A proposal for the theoretical analysis of the interactive coupled effects between urbanization and the eco-environment in mega-urban agglomerations

Abstract

Mega-urban agglomerations are strategic core areas for national economic development and the main regions of new urbanization. They also have important roles in shifting the global economic center of gravity to China. However, the development of mega-urban agglomerations has triggered the interactive coercion between resources and the eco-environment. The interactive coupled effects between urbanization and the eco-environment in mega-urban agglomerations represent frontier and high-priority research topics in the field of Earth system science over the next decade. In this paper, we carried out systematic theoretical analysis of the interactive coupling mechanisms and coercing effects between urbanization and the eco-environment in mega-urban agglomerations. In detail, we analyzed the nonlinear-coupled relationships and the coupling characteristics between natural and human elements in mega-urban agglomerations. We also investigated the interactive coercion intensities between internal and external elements, and the mechanisms and patterns of local couplings and telecouplings in mega-urban agglomeration systems, which are affected by key internal and external control elements. In addition, we proposed the interactive coupling theory on urbanization and the eco-environment in mega-urban agglomerations. Furthermore, we established a spatiotemporal dynamic coupling model with multi-element, multi-scale, multi-scenario, multi-module and multi-agent integrations, which can be used to develop an intelligent decision support system for sustainable development of mega-urban agglomerations. In general, our research may provide theoretical guidance and method support to solve problems related to mega-urban agglomerations and maintain their sustainable development.

Effects of urbanization on food-energy-water systems in mega-urban regions: a case study of the Bohai MUR, China

“…The total population size (permanent resident population) and urbanization rate (the proportion of urban people) were used to reflect population urbanization. Per capita GDP was applied to represent economic urbanization (Fang et al 2017). We performed normalization and scaled the values to a range of 0-1 before correlation analysis (table A.3 in S1).…”

“…Notably, the exacerbation of pressure on FEW systems is mainly caused by external factors and internal characteristics of the system (Fang et al 2017. Some previous studies focused on the FEW flows and nexus in watersheds, cities, megacities and regions (Kennedy et al 2015, Endo et al 2017, Cai et al 2018, Gragg et al 2018, Taniguchi et al 2018, Yang and Wi 2018, which furthered our understanding of the internal characteristics of the system.…”

“…How urbanization is transforming food, energy and water systems directly or indirectly is of the utmost concern. Some studies have investigated the hidden links between urbanization and food systems, energy systems or water systems (Seto and Ramankutty 2016, Fang et al 2017, Avtar et al 2019, Liu and Sun 2019. One of the remarkable effects of urbanization on FEW systems is that cropland loss, especially the loss of the most productive cropland, caused by urban land expansion, leads to changes in food production and the amount of agricultural water resources (Seto and Ramankutty 2016, Bren d'Amour et al 2017, Yu et al 2019.…”

The Tsinghua–Lancet Commission on Healthy Cities in China: unlocking the power of cities for a healthy China

“…For example, in 2013, five national-level urban agglomerations (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Mid-reach, and Chengdu-Chongqing) accounted for just 9·1% of total land area in China but contributed half of GDP and had 65% of total foreign direct investment. 46 Meanwhile, the income gap between urban and rural dwellers is widening. The ratio of per capita disposable income in urban areas to that in rural areas has increased from about 2·57 in 1978 to 2·73 in 2015.…”

Identifying Spatiotemporal Interactions between Urbanization and Eco-Environment in the Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, China

“…Therefore, a new-type of urbanization was proposed in 2014 to improve the quality and sustainability of urban development [5,6]. Given limited agglomeration effects for single cities as well as imbalanced spatial distribution of resources and environmental conditions, Chinese governments emphasize the significance and urgency of taking urban agglomeration (UA) as a main form of new-type urbanization [1,7]. Urbanization in UA areas will have a profound impact on economic growth Instead, only a few scholars paid attention to the constraining effect of the environmental change on urbanization [24,25].…”