IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i10p4301-d1652242.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ecological Vulnerability Evaluation and Change Analysis of the Tianshan Area Along the Pipeline of the “West-to-East Gas Transmission” Project Based on the SRP Model

Author

Listed:
  • Chao Wang

    (College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Yijie Zhu

    (College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Zihao Wu

    (School of Environment and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Xiong Xu

    (College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

Abstract

The “West-to-East Gas Transmission” project has accelerated economic development in Xinjiang and the central-western regions along the pipeline. However, as the pipeline traverses multiple cities and counties in the Tianshan region, it has significantly impacted the local ecology, necessitating a comprehensive assessment. This study employs the Sensitivity-Resilience-Pressure (SRP) model to construct an ecological vulnerability assessment system for the Tianshan region, aiming to analyze changes in ecological vulnerability and evaluate the environmental impact of the “West-to-East Gas Transmission” project. The results indicate that, spatially, ecological vulnerability in the Tianshan region increases progressively from northwest to southeast. Temporally, from 2000 to 2010, the mean Ecological Vulnerability Index (EVI) exhibited a decreasing trend, with values of 0.476, 0.464, and 0.462, primarily shifting to lower vulnerability levels. From 2010 to 2020, the EVI showed an increasing trend, with values of 0.462, 0.466, and 0.468, predominantly transitioning from heavy to very heavy vulnerability. The key influencing factors of ecological vulnerability in the Tianshan region, ranked by importance, are NDVI, NPP, land use type, annual precipitation, and aridity. Furthermore, the “West-to-East Gas Transmission” project consists of three main pipelines (Lines 1, 2, and 3), for which buffer zone analyses were conducted at radii of 1 km, 3 km, and 5 km. The results indicate that ecological vulnerability patterns remained consistent across different buffer zone sizes, and larger buffer radii were associated with lower mean EVI values along the pipeline. After pipeline construction, the mean EVI along Line 1 decreased from 0.566 to 0.550, while the EVI along Line 2 remained nearly unchanged. In contrast, the mean EVI along Line 3 increased from 0.434 to 0.447. Regarding changes in ecological vulnerability levels, along Line 1, the area of improvement (18.83%) exceeded the area of deterioration (1.09%), primarily due to the high proportion of very heavy vulnerability zones (>80%), which are more likely to transition to lower vulnerability levels. Along Line 2, ecological vulnerability remained relatively stable, indicating minimal environmental impact. However, along Line 3, the improvement area (3.81%) was significantly smaller than the deterioration area (20.52%), suggesting that construction of Line 3 had a more pronounced ecological impact, leading to greater degradation of the ecological vulnerability along its route.

Suggested Citation

  • Chao Wang & Yijie Zhu & Zihao Wu & Xiong Xu, 2025. "Ecological Vulnerability Evaluation and Change Analysis of the Tianshan Area Along the Pipeline of the “West-to-East Gas Transmission” Project Based on the SRP Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4301-:d:1652242
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4301/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4301/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hanlong Gu & Chongyang Huan & Fengjiao Yang, 2023. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Ecological Vulnerability and Its Influencing Factors in Shenyang City of China: Based on SRP Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-26, January.
    2. Jiansheng Wu & Xin Lin & Meijuan Wang & Jian Peng & Yuanjie Tu, 2017. "Assessing Agricultural Drought Vulnerability by a VSD Model: A Case Study in Yunnan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Vaidya, Omkarprasad S. & Kumar, Sushil, 2006. "Analytic hierarchy process: An overview of applications," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 169(1), pages 1-29, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jochen Wulf, 2020. "Development of an AHP hierarchy for managing omnichannel capabilities: a design science research approach," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 13(1), pages 39-68, April.
    2. Nina Almasifar & Tülay Özdemir Canbolat & Milad Akhavan & Roberto Alonso González-Lezcano, 2021. "Proposing a New Methodology for Monument Conservation “SCOPE MANAGEMENT” by the Use of an Analytic Hierarchy Process Project Management Institute System and the ICOMOS Burra Charter," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Xinyuan Wang & Hao Cheng & Fujia Li & Dashtseren Avirmed & Bair Tsydypov & Menghan Zhang, 2023. "Vulnerability Assessment and Optimization Countermeasures of the Human–Land Coupling System of the China–Mongolia–Russia Cross-Border Transportation Corridor," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Jitendar Kumar Khatri & Bhimaraya Metri, 2016. "SWOT-AHP Approach for Sustainable Manufacturing Strategy Selection: A Case of Indian SME," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 17(5), pages 1211-1226, October.
    5. Sushil, 2019. "Efficient interpretive ranking process incorporating implicit and transitive dominance relationships," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 283(1), pages 1489-1516, December.
    6. Wang, Ying-Ming & Elhag, Taha M.S., 2007. "A goal programming method for obtaining interval weights from an interval comparison matrix," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(1), pages 458-471, February.
    7. Madjid Tavana & Mariya Sodenkamp & Leena Suhl, 2010. "A soft multi-criteria decision analysis model with application to the European Union enlargement," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 393-421, December.
    8. Lim, Chulmin & Rowsell, Joe & Kim, Seongcheol, 2023. "Exploring the killer domains to create new value: A Comparative case study of Canadian and Korean telcos," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277998, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    9. Ho, William, 2008. "Integrated analytic hierarchy process and its applications - A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(1), pages 211-228, April.
    10. Chao Liu & Qichen Liao & Wenyan Gao & Shuxian Li & Peng Jiang & Ding Li, 2024. "Intellectual Capital Evaluation Index Based on a Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Technique," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-29, April.
    11. Wenshuai Wu & Gang Kou, 2016. "A group consensus model for evaluating real estate investment alternatives," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 2(1), pages 1-10, December.
    12. Karasakal, Esra & Aker, Pınar, 2017. "A multicriteria sorting approach based on data envelopment analysis for R&D project selection problem," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 79-92.
    13. Lucie Lidinska & Josef Jablonsky, 2018. "AHP model for performance evaluation of employees in a Czech management consulting company," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 26(1), pages 239-258, March.
    14. Bashar Hassna & Sarah Namany & Mohammad Alherbawi & Adel Elomri & Tareq Al-Ansari, 2024. "Multi-Objective Optimization for Food Availability under Economic and Environmental Risk Constraints," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-18, May.
    15. Rubio-Aliaga, Alvaro & García-Cascales, M. Socorro & Sánchez-Lozano, Juan Miguel & Molina-Garcia, Angel, 2021. "MCDM-based multidimensional approach for selection of optimal groundwater pumping systems: Design and case example," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 213-224.
    16. Saeed Nosratabadi & Gergo Pinter & Amir Mosavi & Sandor Semperger, 2020. "Sustainable Banking; Evaluation of the European Business Models," Papers 2003.13423, arXiv.org.
    17. Zhu, Bin & Xu, Zeshui, 2014. "Stochastic preference analysis in numerical preference relations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 237(2), pages 628-633.
    18. Ying Guo & Rui Wang & Zhijun Tong & Xingpeng Liu & Jiquan Zhang, 2019. "Dynamic Evaluation and Regionalization of Maize Drought Vulnerability in the Midwest of Jilin Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-21, August.
    19. Wang, Ying-Ming & Luo, Ying & Hua, Zhongsheng, 2008. "On the extent analysis method for fuzzy AHP and its applications," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(2), pages 735-747, April.
    20. Jing Xu & Ren Zhang & Yangjun Wang & Hengqian Yan & Quanhong Liu & Yutong Guo & Yongcun Ren, 2022. "A New Framework for Assessment of Offshore Wind Farm Location," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-17, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4301-:d:1652242. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.