern Samoa. Policy and investment for economic development, especially foreign aid, is largely determined at national level. Samoa's most vital communities to effect change, however, are local: church congregations and their leaders.PurposeI examine the intersections of religiosity and Samoa's development. Should foreign aid donors consider Samoa's religious communities to implement effective education, poverty, and development programmes if religion is regarded as a cultural entity?Methods and approachI used talanoa to collect data from discussions with directors of two leading aid donors in Samoa, the United Nations (UN) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Aid Coordinator for the Government of Samoa. Talanoa is a face‐to‐face dialogue often used in Pacific communities.FindingsReligion plays a significant role in Samoan society. Samoans view economic development, the improvement of the lives of ordinary citizens, job stability, and education as part of the manuia (blessings) of Samoa's religious and political status and community tapuaiga (prayers). That said, religion is not considered in formal discussions of aid and development. The interviewees agree that aid donors should understand the role of religion in daily society.Policy implicationsPerhaps it is time for aid donors and Christian Pacific Island countries to use these unorthodox methods for positive economic and social changes. As stated in Samoa's World Summit on Sustainable Development Assessment Report, “the potential influential standing and the extensive outreach of the church within the community makes it a valuable vehicle to drive pro‐harmony strategies” (Government of Samoa, 2000).

Simplified model supporting decision-making considering the criteria of sustainable development and life cycle assessment (LCA)

Sustainability is at the heart of continuous product improvement, where social, environmental, and economic considerations are key. This is a difficult task, especially in the area of the following economic and environmental changes, as well as changes in customer expectations. Additionally, it has become crucial to make product decisions that will be based on their entire life cycle (LCA). Although these aspects of sustainability and LCA are popular, bringing them together in one analysis remains challenging. Therefore, the article's objective was to develop a simplified model that supports decision-making, taking into account the criteria of sustainable development and life cycle assessment (LCA). The originality is the proposed model, which operates based on a qualitative indicator (product quality level), an environmental indicator (the product's impact on the environment throughout its life cycle) and a price indicator (purchase price of the product). These indicators are created using the TOPSIS method and the modified ACJ-E method. As a result, a product ranking is created. A novelty is the combination of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) criteria with quality criteria and the actual purchase price of the product. The model test was carried out on the example of CATERPILLAR mini excavators. However, the model can be dedicated to any company that wants to make decisions in accordance with the idea of sustainable development.

Integrating flood risk assessment and management based on HV-SS model: A case study of the Pearl River Delta, China

Global climate change has resulted in frequent extreme weather events in recent decades. The Pearl River Delta, one of the most developed regions in China, frequently faces the threat of flood disasters, causing significant human and economic losses. However, previous flood risk studies ignored the energy flow, material transfer and information transfer in the region, resulting in a disconnect between risk assessment results and management strategies, making it difficult to achieve the desired disaster prevention and mitigation effects. Thus, the HV-SS model was proposed with the aim of integrating flood assessment and management, thereby achieving more accurate and efficient risk management. The results showed that the majority of the study areas were under medium to high flood hazard levels, and their spatial distribution was closely related to natural conditions. The proportion of risk area was inversely proportional to the risk level, and the spatial distribution of flood risk exhibited a central-high and perimeter-low characteristic, with medium-risk surrounding the high-risk areas. Comparative verification, combined with the TOPSIS method achieved a matching rate of 89.89%, indicating that the assessment result was reasonable. The flood risk pattern constructed using the source-sink theory found that the primary risk sources were located in the central region and continuously transferred risk to surrounding areas through risk corridors. It is crucial to note that easily ignored risks were hidden around the risk nodes, and some reasonable flood management strategies were proposed. This study can provide a reference for regional flood risk assessment and management for sustainable development.