Revealing the Coupling Relationship between the Gross Ecosystem Product and Economic Growth: A Case Study of Hubei Province

Shuai Guan, Qi Liao, Wenjun Wu, Chuan Yi and Yueming Gao
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Shuai Guan: School of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Qi Liao: College of Resources & Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Wenjun Wu: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Planning and Policy Simulation, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing 100012, China
Chuan Yi: Hubei Provincial Academy of Eco-Environmental Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
Yueming Gao: State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Planning and Policy Simulation, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing 100012, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-15

Abstract: The question of how to balance rapid economic growth with ecosystem pressures has become a key issue in recent years. Using the Tapio decoupling model, the spatial autocorrelation model, and the LMDI decomposition model, we analyzed the spatiotemporal variation in gross ecosystem product (GEP) in Hubei Province, studied the relationship between GEP and economic growth, and analyzed the driving factors of GEP variation. The results show that, during the period 2010–2019, the decoupling coefficient between GEP and economic growth in Hubei Province gradually decreased, while the decoupling relationship changed from weak decoupling to strong decoupling; this change is reflected not only in the decoupling index values of various cities but also in the number of changing cities, so this negative change should attract the attention of policy-makers. In addition, there is a significant local spatial autocorrelation in Hubei Province, mainly distributed in the northwest and southwest of the province, and the trend is becoming increasingly obvious. As the decoupling trend is negative, it is necessary to pay attention to local autocorrelation changes, especially in highly correlated cities, and take action to prevent the further exacerbation of such decoupling to maintain healthy economic and social development. Regarding the driving factors of GEP changes in Hubei Province, cities with strong decoupling and those with weak decoupling have certain differences, and different types of decoupling cities need to adopt different strategies to alleviate pressure on the ecological environment. Cities with a weak decoupling need to address the problem of pollutant emissions associated with industrial upgrading and the positive impact of scientific and technological innovation on the ecological environment. Cities with strong decoupling should not only address pollutant discharge but also improve the area of ecological land. From the perspective of urban development, the high-quality development trend of Wuhan, Yichang, Xiantao, Qianjiang, Xianning, and other cities shows a continuous trend of improvement. Ezhou, Jingzhou, Shennongjia, and other cities need to guard against the loss of ecosystems caused by economic growth.

Keywords: GEP; ecosystem services; Hubei Province; decoupling relationship; GDP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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