Evaluating and optimizing the ecosystem health of China’s Yellow River Basin based on emergy analysis and multi-objective decision method

Leping Chen, Yue Li, Shu Tian, Mengyue Liu, Yanshuang Jia, Yue Yang, Xueliang Yuan (), Qingsong Wang, Qiao Ma, Yongwei Li and Jian Zuo
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Leping Chen: Shandong University
Yue Li: Shandong University
Shu Tian: Shandong University
Mengyue Liu: Shandong University
Yanshuang Jia: Shandong University
Yue Yang: Shandong University
Xueliang Yuan: Shandong University
Qingsong Wang: Shandong University
Qiao Ma: Shandong University
Yongwei Li: Shandong University
Jian Zuo: The University of Adelaide

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2025, vol. 27, issue 3, No 51, 6945-6969

Abstract: Abstract The Yellow River is an important ecological shelter zone and one of China’s economic belts. Under the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) and the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutralization, there is an imperative to achieve healthy development of the YRB’s ecosystem. This study uses emergy analysis, multi-objective decision method, synergy degree model, and obstacle degree model to evaluate and optimize the ecosystem health of nine cities along the YRB in Shandong Province. Results show that the ecosystem health levels of the nine cities continuously improved from 2010 to 2019, spatially presenting the characteristics that the upstream and midstream cities were lower than the downstream, and the midstream cities rose rapidly. The synergy degree of health in this region fluctuated in the range of [− 0.009, 0.080]. The key obstacle factors of the nine cities changed a lot from 2010 to 2019. It transformed from indicators focused on the driving force layer in 2010 to the state layer and response layer in 2019, which means optimization measures should be concentrated in energy resource structure and ecological environment quality. Three ecosystem health optimization paths are proposed related to regional synergy, energy resources, and ecological environment. The methodology and results of this study provide references for ecosystem health research at the regional level.

Keywords: Yellow River Basin; Emergy analysis; Ecosystem health; Multi-objective decision method; Optimization path (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-04175-z

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