Sustainability Assessment Methods Research Articles

A next-generation holistic building design framework: a focus on integrating sustainable and vernacular design principles

The proliferation of sustainable design approaches and assessment methods has resulted in a vast array of indicators. However, this abundance often leads to confusion during interpretation and application. Additionally, rapid urbanization and environmental concerns sometimes overshadow social and economic considerations, emphasizing environmental impact reduction. This study addresses these challenges through an integrated approach that combines a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) analysis to provide a holistic model for sustainable building design. The SLR was carried out individually through a relative Structural Query Language (SQL) regarding sustainable building design and vernacular principle. The output of SLR was subjected to DEMATEL model to recognize the holistic indicators interconnection and validate the proposed model. The research identified 23 global indicators for building sustainability worldwide, with five—Energy, Materials & Resources, Sites & Ecology, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Water—emerging as the most prevalent. Additionally, 22 consistently applied indicators in vernacular design practices exhibited significant overlap with those in sustainable design. This model integrated two novel indicators—Vernacular Principles and Social—Culture—with common sustainable building indicators. These primary indicators complement the common and applicable sustainable building indicators, ensuring a balanced approach that considers global contexts. DEMATEL analysis confirmed the validity and interconnection of these indicators, emphasizing the critical role of vernacular principles in achieving true sustainability.

Tracking Workplace Violence over 20 Years

Introduction. Violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) is a widespread, underreported, and inadequately prevented problem. Only a few companies have efficient systems for assessing the extent of the phenomenon. Methods. In 2005, the health surveillance service of a public health company introduced a system that monitored violence experienced by HCWs by means of three items from the Violent Incident Form (VIF) integrated with departmental in-depth analyses using the participatory ergonomics group technique. Results. In 2005, the annual rate of physical assaults was 8.2%, that of threats was 12.0%, and the harassment rate was 19.6%. Over the past twenty years of observation (2005–2024), the percentage of workers who reported experiencing a physical attack in the previous year at their periodic medical examination has fluctuated between 5.8% and 11.1%, except for the years 2020 and 2021 when, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate was 3.9% and 3.2%, respectively. During the same pandemic period, the annual threat rate, which ranged from 9.4% to 20.1%, dropped to 7.7%, while the prevalence of harassment, which was between 13.5 and 19.6, fell to 7.2%. HCWs believe that (i) limiting visitor access, (ii) a better balance of the demand for services, and (iii) a better attitude towards HCWs were the causes of the reduced rate of violence during the pandemic. Conclusions. Recording the violence experienced during health surveillance is an economical, reliable, and sustainable risk assessment method.

Determining the Most Consensus-Based Assessment Method for Social Sustainability—Case Study of a Suburb of Karlstad, Sweden

An assessment method for sustainability was developed by the authors in a previous article. Many social sustainability assessment methods rely on assessors’ subjective judgments, which can be problematic. This study aims to examine the level of consensus different assessors can achieve using various assessment methods and to compare their results with an assessment made by one of the authors, to reduce subjectivity. A selective sample of engineering students from Karlstad University were surveyed to test and compare three as-assessment methods against the initial assessment. The three methods are: Woxnerud’s (the authors’) method, Jan Gehl’s twelve quality criteria, and a structured survey. Seven student groups conducted the first assessment, followed by 12 individual students who performed the second and third assessments. The objectives were to determine whether multiple assessors could reach a consensus using each method, identify which method yielded the most consensus and was most effectively implemented, and measure each method’s consonance rate in relation to Woxnerud’s initial assessment. The first method achieved a 75.0% assessor consensus and 98.4% consonance. The second method achieved a 67.0% assessor consensus and 75.0% consonance. The third method achieved a 50% assessor consensus and 91.0% consonance. This limited study suggests that a subjective method, such as an assessment method for social sustainability, can yield somewhat similar results, and in addition, Woxnerud’s method is more objectively applicable than the two other methods tested in this article.

Transformative territorial assessment of food systems: A post-normal science perspective

The importance of food systems’ transformations worldwide in order to achieve sustainability is recognised at all levels and scales, and the assessment of the said sustainability appears as a central element to understand the very aspects that need transforming. In parallel, the territorial scale is increasingly seen as the right one to produce such transformations, both in the scientific literature and in policy debates. There has been a proliferation of sustainability assessment methods and tools over the past couple of decades. Yet, researchers agree that these have been mostly unable to support the aforementioned transformations. A post-normal outlook may help in doing so, and it is of interest to identify the aspects that can help rendering assessment coherent with post-normal science. We identify three central categories that can help in doing so, and should thus be considered as central elements in sustainability assessment of Food Systems. These are interdependencies between system components, the system’s trajectories and actors’ participation. We draw elements from the scientific literature to justify the importance of these elements, and carry out a focused literature review of Food System sustainability assessment at the territorial scale to see the extent to which the methodologies proposed incorporate them.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Food Retail Buildings: Introducing a Novel Assessment Framework

One of the primary global objectives is to decrease building energy consumption to promote energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. The large-scale food retail trade sector accounts for over 15% of total primary energy consumption in Europe, posing a significant challenge to the transition towards green energy. This study proposes a simple method for energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and cost-saving assessment and improvement in large-scale food retail trade buildings. It aims to analyze the energy and environmental performance of building–plant systems, establishing an interactive network to assess intervention potential for the energy transition. The investigation focuses on the proper selection and analysis of the benefits of retrofit solution implementation, emphasizing potential energy savings in current and future climate change scenarios. Dynamic simulation with the Building Energy Model (BEM) was used to evaluate the impacts of building–plant system retrofit solutions, such as high thermal insulation, photovoltaic (PV) panels, Light Emitting Diode (LED) installation, waste heat recovery, and improvement in refrigeration units. The results show a reduction in annual energy consumption for the PV panel installation by up to 29% and lighting systems with high-quality LED to 60%. Additionally, CO2 emissions can be decreased by up to 41% by combining these two strategies.

Sustainability Assessment Methods for the Transport Sector Considering the Life Cycle Concept—A Review

This paper presents a summary and review of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) methods for the transport sector. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of articles that employ a variety of methods for assessing sustainable development in the transport sector, taking into account the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. In the sustainability assessment of transport, three methods were evaluated: life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle cost analysis (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (SLCA). An overview of sustainability assessment methods in transport and a review of the indicators used in the life cycle sustainability assessment was conducted. It was found that the selection of indicators within the LCSA for assessing various aspects of sustainable development is dependent on various geographic and policy contexts. An overview of the application of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods to assess LCSA in the transport sector was performed. MCDA methods are used to support decision-making regarding the selection of the most sustainable transport options and allow for the simultaneous consideration of multiple criteria, enabling a more sustainable assessment of different transport options. MCDA methods help to rank alternative transportation fuels and help decision-makers consider indicators encompassing economic, environmental and social aspects.

Unveiling the Canvas: Sustainable Integration of AI in Visual Art Education

The rapid advancement of technology is transforming the landscape of art education, fostering a new era of creativity and learning with a focus on sustainability. By optimizing resources and reducing the reliance on physical materials, AI-supported art education enhances sustainability, broadens accessibility, and lowers environmental impacts. Despite some research on the application of smart tools in art education, there remains a gap in robust evidence supporting their effectiveness and long-term impact. This study undertakes an in-depth examination of the intersection of sustainable technologies, pedagogical theories, and assessment methods within visual art education. By reviewing 685 research articles from the past decade, we ultimately filtered them down to 36 completely relevant studies that illuminate the technological advancements in teaching visual art. Our analysis focuses on emerging trends, the theoretical frameworks underpinning learning, hardware platforms, application categories, and dependent variables used to assess the impact on sustainability. Our findings indicate that the use of technology in art education is still in its nascent stages, yet it holds significant potential for sustainable development. These insights are crucial for developers and educators, offering guidance on creating user-friendly, interactive, and sustainable art education programs that enhance student comprehension and engagement beyond the current offerings.

Constructing a standard system of city sustainable development assessment technology based on the SDGs

Given the rapid development of China’s new urbanization, cities with different locations and varying functional positioning, resource endowments, and development stages have insufficient scientific and applicable technical tools for implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). City managers and policymakers must urgently establish SDG benchmarks to diagnose city development. Moreover, successful experiences from similar cities regarding sustainable development and self-improvement must be learned from to promote diversified, sustainable development across the country. Furthermore, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data and 5G are widely used in smart cities. Therefore, there is a growing need for “knowledge-based, personalized and intelligent” technologies to support monitoring, evaluation, and decision-making processes facilitating sustainable development in cities. This paper uses standardization as the theoretical support and technical basis. This approach can help clarify the sustainable development processes in China and clarify the evaluation results of and provide data on horizontal city comparisons, which can be used to develop evaluation technology for sustainable development in cities and construct a standardized system. The results provide a standard framework for intelligent assessment and decision-making regarding cities’ sustainable development capabilities in China. Evaluating major international standardization institutions reveals that the practices of Chinese national standards should be fully absorbed and integrated to guide the evaluation of smart, resilient, and low-carbon cities. To this end, an indicator library of city sustainable development is proposed to provide standard evaluation technology methods. Finally, analyzing the response relationship of the indicator library to SDGs reveals the need for a standardized knowledge map of sustainable development assessment techniques and methods from the perspective of integrated management for sustainable development in cities.

A holistic framework for integrated sustainability assessment of pharmaceuticals

Environmental pollution of pharmaceuticals arises during drug development, production, use and disposal and can damage ecosystems, increase antimicrobial resistance and generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, environmental sustainability of pharmaceuticals is an expanding theme in today's society. Several sustainability assessment methods have been developed for pharmaceuticals, however, most assessments typically consider only parts of the pharmaceutical chain and focus on the burdens of resource use and emissions, defined as the ‘footprint’. On the other hand, these assessments usually do not simultaneously consider the societal benefits of pharmaceuticals, called the ‘handprint’, in addition to the benefit/risk assessment for the patient. Existing sustainability assessments are often limited to traditional impact categories, neglecting other dimensions of sustainability. A comprehensive sustainability assessment should capture more than just the environmental dimension and could thus holistically capture the three pillars of sustainability, i.e., environment, social, and economic. Currently, holistic methods that cover all impacts over the entire life cycle of pharmaceuticals are lacking. The objective of this study is to conceptualise and propose a holistic framework for integrated sustainability assessment of pharmaceuticals, based on the three pillars of sustainability and taking into account both footprint and handprint outcomes. The framework was developed using both top-down (literature search) and bottom-up approaches (stakeholder involvement). Gaps, barriers and opportunities to achieve sustainability are identified. As a result, this holistic framework can be helpful in decision making.

BRIX: an autonomous system for brick wall construction

A major challenge within construction robotics lies in deploying robots for building tasks directly on construction sites. Recent years have seen a surge in innovative solutions, particularly focused on creating mechanical bricklayer to automate wall construction as much as possible. However, most of these solutions involve the use of heavy industrial robots and complex systems that are difficult to calibrate and program. In this paper, the authors introduce a prototype of an automated, lightweight system for brick wall construction that is straightforward to calibrate and program. To validate the proposed approach, a full-scale demonstrator along with its control logic is presented. Experimental results, displayed at a prominent industry expo, demonstrate the viability of the proposed system. Additionally, the system was evaluated using the Construction Automation and Robotics for Sustainability Assessment Method (CARSAM), which provides a structured approach to examine the environmental, social, technological, and economic dimensions of sustainability in the context of advanced construction technologies. By applying this method, stakeholders can better understand the broader implications of integrating such technologies into construction practices, guiding more informed decisions towards sustainable development.

Life cycle sustainability assessment method for concrete

AbstractThis study aimed to develop a life cycle sustainability assessment method for concrete. An environmental impact assessment method was developed using the ELCA technique announced through the ISO 14,040 Series and KOLID, one of the life cycle impact assessment indicators. A life cycle cost assessment method was developed based on the unit price of materials and energy consumption according to the Korea Price Information. A Social Impact Assessment Method was developed by identifying appropriate major social topics and analyzing those suggested by the international organizations (UNEP). In accordance with the ‘Towards a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment’ proposed by UNEP/SETAC, a Sustainable Concrete Index (SCI) was developed that integrates environmental, economic, and social aspects. In addition, the environmental impact of Korea’s 544 concrete types was classified by compressive strength, and the mode value was proposed as a standard concrete (environmental impact 6,662–10,785 KRW(5.02–8.12 USD), production cost 66,549–79,030 KRW(50.13–59.53 USD) so that it could be compared with the assessment concrete. As a result of selecting one ready-mix concrete business place in Korea and conducting a case study by comparing it with standard concrete, EI, CI, SI, and SCI, were analyzed to be 1.135, 1.134, 0.830, and 1.033, respectively, making it possible to quantitatively evaluate concrete sustainability.

Enabling comprehensive assessment of marine eutrophication impacts and their evaluation against regional safe operating space

PurposeNitrogen emissions from human activities are contributing to elevated levels of eutrophication in coastal ecosystems. Mechanisms involved in marine eutrophication show strong geographical variation. Existing life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) and absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) methods for marine eutrophication do not adequately represent this variability, do not have a full global coverage, and suffer from other limitations, such as poor estimation of coastal residence times. This study aims to advance LCIA and AESA for marine eutrophication.MethodsWe aligned and combined recent advancements in marine eutrophication LCIA and AESA methods into one method. By re-running models underlying the combined methods and incorporating additional data sources, we included marine regions missing in previous methods and improved fate modeling, with the inclusion of denitrification and plant uptake in the air emission-terrestrial deposition pathway. To demonstrate and validate our method, we applied it in a case study.ResultsThe developed method allows the assessment of marine eutrophication impacts from emissions to soil, freshwater, and air at high resolution (0.083° and 2° × 2.5° for inland and air emissions, respectively) and spatial coverage (all ice-free global continents). In the case study, we demonstrate the added value of our method by showing that the now quantified spatial variability within spatial units, e.g., river basins, can be large and have a strong influence on the modeled marine eutrophication from the case study. Compared to existing methods, our method identifies larger occupations of safe operating space for marine eutrophication, mainly due to the high resolution of the coastal compartment, reflecting a more realistic areal extent of marine eutrophication impacts.ConclusionsAlthough limited by factors such as simulations based on a single reference year for modeling inland and air fate, our method is readily applicable to assess the marine eutrophication impact of nitrogen emitted to any environmental compartment and relate it to the safe operating space. With substantial advancement of existing approaches, our method improves the basis for decision-making for managing nitrogen and reducing emissions to levels within the safe operating space.

Understanding climate risk externalities through the global supply chains: a framework and review of the literature on existing approaches

PurposeBusinesses are increasingly vulnerable and exposed to physical climate change risks, which can cascade through local, national and international supply chains. Currently, few methodologies can capture how physical risks impact businesses via the supply chains, yet outside the business literature, methodologies such as sustainability assessments can assess cascading impacts.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a scoping review framework by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR), this paper reviews 27 articles that assess climate risk in supply chains.FindingsThe literature on supply chain risks of climate change using quantitative techniques is limited. Our review confirms that no research adopts sustainability assessment methods to assess climate risk at a business-level.Originality/valueAlongside the need to quantify physical risks to businesses is the growing awareness that climate change impacts traverse global supply chains. We review the state of the literature on methodological approaches and identify the opportunities for researchers to use sustainability assessment methods to assess climate risk in the supply chains of an individual business.

Sustainability and Resilience Assessment Methods: A Literature Review to Support the Decarbonization Target for the Construction Sector

It is a well-known issue that the 2050 target of carbon emissions neutrality will be reached only with the co-operation of all the interested sectors, and the construction sector could be one of the main contributors to this change. With the built environment globally responsible for about 40% of annual global energy-related CO2 emissions, the construction sector offers an important opportunity to drive transformative change and presents the most challenging mitigation potential among all industrial sectors, which also brings opportunities for adopting sustainability practices and increasing resilience. This paper presents a systematic literature review of those two pivotal concepts to reach the decarbonization goal: sustainability and resilience. Starting from an extensive literature review (2536 scientific documents) based on the PRISMA statement, the definitions and assessment methodologies of those concepts for the construction sector have been studied. The methodological approach followed for their analysis has been conducted on a first selection of 42 documents, further reduced to 12 by using clear inclusion criteria to identify the integrated assessment procedures. The main goal of this study is to clarify the correlation between sustainability and resilience concepts for constructions and their integrated assessment, in line with the latest regulations and market needs. The results show that, currently, sustainability and resilience are mainly evaluated in a distinct way to obtain building energy performance certificates, as well as to quantify the building market value and its complementary contribution to the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle and energy-saving targets towards the emergent issue of climate change. Few works focus on the integrated assessment of both concepts considering the construction industries’ point of view about materials and/or systems for buildings. The novelty of this study is the critical review of the current sustainability and resilience integrated assessment methods used for the construction value chain, declined for four main target groups. Researchers, policymakers, industries, and professionals could gain dedicated insights and practical suggestions to put in practice the elements of circular economy, ecological innovation, and cleaner production, which are essential in order to drive the decarbonization of the built environment.

An assessment framework for landscape sustainability based on ecosystem service supply-flow-demand

ContextThe study of landscape sustainability plays an important role in the development of sustainability science. Landscape sustainability assessment is crucial for landscape planning and governance, serving as a fundamental basis for achieving regional and global sustainable development.ObjectivesThe goal is to propose an assessment framework for landscape sustainability based on ecosystem services (ESs) supply-flow-demand, and select a case study area to test it.MethodsWe started from the connotation of landscape sustainability and theoretically explained the relationship between landscape patterns, ESs, and human well-being. We proposed a conceptual framework for landscape sustainability assessment based on the supply-flow-demand of ESs. Yixing City was selected as a case study area for empirical research.ResultsWe constructed a conceptual framework and assessment steps for landscape sustainability assessment based on the supply-flow-demand of ESs and applied it to assess the landscape sustainability of towns in Yixing City. The framework focuses on the concept of landscape sustainability and can be applied at various temporal and spatial scales, with high operability and replicability. However, there are still certain limitations that need to be further considered, including the determination of landscape boundaries, multi-scale assessment, the trade-offs/synergies between different ESs.ConclusionsThe landscape sustainability assessment framework based on the supply-flow-demand of ESs can expand the perspectives and methods of landscape sustainability assessment. It is also practical and replicable, aiming to provide support for landscape planning and governance.

Analytical Comparison of Leading Sustainability Systems in the Iraqi Environment

Over the last two decades, several sustainability assessment methods have developed as key accelerators for the development and improvement of sustainable industrial buildings. Some of these systems, like as LEED or BREEAM, are considered international, whereas others, such as Pearl Rating Systems (PRS), are local. Although they all share similar goals, they can lead to the construction of green buildings or the improvement of the efficiency of existing conventional buildings. Each technique has its structure, certification process, and weighting norms. The inequalities have prompted various questions about whether global assessment systems appropriately consider the country’s national settings. This study aims to compare the Pearl System, the Gulf region’s most popular Pearl, to the Iraqi High-rise Buildings Sustainability System, as well as the two most prominent international systems, LEED and BREEAM. The goal is to evaluate the possibility of applying codes to the performance of newly constructed buildings in Iraq using the sustainability approach, as well as to identify the benefits and drawbacks of this sophisticated system. The study included a multi-method approach, including a survey of the literature and open and closed interviews with local and worldwide experts on sustainable buildings. These techniques provided a full overview of the individual evaluation plans, allowing for required comparisons. The results revealed that the independent system combines the majority of the others while also differing from them in terms of sustainability techniques, resulting in an appealing impact on building design, performance, occupants of classified structures, and the environment.

Utilization of Computer Simulation Technology in Landscape Sustainability Assessment and Optimization

Due to the acceleration of global environmental change and urbanization, landscape sustainability assessment and optimization have become key tasks in urban planning and management. Computer simulation technology, especially System Dynamics (SD) models, can simulate the dynamic behavior of landscape systems and provide scientific basis for decision-making. This study used the SD model to construct a landscape sustainability assessment model. Firstly, key factors affecting landscape sustainability, such as land use, water resource management, and biodiversity conservation, were identified through literature review and expert interviews. Then, the Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) was used to analyze the interactions between these factors. Next, the model in SD modeling software was built; parameters and initial conditions were set; model validation and calibration were performed. Research has found that the SD model can effectively simulate the dynamic changes of landscape systems, providing a comprehensive, dynamic, and quantitative method for landscape sustainability assessment. In addition, compared to traditional management strategies, the ecological service value of the same location under the SD method could increase by 91€; the Shannon Wiener index could increase by 0.97; the soil organic matter content could increase by 11.27g/kg. The comparative experimental data results indicated that the SD model had significant advantages in landscape sustainability assessment and optimization, and could provide sustained support for landscape sustainability. Therefore, computer simulation technology has important application value in landscape sustainability assessment and optimization.

An indicator scheme for improving measurability of Sustainable Development Goals in manufacturing enterprises

Recently, sustainability guidelines such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) or the EU Taxonomy Regulation have become legally binding, thus requiring enterprises to monitor, control and report their contributions in compliance with sustainable development goals (SDGs). Comprehensive sustainability assessment methods are, therefore, crucial for ensuring competitive advantages of enterprises in the near future. Yet, lack of tailor-made methods particularly for manufacturing SMEs is evident. To address this pathway of research, this paper proposes a comprehensive indicator scheme for measuring and monitoring sustainability performance of manufacturing SMEs aligned with the SDGs. The proposed method is based on a literature analysis of existing measurement approaches. It combines methods from quality and innovation management in a sustainability evaluation scheme especially designed for manufacturing SMEs. The method is demonstrated in excerpts from an industry case study. The preliminary results reveal plausibility of the approach towards enabling enterprises to systematically define sustainability roadmaps and conduct progress monitoring.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN OF SUPPORTS FOR CULTURAL SERVICES IN OPEN-AIR EXHIBITIONS

This research is focused on the design of sustainable cultural services. Particularly, on the services associated with outdoor exhibitions, which represent an interesting alternative to traditional cultural services, being accessible to all populations, at any time and without ticketing. Open-air exhibitions are usually organized using different supports but the ones with counterweights are the most popular and versatile types. Sustainability aspects of three different design alternatives are studied. In the first alternative cultural content is exposed using printed and replaceable vinyl; in the second alternative, the exhibition is illuminated and content is printed on stretched canvas. The third alternative offers an additional service because when the display panels are replaced exhibitors are transformed into street furniture. The entire life cycle of the services has been reviewed. Moreover, environmental, economic, and social sustainability dimensions have been quantitatively evaluated using, respectively, the global warming potential, the execution costs, and the working time indicators. Thus, the study contributes to integrating sustainability in the design of service systems. The presented cases illustrate the sustainability assessment methods that could be used in the evaluation of different cultural services proposals and results obtained show that different alternatives can be selected according to the criteria applied to reflect the importance of each sustainability dimension. Keywords: Sustainability, design; Service life cycle; Cultural exhibitions; LCSA.

A water-land-energy-carbon nexus evaluation of agricultural sustainability under multiple uncertainties: The application of a multi-attribute group decision method determined by an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set

The interactions between agricultural subsystems, resource scarcity and ecological degradation increase the need for agricultural sustainability assessments in relation to water, land, energy and carbon emissions. In addition, uncertainties caused by natural factors and human activities complicate sustainability assessments. Therefore, this study proposes a regional agricultural sustainability assessment method based on the water-land-energy-carbon (WLEC) nexus system under high uncertainty. This method couples the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set (IVIFS) and multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) methods to quantitatively characterise and assess element management and corresponding relationships within the agricultural WLEC nexus system in a multidimensional manner. The paper is able to (1) clarify the role of the coupled agricultural “water-land-energy-carbon” nexus and (2) address the double ambiguity and uncertainty in the indicators and more objectively reflect the interval fluctuations of natural resources and social activities in both positive and negative scenarios. (3) Sustainability management of agricultural resources is carried out according to different regional conditions. The method was applied to Heilongjiang Province in northeast China, and the coupling of agricultural WLEC nexus system in 13 administrative regions of the study area was quantitatively analysed. The degree of agroecological sustainability from a multidimensional perspective is higher in Daxinganling and lower in the provincial capital, Harbin. The recommended range of groundwater use in the study area is [16%,28%] to ensure ecological sustainability when total agricultural output fluctuates between 285,395.18 and 404,495.33 billion yuan. This methodology helps policy makers understand the overall dynamics of agricultural sustainability in an environment of multiple uncertainties and gives suggestions for better assessing management.