IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i10p4332-d1653111.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparative Study of Water–Energy–Food–Ecology Coupling Coordination in Urban Agglomerations with Different Development Gradients

Author

Listed:
  • Jialv Zhu

    (College of Geographic Science and Tourism, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000, China
    Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China)

  • Wenxin Liu

    (Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China
    College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101314, China)

  • Yingyue Sun

    (College of Geographic Science and Tourism, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000, China)

Abstract

The sustainable development of urban agglomerations depends on the effective coordination of water, energy, food, and ecology (WEFE) systems. However, disparities in resource endowments and socio-economic conditions create challenges for achieving a balanced WEFE system across urban regions. This study examines three urban agglomerations in China with distinct development gradients: the Pearl River Delta (PRD), the Hohhot–Baotou–Ordos–Yulin (HBOY) region, and the Central Jilin Province (CJP). A comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed to assess the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of the WEFE system from 2008 to 2022. Through the CCD model, spatiotemporal evolution trends are analyzed, while correlation analysis explores development patterns under varying gradient conditions. A back-propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) model identifies the primary driving factors influencing WEFE coordination. Key findings include the following: (1) the CCD of the PRD, HBOY, and CJP urban agglomerations has improved over time, with CCD values ranging between 0.4 and 0.6, 0.3 and 0.5, and 0.4 and 0.6, respectively. (2) The CCD exhibits a negative correlation with urbanization rates exceeding 70% and industrialization rates but shows a positive correlation with per capita GDP. (3) The dominant contributing subsystems vary; ecology in the PRD (28.76%), food in HBOY (28.83%), and food in CJP (29.32%). These findings underline the importance of tailored strategies for enhancing WEFE system coordination in urban agglomerations with diverse development gradients. Targeted policy recommendations are proposed based on regional characteristics and subsystem contributions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jialv Zhu & Wenxin Liu & Yingyue Sun, 2025. "Comparative Study of Water–Energy–Food–Ecology Coupling Coordination in Urban Agglomerations with Different Development Gradients," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-26, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4332-:d:1653111
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4332/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4332/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shuyuan Liu & Lichuan Wang & Jin Lin & Huan Wang & Xuegang Li & Tianqi Ao, 2023. "Evaluation of Water-Energy-Food-Ecology System Development in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region from a Symbiotic Perspective and Analysis of Influencing Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Mohammed Ombadi & Mark D. Risser & Alan M. Rhoades & Charuleka Varadharajan, 2023. "A warming-induced reduction in snow fraction amplifies rainfall extremes," Nature, Nature, vol. 619(7969), pages 305-310, July.
    3. Tang, Qian & Wang, Jinman & Jing, Zhaorui & Yan, Youlong & Niu, Hebin, 2021. "Response of ecological vulnerability to land use change in a resource-based city, China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    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. Yang Li & Jiafu Liu & Yue Zhu & Chunyan Wu & Yuqi Zhang, 2025. "Spatiotemporal Differentiation and Attribution Analysis of Ecological Vulnerability in Heilongjiang Province, China, 2000–2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Chenyang Wu & Yichen Zhang & Jiquan Zhang & Yanan Chen & Chenyu Duan & Jiawei Qi & Zhongshuai Cheng & Zengkai Pan, 2022. "Comprehensive Evaluation of the Eco-Geological Environment in the Concentrated Mining Area of Mineral Resources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wu, Zhihang, 2025. "Developing renewable energy in the face of extreme climate: Implications of tertiarization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    4. Zhixian Sun & Yang Liu & Hongbin Sang, 2023. "Spatial-Temporal Variation and Driving Factors of Ecological Vulnerability in Nansi Lake Basin, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-16, February.
    5. Yifeng Hou & Yaning Chen & Zhi Li & Yang Wang, 2023. "Changes in Land Use Pattern and Structure under the Rapid Urbanization of the Tarim River Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Kumler, Andrew & Kravitz, Ben & Draxl, Caroline & Vimmerstedt, Laura & Benton, Brandon & Lundquist, Julie K. & Martin, Michael & Buck, Holly Jean & Wang, Hailong & Lennard, Christopher & Tao, Ling, 2025. "Potential effects of climate change and solar radiation modification on renewable energy resources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    7. Hengfei Zhang & Xinglong Mu & Fanxiang Meng & Ennan Zheng & Fangli Dong & Tianxiao Li & Fuwang Xu, 2024. "Future Increase in Extreme Precipitation: Historical Data Analysis and Influential Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-22, November.
    8. Qikang Zhong & Zhe Li & Yujing He, 2023. "Coupling Evaluation and Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Land Ecosystem Services and Economic–Social Development in a City Group: The Case Study of the Chengdu–Chongqing City Group," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-29, March.
    9. Doreen S. Boyd & Bethany Jackson & Jessica Decker Sparks & Giles M. Foody & Renoy Girindran & Simon Gosling & Zoe Trodd & Laoise Ni Bhriain & Edgar Rodriguez‐Huerta, 2025. "The future of decent work: Forecasting heat stress and the intersection of sustainable development challenges in India's brick kilns," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 3099-3117, April.
    10. Tao Ding & Yueqi Zhang & Peng Zhou & Xin Zhao, 2025. "Local government competition, decision‐making behavior, and green land use total factor productivity: Evidence from cities in China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(4), pages 2029-2043, June.
    11. Yirui Zhao & Tongsheng Li & Julin Li & Mengwei Song, 2022. "Study of Township Construction Land Carrying Capacity and Spatial Pattern Matching in Loess Plateau Hilly and Gully Region: A Case of Xifeng in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Lijia Zhang & Zhenqi Hu & Dazhi Yang & Huanhuan Li & Bo Liu & He Gao & Congjie Cao & Yan Zhou & Junfang Li & Shuchang Li, 2022. "Land Use Dynamic Evolution and Driving Factors of Typical Open-Pit Coal Mines in Inner Mongolia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, August.
    13. Wu, Fengqi & Guo, Simeng & Huang, Weibin & Zhang, Zhenggui & Han, Yingchun & Wang, Zhanbiao & Wang, Guoping & Feng, Lu & Li, Xiaofei & Lei, Yaping & Zhi, Xiaoyu & Yang, Beifang & Zhang, Shijie & Xiong, 2024. "Extreme rainfall and soil water consumption differences increase yield shedding at lower fruiting branches, reducing cotton water productivity under different sowing dates," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).

    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:4332-:d:1653111. 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.