Structural Characteristics and Evolution Trend of Collaborative Governance of Air Pollution in “2 + 26” Cities from the Perspective of Social Network Analysis

Abstract

The regional and complex air pollution problem has become a major bottleneck restricting the sustainable development of regional economies and societies. Constructing a regional collaborative governance network has become a key solution to solving the cross-regional air pollution problem. By performing a social network analysis, this paper analyzes the overall structure, internal characteristics, and evolution trend of the collaborative governance network of regional air pollution by selecting the data samples of the “2 + 26” cities from 2017 to 2021. The study found that the excellent results of air pollution control in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei and its surrounding areas are due to precise and efficient collaboration among the “2 + 26” cities. The collaborative network formed by “2 + 26” cities based on the joint initiation of severe weather emergency responses is an important measure that can help to effectively control regional air pollution problems. There is a distinct difference in the collaborative pattern in the “2 + 26” cities air pollution collaborative governance model, showing a nested-difference network structure.

Structural Characteristics of Intergovernmental Water Pollution Control Cooperation Networks Using Social Network Analysis and GIS in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China

“…This finding is consistent with existing research that suggests the existence of spatial correlation effects in regional pollution control. It is consistent with the notion that cities in closer proximity are more likely to cooperate [17,34,36]. On the one hand, governments choose to cooperate with neighboring cities to expand the scope of governance, which can reduce social costs and improve the economic benefits of water pollution control.…”

“…Social network analysis (SNA) is a systematic approach used to examine "relational data" and is characterized by its emphasis on the interconnections between individuals or entities. Metrics such as centrality, network density, and cohesive subgroups can quantitatively depict vital structural features within the network [34]. The subject of this study is the collaborative relationships between governments; hence, the main body of research will revolve around the techniques and measurement tools of SNA, interpreting the collaborative network structure among local governments.…”

“…Municipal governments in China occupy a middle position in the government administrative hierarchy. They are responsible not only for implementing relevant policies under the macro guidance of the central and provincial governments but also for providing guidance to grassroots governments and functional departments [32,34,35]. Therefore, it is critical to review water pollution control cooperation among municipal governments.…”

“…Li (2023) collected actual cooperative behaviors among municipal-level governments, utilizing sources such as published policies on coordinated air pollution control, intergovernmental agreements, and news reports. Through this, they analyzed the overall structure, internal characteristics, and evolving trends of the collaborative network for regional air pollution control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas [34]. Chang et al (2022), using social network analysis, utilized haze pollution data from 284 city-level administrative units in China to identify 10 regions with close collaborative efforts in pollution control [26].…”

“…In summary, revealing the structure of intergovernmental water pollution governance cooperation networks is key to understanding the behavior of governments in cross-regional collaborative water pollution governance [30,31,34]. Particularly for an economically developed, densely populated urban agglomeration like the Yangtze River Delta in China, a thorough understanding of the structure and features of its water pollution governance network can promote cross-regional collaboration and coordination to achieve environmental protection and sustainable development goals.…”