Study on the Coupling and Harmonization of Agricultural Economy, Population Development, and Ecological Environment in the Yangtze River Basin

Pengling Liu, Caozhe Wang, Xinyi Xie () and Tongwei Lu
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Pengling Liu: School of Rural Revitalization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Caozhe Wang: School of Economics and Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Xinyi Xie: School of Agricultural & Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Tongwei Lu: School of Economics and Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: Achieving green, low-carbon, and sustainable development in the Yangtze River Basin is an important part of promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. Based on the panel data of 19 provinces in the Yangtze River Basin from 2002 to 2022, this article constructed a comprehensive evaluation system for the agricultural economy–population development–ecological environment system. By using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method and the coupling coordination degree model, the comprehensive development level and the coupling coordination status of the agricultural economy, population development, and ecological environment system in the Yangtze River Basin were quantitatively analyzed. The results show the following: (1) The comprehensive index of the agricultural economy–population development–ecological environment system in the Yangtze River Basin shows a fluctuating upward trend, with obvious regional differences, and the comprehensive level showed a trend of gradual improvement from west to east. (2) The coupling degree of the agricultural economy–population development–ecological environment system in the Yangtze River Basin exhibits a volatile characteristic, initially increasing, then decreasing, and subsequently increasing again. Overall, the trend is moving toward a tighter coupling state. (3) The coupling degree of the agricultural economy–population development–ecological environment system in the provinces of the Yangtze River Basin shows a steadily increasing trend, yet the overall coupling coordination degree is not high and remains in a barely coordinated state. Accordingly, suggestions are put forward to optimize the economic structure, improve the population quality, adhere to ecological protection, and accelerate regional linkage so as to promote the coordinated development of economic development, population growth, and ecological protection in the basin.

Keywords: Yangtze River Basin; agricultural economy; population development; ecological environment; coupled coordination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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