Pressure State Impact Response Research Articles

Green Transition Assessment, Spatial Correlation, and Obstacles Identification: Evidence from Urban Governance Data of 288 Cities in China

The green transition of China’s cities is crucial for ecology civilization realization. Based on the driver–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) framework, an integrated technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) model with entropy weight, this study achieved the comprehensive assessment of the green transition of 288 province-level municipalities and prefecture-level cities in China over 18 years from 2002 to 2019, in addition to the spatial correlations and obstacles analysis. The results indicate that major cities in China have a more significant green transition value, and the eastern region is developing fast, while the northeast region is relatively slow. There was heterogeneous spatial distribution for green transition, because of the disequilibrium sustainable development of 288 cities. Green transition has a significantly positive spatial autocorrelation in the cities of China, the high–high significant clusters greatly increased, and the main locations changed from the northeast to southeast of China. Frequent obstacles were also found, including road infrastructure construction, water resources, and the green coverage of urban built-up areas. Based on these results, several policy implications were put forward, including the optimization of environmental laws and regulations, the development of green transportation infrastructure, resource conservation and the circular economy, the establishment of a green financial system, and increasing the linkage for the green transition of different cities.

Revealing the Spatial-Temporal Evolution and Obstacles of Ecological Security in the Xiamen-Zhangzhou-Quanzhou Region, China

Climate change and human activities have caused various ecological risks to coastal urban agglomerations. Ecological security refers to the state of health of an ecosystem and its integrity. An objective and comprehensive evaluation of ecological security is significant for protecting the structure and function of coastal ecosystems. The driving force–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) model was used to construct a dynamic simulation model of ecological security in the Xiamen–Zhangzhou–Quanzhou region (XZQR), located on the eastern coast of China. The ecological security level (ESL) characteristics of the spatial and temporal patterns were evaluated by calculating the ecological security index (ESI). Obstacle factors were analyzed as well. The results show the following: (1) From 2011 to 2021, the average ESI rose from 0.238 to 0.686 and went through a relatively insecure stage (2011–2015), a critical stage (2016–2019), and a relatively secure stage (2020–2021). (2) The ESI level in Quanzhou was higher in the early stage, and the level of ecological security in Zhangzhou showed a significant rising trend, increasing by 0.541. Its increase depended on increases in the impact layer. (3) The impact layer is the main obstacle layer affecting the ESL, and the main obstacles include CO2 emissions (0.117), annual rainfall (0.091), general public budget expenditures (0.082), GDP growth rates (0.082), and green coverage in built-up areas (0.075). Therefore, we recommend promoting the complementary advantages of the XZQR and implementing ecological restoration projects.

The Environmental Impact of E-Waste Microplastics: A Systematic Review and Analysis Based on the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) Framework

Microplastics resulting from the fragmentation of plastics in electronic waste (e-waste) are an emerging but understudied environmental concern. This systematic review employs a Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework to investigate the sources, prevalence, and environmental effects of e-waste microplastics, identifying knowledge gaps. The available literature on e-waste microplastics was retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science (n = 24), and trends in electrical and electronic equipment were retrieved from European Union databases. The growing incorporation of electronics into daily life results in a global annual growth rate of 3–4% for e-waste, of which only 17.4% is collected for recycling. E-waste microplastics are frequently found in soils near disposal or disassembly facilities, potentially leaching hazardous metals (e.g., Pb) or organic compounds (e.g., flame retardants). These microplastics contaminate the food chain and can have adverse effects on the soil and gut microbiome, organisms, and human health, either independently or associated with other chemicals. Responses include the implementation of regulations, improvement of waste management systems, and mitigation measures. Despite these concerns, the literature on the topic remains limited, emphasizing the need for additional research on the identification of e-waste microplastics and their toxicity.

Perspectives on Drivers of Biodiversity and Environmental Changes in the Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site of Ghana

There is a general decline in biodiversity and the environment of coastal wetlands worldwide. Reasons for the decline obviously include overexploitation of wetland resources, climate change and industrialization, to mention but a few. This study used a purely qualitative approach using mainly focus group discussions (FDGs) in the framework of Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) to examine the changes occurring in the largest coastal wetland in Ghana—the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site (KLCRS). The results indicate that the state of the environment is bedevilled with species loss, increases in salinity, decreases in the physical size of fish species and many others. Pressures and related drivers were noted by the respondents. The results point to the fact that communities are not oblivious to the adaptation measures to implement in order to overcome the degradation of KLCRS. Overall, this study points to the fact that local communities have a good knowledge and understanding of their environment and are always in a position to offer ideas related to managing the environment if given the chance.

Complementary Approaches to Planning a Restored Coastal Wetland and Assessing the Role of Agriculture and Biodiversity: An Applied Case Study in Southern Italy

The European Parliament has recently passed the “Nature Recovery” law to restore degraded ecosystems and prevent natural disasters as part of its “Biodiversity Strategy 2030” and “Green Deal”. In this respect, wetlands can provide a wide range of ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation, hydrological land protection, provision of products, cultural and recreational benefits, and many others. However, they are still threatened by the expansion of agricultural land, overexploitation of water resources, water pollution, climate change, etc. Wetland conservation, however, is essential and requires coordinated action by managers, policymakers, stakeholders, and scientists. A systemic planning and design process is required to address these complex challenges. This research aims to outline an integrated, comprehensive, and well-structured planning framework for wetland systems that can be applied to different wetland types, in line with institutional wetland policy, governance, and management. The methodological approach developed in this study aims to integrate a longer-term strategy plan with a shorter-term action plan by combining the Yeomans scale of permanence and the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response model. This innovative approach was applied to a specific case study and may guide further wetland planning in the future. The Nominal Group Technique was used, a consensus method aimed at achieving a general agreement and convergence of opinion. An expert group of seven members with different technical backgrounds was engaged and expert consultation was found to be a simple and rapid technique for carrying out wetland planning. The expert judgements were sound, consistent, and did not overlap (i.e., were not redundant). “Pressures” and “Impacts” were identified by the experts and clustered according to corresponding “States” and “Drivers”. Expert scoring allowed the resulting “Responses” to be ranked in terms of their relevance and influence on the development of the wetland strategy and action plan, while a priority order for their implementation was assessed according to the Yeomans scale of permanence. Agriculture was the highest rated ‘Driver’; similarly, Biodiversity (habitats and species) was the ‘State’ with the highest score. Therefore, their combination (agriculture and biodiversity) should be considered as the strategic cornerstone of the whole planning framework. This means designing and implementing a system in which agriculture and nature (in our case a wetland) are allied ecological systems in mutual compensation, according to the way natural elements are embedded in the agricultural system. A collection of factsheets containing the full list of responses considered in the Wetlands Action Plan, with detailed operational actions, is provided in the Appendixes.

Exploring the Coupling Coordination Relationship of Urban Resilience System in Ecologically Fragile Areas: Case Study of the Loess Plateau in China

Urban ecosystem health threats and natural disasters have a prominent influence under the rapid urbanization process, and high urban resilience (UR) is the key to response to human-natural disasters. This study attempts to construct a comprehensive index system of UR based on the DPSIR (Driving—Pressure—State—Impact—Response) framework to explore the coupling coordination relationship and driving factors of UR in ecologically fragile areas, using panel data of 39 cities in the Loess Plateau from 2010 to 2019. The empirical results have shown that most cities present low and medium levels of urban resilience, indicating that the UR of the Loess Plateau is not ideal, that there is a significant spatial difference between the urban resilience and coupling coordination degree (CCD), and the spatial characteristics are represented by “central depression”. Additionally, there are significant discordant relationships among the five subsystems of UR, which means that the pressure subsystem has the highest score, while the driving force subsystem and state subsystem have the lowest score. Regarding the driving factors, institutional quality, scientific and technological expenditure, and industrial upgrading have a significant positive impact on UR, while gross industrial output, urban carbon emissions, and urban population density have a significant negative impact on UR. This study provides a new index system and information and decision-making reference for UR exploration, which is also conducive to the future urban sustainable development planning in ecologically sensitive areas.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Optimization of Ecospatial Networks in County Areas Based on Ecological Risk Assessment: Taking Dalian Pulandian District as an Example

The ecological security of a county is the basis for guaranteeing sustainable socio-economic development in the process of new urbanization, as well as the key to maintaining the rational functioning of natural ecosystems in urban and rural areas, and the primary prerequisite for satisfying the ecosystem service functions enjoyed by urban and rural residents. This study takes Pulandian, an estuary county with low mountains, hills, plains, and beach lands, as an example, and comprehensively applies various methods such as the model of driving–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR), the mainstream model of minimum cumulative resistance (MCR), the model of morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and the circuit theoretical model to assess the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of the ecological spatial network of Pulandian District from 1990 to 2020 and evaluate its ecological risk from the socio-economic and environmental perspectives to provide a basis for the construction of ecological resistance surfaces. On this basis, an ecospatial network optimization model was constructed to reduce ecological risk and meet ecological security requirements. The results showed that the ecological space showed an upward trend of increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing in the area during the 30-year period, but there was serious fragmentation in the low area of the northeastern river valley, the low-hill plain area in the central part of the county, and the coastal area in the southeastern part of the county. High-resistance radiation centered on townships with high urbanization breaks the original ecological spatial network gradient, resulting in the absence of ecological corridors in large areas of the central and southeastern regions. Therefore, seven new ecological source sites were added for the central and southern portions of the study area, and the number of optimized ecological corridors increased from 47 to 66. In addition, we established an ecosystem consisting of an ecological barrier, an ecological coastal zone, multiple ecological corridors, and multiple ecological sites as an optimization system. This is of great scientific value and practical significance to provide reference for optimizing the ecological spatial network in Pulandian District of Dalian, to promote coastal ecological protection and construction, and to promote regional construction and sustainable development.

Evaluation of regional water resources carrying capacity in China based on variable weight model and grey-markov model: a case study of Anhui province

Water security is not only an ecological environmental issue but also a bearing on national security and development. The study of water resources carrying capacity is the basis for future socioeconomic development and is the driving force for social progress. Therefore, it is important to investigate the influence factors of regional and national water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) and predict the future trend development. In view of the regional water resources data of the past 10 years in Anhui province, China, the Driving force Pressure State Impact Response Management (DPSIRM) model framework is constructed and the entropy weight method and variable weight theory can be used to make a comprehensive evaluation of the WRCC. Based on the comprehensive evaluation value, a modified Grey-Markov combination forecast can be introduced to predict the local WRCC in the coming years. The study on account of the Anhui Statistical Yearbook, the Water Resources Bulletin, and the water resources data of the Forestry Bureau for the past 10 years shows that the WRCC of Anhui Province is weak from 2010 to 2013 and gradually strengthens from 2014 to 2019; the WRCC of Anhui Province is mainly correlated with the impact subsystem, the management subsystem, and the state subsystem. The combined projections reflect that the future WRCC of Anhui Province is in good condition. It is recommended that the Anhui provincial government should strengthen water security and management, improve water resources utilization techniques, and construct complete and effective management tools and measures to fundamentally safeguard the province's water resources security and improve the WRCC.

Dynamic valuation of the provisioning services of marine fisheries ecosystem based on BeiDou VMS data: A case study of TACs project for Acetes chinensis in the Yellow Sea

The refined management of the total allowable catch system (TACs) project is a form of marine fishery spatial planning (MFSP). With the decline of global fishery resources, exploring the dynamic valuation of marine fisheries ecosystem provisioning services (MFEPS) in the TACs project and its application has been of great significance to the scientific formulation of MFSP and the sustainable development of marine resources. In this study, we take the TACs project for Northern mauxia shrimp (Acetes chinensis) in Haizhou Bay of the Yellow Sea from 2020 to 2022 as a case study. First, we constructed a driver–behavior–pressure–state–impact–response (DBPSIR) framework to explain the relationship between fishing activities and MFEPS. We then used BeiDou vessel monitoring system data, sampled catches, and fishing logs to extract the fishing effort and major catch species of each netting during the TACs project period. The values of catches, cost of bycatch resource restoration, and profit per unit of effort (PPUE) of each netting were calculated to dynamically assess the MFEPS value at different stages of the fishing period in this sea area. The fishing effort of the vessels showed an evident multi-core aggregation distribution pattern. The catch compositions were different at different fishing stages, but A. chinensis was the dominant species at all times. The area of high PPUE distribution was different from that of fishing effort, mainly distributed in 119°46′–119°55′E, 34°38′–34°42′N and 120°08′–120°15′E, 34°41′–34°45′N. The high values of PPUE in the early stage of the fishing period were significantly larger than those in the middle and late stages, and the return on effort gradually decreased. Therefore, it is reasonable to move the permitted fishing time forward. The reasonableness of the permitted fishing area setting in 2021–2022 was significantly higher than in 2020. In addition, fishers can be guided to increase their fishing efforts in waters with high PPUE values during the corresponding fishing stage. These results provide a scientific basis for the refined management of the TACs project in the context of fishing moratoriums. Future studies on the valuation of MFEPS should pay more attention to long-term dynamic ecosystem monitoring. It is necessary to regulate fishing behavior by combining measures such as the scientific formulation of fishing quotas and bycatch rates. Furthermore, elastic control of the MFSP could be improved to protect and utilize marine biological resources more reasonably.

Evaluation of Tourism Ecological Security and Its Driving Mechanism in the Yellow River Basin, China: Based on Open Systems Theory and DPSIR Model

Tourism ecological security (TES) has gradually become a frontier topic because it is related to the virtuous circle of ecosystems and sustainable development, especially in river basins with fragile ecosystems. Based on the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) model and open systems theory, we constructed a TES evaluation system in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), China. Then, the TES index was measured from 2004 to 2019 and its spatio-temporal characteristics and driving mechanism were analyzed. The results show that: (1) In terms of temporal evolution, the comprehensive TES index shows a steady upward trend, but the difference between cities increases over time. Moreover, the proportion of cities with low status levels of TES declined rapidly, while the proportion of cities with high status levels of TES has grown slowly. (2) Spatially, low-TES value cities have always been in the majority, and the high-value cities show a scattered spatial distribution, most of which are along the river. Moreover, TES is randomly distributed in space before 2013, but it shows a significant positive spatial clustering feature thereafter. Specifically, the range of hot spots extends from the intersection of the middle and upper reaches to downstream, while the cold spots are always scattered. Furthermore, the trend surface in the east–west direction is always smooth, while it gradually manifests an inverted U-shape in the north–south direction. (3) In the dynamic transfer, TES lacks the vitality of transfer, but the probability of shifting upward becomes more significant when adjacent to higher-level cities; the opposite is true when adjacent to lower-ranked cities. (4) In terms of the driving mechanism, the factors related to tourism and the economy are the most important driving forces, and the effect of tourism-related factors on TES is becoming increasingly significant. Moreover, the driving mechanism is constructed. Finally, this study provides targeted policy implications for improving TES in the YRB, which has reference value for the development of ecological protection and high-quality tourism.

Industrial ecological evaluation based on DPSIR and panel grey clustering model

PurposeThis paper aims to build an improved grey panel clustering evaluation model and evaluate the comprehensive development potential of industrial economy, society and ecological environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China. The purpose of this study is to provide some theoretical basis and tool support for management departments and relevant researchers engaged in industrial sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the driving force pressure state impact response analysis framework to build a comprehensive evaluation index system. Based on the center point triangle whitening weight function, it classifies the panel grey clustering of improvement time and index weight.FindingsThe results show that there are great differences in the level of industrial ecological development in different regions of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, which further illustrates the scientificity and rationality of the evaluation method proposed in this paper.Practical implicationsDue to the industrial ecological development is in a constantly changing state, and the information is uncertain. Whitening weight function is introduced to represent the complete information of relevant data. The industrial ecological evaluation involves a comprehensive complex system, which belongs to the panel data analysis problem. The improved grey panel clustering evaluation model is applied to grade the industrial ecological development level of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The results have important guiding significance for the balanced development of industrial ecology in the region.Social implicationsDue to the industrial ecological development is in a constantly changing state, and the information is uncertain. Whitening weight function is introduced to represent the complete information of relevant data. The industrial ecological evaluation involves a comprehensive complex system, which belongs to the panel data analysis problem. In order to improve the effectiveness of industrial ecological evaluation, the improved grey panel clustering evaluation model is applied to grade the industrial ecological development level of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The results have important guiding significance for the balanced development of industrial ecology in the region.Originality/valuethe new model proposed in this paper complements and improves the grey clustering analysis theory of panel data, that is, aiming at the subjective limitation of using time degree to determine time weight in panel grey clustering, a comprehensive theoretical method for determining time weight is creatively proposed. Combining the DPSIR (Driving force-Pressure-State-Influence-Response) model model with ecological development, a comprehensive evaluation model is constructed to make the evaluation results more authentic and comprehensive.

Emergency risk assessment of sudden water pollution in South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China based on driving force–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) model and variable fuzzy set

Emergency risk assessment of sudden water pollution in South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China based on driving force–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) model and variable fuzzy set

Assessment of environmental degradation in two coastal communities of Ghana using Driver Pressure State Impact Response (DPSIR) framework

In this study, a qualitative research method using Driver Pressure State Impact Response (DPSIR) framework was employed to assess the drivers of environmental degradation and their implications on Anlo and Sanwoma coastal communities in the Western Region of Ghana. Pollution Index (PI) and Environmental Risk Factor (ERF) were estimated in Pra and Ankobra estuaries, respectively, in Anlo and Sanwoma communities to complement the qualitative assessment in the studied coastal communities. The state and condition of the coastal ecosystems are critical to the well-being and livelihood of the residents of the two coastal communities. Therefore, it was important to assess the drivers of environmental degradation and their consequences on the coastal communities. The findings showed that the coastal communities were severely degraded and were in a vulnerable state due to the impact of drivers such as gold mining, farming, improper waste disposal, and illegal fishing that pressurize the environment. Also, PI and ERFs showed that the estuaries in Anlo and Sanwoma coastal communities were contaminated with metals such as arsenic, lead, zinc, and iron. Some of the impacts of the environmental degradation on the communities included reduction in fish catch and health-related ailments among the residents of the two communities. Unfortunately, regulatory policies by government and efforts of non-governmental organisations and members of the two coastal communities to address the environmental issues have not yielded the desired results. It is recommended that there should be urgent interventions by policymakers to stop further degradations in the coastal communities to enhance the well-being and livelihoods of the residents of Anlo and Sanwoma.

Spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanism of tourism ecological security in Guangxi, China

Tourism ecological security (TES) is an important index reflecting the sustainable development of the regional economy. The construction of the China and ASEAN Free Trade Area has increased the total tourist consumption of Guangxi province by 36.48%. Unfortunately, overconsumption of resources, air pollution, disturbance of indigenous life, and other environmental degradation problems emerged due to the significant increase in tourists. Measuring the resilience of the tourism ecosystem is an urgent need to promote the high-quality development of tourism in Guangxi. To explore the dynamic changes in TES and its driving mechanism, the DPSIR (driver–pressure–state–impact–response) model for the tourism ecosystem was developed. The dynamic changes in TES and its driving mechanism from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed using fuzzy matter-element analysis, Markov chains, Geodetector, and other methods. The results show that: (1) the TES value increased steadily by 72.73%; the improvement speed was Northeast > Southwest > Southeast > Northwest; (2) TES was negatively correlated with location, 14 cities developed independently; (3) the TES has a smaller probability to shift the lower level; (4) urbanization, water consumption, green area, tourism revenue, and the number of students in colleges had significant effects on TES. Four policies were proposed to improve TES: (1) developing forest tourism; (2) implementing greening projects in abandoned mining areas; (3) increasing tourism technical personnel; and (4) reducing clearance time for inbound tourists.

Evaluation of Synergetic Development of Water and Land Resources Based on a Coupling Coordination Degree Model

The interaction between water and land resources (WALRs) has been further enhanced with the development of human production activities. Evaluating the synergetic development (SD) level of WALRs is conducive to discovering the weakness of comprehensive utilization of resources and promoting sustainable development. However, previous studies did not clearly elucidate the effects of the synergetic development between WALRs (SD-WALRs). For evaluation methods, the impact of various subsystem development levels on the whole system is often ignored due to its unclear definition. Therefore, in this research, the concept of the SD-WALRs was defined based on synergetic theory. By using the “Driving Force–Pressure–State–Impact–Response” (DPSIR) model, comprehensive evaluation index systems of WALR development were established. The index systems were regarded as efficacy functions of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, and the evaluation model of the SD-WALR level was constructed based on it. Taking Luoyang City as an example, using the latest 10 years (2010–2019) with available data as the study period, the results showed that the value of the SD degree increased from 0.609 to 0.789 during the study period, which reached the level of intermediate synergetic development. In general, the development of WALRs showed a positive trend from “high coupling but low synergetic development” to “high synergetic development”.

Land Degradation–Desertification in Relation to Farming Practices in India: An Overview of Current Practices and Agro-Policy Perspectives

Land degradation and desertification (LDD) has gained worldwide policy attention due to decline in land quality and the resultant economic burden accrued upon a vast population reliant on land-based natural capital. In India, the impacts are becoming apparent as 24 out of 29 states have been experiencing LDD since the early 2000s. Here, we adopt a mixed-method approach combining hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and multilinear regression analysis (MLRA) with contextual assessments to draw on, using state-level information from 2011–2013, an age-old question: do farming operations aggravate LDD? The HCA identified 11 states that currently lead the trajectory with the highest state-wise percentages of LDD areas under ‘water erosion’, ‘salinity’, and ‘water logging’, which are the three most widely reported impacts of farming practices on land systems’ sustainability as apparent in the relevant LDD literature. MLRA of the 11-state cluster revealed that state-wise NPK fertilizer-application rates (p < 0.01); number of moldboard ploughs (p < 0.01); net irrigated area (p < 0.01); groundwater-sourced irrigation (p < 0.05); and multiple cropping practices (p < 0.01) exacerbate LDD, while bio-pesticides (p < 0.05) and zero-till drills (p < 0.01) do the opposite. In recent years, the government has introduced several improved measures, such as nutrient-based subsidies (NBS) and integrated nutrient management (INM), to help farmers optimize agrochemical applications, thus moving from traditional practices (input intensive) to a more land-conservation-centric approach. However, at the cognitive level, farmers are unsure/unaware of the benefits. Moreover, due to various institutional weaknesses, lack of sensitization, extension services, capacity building, incentives, and certain inherent flaws in these newer strategies, their uptake remains low, while traditional practices continue at the grassroots. We attempt to broaden the regulatory purview by reflecting on the DPSIR framework (Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response), highlighting the role of indirect drivers of LDD that largely influence farmers’ preferences for certain practices. In the final section, we emphasize the need for a data revolution to support process-level research to be able to devise more informed and targeted LDD control–abatement strategies, which is currently largely absent.

Spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of provincial tourism ecological security in China

The scientific evaluation of tourism ecological security (TES) is vital for promoting sustainable tourism development and ecological environmental protection. Using the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response model, this study constructed a theoretical framework for evaluating TES. An improved Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method, spatial autocorrelation, a standard deviational ellipse and center of gravity model, and a Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression model were used to evaluate the provincial TES level, spatiotemporal pattern and evolution trajectory, and key influencing factors in China. The results showed that (1) over the study period, China’s provincial TES level increased, and the overall TES was at the critical security level. Among the six geographical units, the average TES decreased as follows: Central and South China > East China > Southwest China > North China > Northwest China > Northeast China. (2) The spatial correlation of TES in the study area was positive. The local spatial autocorrelation was positive (high-high) in the southeast of the Heihe–Tengchong Line, and the northwest side showed a “low–low” correlation. The area of the standard deviational ellipse shrunk inward over the years, and the center of gravity of the ellipse moved from northeast to southwest. (3) The factors affected China’s provincial TES are ranked as follows in the order of importance: sulfur dioxide emissions, number of star-rated hotels, natural population growth rate, international tourism revenue, the number of days on which air quality is equal to or above Grade II, domestic sewage discharge, and the growth rate of the tertiary industry. This study suggests that measures such as strengthening environmental governance and ecological protection, coordinating human–nature relationships, adopting differentiated tourism development, and improving TES impact factors can improve China’s provincial TES level.

An Analytical Framework for Formulating Conservation and Development Measures for Important Agricultural Heritage Systems

Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS) are complex adaptive systems that are multidimensional and exhibit strategic values of sustainability. In the context of modernization, IAHS have been increasingly challenged. Thus, the heritage sites must explore dynamic conservation approaches and formulate adaptive management strategies. However, few studies have provided either theoretical methods or practical cases as support. In this study, we put forward an analytical framework for IAHS conservation and development measure formulation based on the Driver –Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) model and applied it to the Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System (SDSTS). With this framework, we analyzed the supportive mechanisms for the stable state of the SDSTS, diagnosed the threats and challenges it faces, and then formulated 34 conservation and development measures from six aspects, namely management mechanism construction, ecological conservation, cultural inheritance, green and organic product development, sustainable tourism development, and capacity building. It is demonstrated that the DPSIR-based analytical framework can provide both theoretical and technical support for the formulation of IAHS conservation and development measures, thus having the potential to become a general tool for the dynamic conservation and sustainable development of IAHS.

Analysis of the Factors Affecting China’s Manufacturing Servitization from the Perspective of the Ecological Environment

Manufacturing servitization (MS) can effectively alleviate the contradiction between economic growth and ecological carrying capacity and can promote energy conservation and emission reduction in the manufacturing industry (MI). However, China’s MI is in the primary stage of servitization and lacks sufficient ability to provide services; thus, the environmental benefits of MS are not obvious. Therefore, in the context of current pressure to normalize environmental protection, how servitization can drive low-carbon development in MI while taking into account economic development has become an important topic at present. Thus, this study constructs an evaluation index system of factors based on a driver–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) model, and uses the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) model to analyze the causal relationship and key elements among the influencing factors. The results show that from the perspective of the ecological environment, many factors affect MS, although to varying degrees. Among them, the proportion of R&D personnel, input intensity, and the proportion of clean energy are the main factors. Based on the transmission mechanism among these factors, we propose two paths to realizing the service-oriented, low-carbon development of China’s MI.

Study on Water Resource Carrying Capacity of Zhengzhou City Based on DPSIR Model.

Based on the driving force-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) model, a comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed. The index weight is determined by the combination weighting method in combination with the data of 2010-2019. The TOPSIS model is used to comprehensively analyze the water resource carrying capacity of Zhengzhou as the central city in China with a developed economy and relatively short water resources. The study results are as follows. (1) During the sample period, the comprehensive evaluation value of water resources carrying capacity of Zhengzhou increases from 0.4183 in 2010 to 0.5560 in 2019, with an overall fluctuating rise. Simultaneously, the water resource carrying capacity grade improves from Grade III (normal carrying capacity) to Grade II (good carrying capacity). (2) The contribution of each subsystem to the comprehensive evaluation value increases year by year. Among them, S subsystem and I subsystem make the largest contribution to the comprehensive carrying capacity. R subsystem makes a relatively stable contribution to the overall carrying capacity. Affected by GDP growth rate and uneven temporal-spatial distribution of water resources in Zhengzhou, the D subsystem and P subsystem of water resource carrying capacities show the fluctuating change. Finally, based on the above conclusions, this paper puts forward the countermeasures and suggestions to improve the level of water resource carrying capacity of Zhengzhou.