Identifying Ecosystem Services Bundles for Ecosystem Services Trade-Off/Synergy Governance in an Urbanizing Region

Wenbo Cai
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Wenbo Cai: The Center for Modern Chinese City Studies & Institute of Urban Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Ecosystem services (ES) are the contribution of ecosystem structure and function to human well-being, connecting natural and socio-economic systems. ES trade-off/synergy has been one of the critical issues in sustainable environmental governance for guiding and formulating environmental policies. However, science-to-practice framework for ecosystem services trade-off/synergy governance are still rare. This study presents a comprehensive framework for identifying and managing trade-off and synergy of ESs in an urbanizing region. Using Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)—one of the fastest urbanizing regions in China—as a case, this study identified major ecosystem service bundles (ESBs) and applied the comprehensive framework to inform ES trade-off/synergy governance. The results showed that there were three stable ESBs in the GBA, and that ESB 1 (high grain production) and ESB 2 (high carbon sequestration) should be increased, and ESB 3 (all ES provision are low) should be increased. Moreover, there was large spatial–temporal change in ESBs in the central area of the GBA during 2000–2015 due to population and land urbanization. This study provides valuable information for sustainable land management and environmental governance in an urbanizing region.

Keywords: ecosystem services; trade-off; environmental governance; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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