IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i15p6993-d1715296.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Coupling Patterns Between Urbanization and the Water Environment: A Case Study of Neijiang City, Sichuan Province, China

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaofan Min

    (College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China)

  • Jirong Liu

    (College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China)

  • Yanlin Liu

    (College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China)

  • Jie Zhou

    (College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China)

  • Jiangtao Zhao

    (College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China
    MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

The ongoing advancement of urbanization has significantly amplified its impacts on the water environment. Understanding the coupling relationships between urbanization and the water environment (UAWE) is crucial for Chinese policymakers aiming to promote sustainable urban development. In this study, a comprehensive UAWE evaluation model was developed to examine the development trajectories in Neijiang City from 2012 to 2022. Methodologically, a comprehensive evaluation approach was applied to assess urbanization and water resource trends over this period, followed by the development of a Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCDM) to quantify their synergistic relationship. The results showed that the coupling between the comprehensive urbanization index and the water environment system evolved over time, as reflected in the following key findings: (1) Neijiang underwent three distinct stages from 2012 to 2022 in terms of coupling and coordination between urbanization and the water environment: Basic Coordination (2012–2015), Good Coordination (2016–2020), and Excellent Coordination (2020–2022). (2) Urbanization exerted varying impacts on subsystems of the water environment, with the pressure-response subsystems exhibiting marked volatility from 2012 to 2022. The impact intensity followed the order spatial urbanization > economic urbanization > social urbanization > population urbanization. These findings offer valuable theoretical and practical insights for aligning urban sustainability goals with effective water environment protection measures. This study provides essential guidance for policymakers in Neijiang and similar regions, enabling the development of tailored strategies for sustainable urbanization and enhanced water management.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaofan Min & Jirong Liu & Yanlin Liu & Jie Zhou & Jiangtao Zhao, 2025. "Coupling Patterns Between Urbanization and the Water Environment: A Case Study of Neijiang City, Sichuan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-21, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:6993-:d:1715296
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/6993/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/6993/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Jieyu & Wang, Shaojian & Li, Shijie & Feng, Kuishuang, 2019. "Coupling analysis of urbanization and energy-environment efficiency: Evidence from Guangdong province," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(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. Xiaoqing Lin & Chunyan Lu & Kaishan Song & Ying Su & Yifan Lei & Lianxiu Zhong & Yibin Gao, 2020. "Analysis of Coupling Coordination Variance between Urbanization Quality and Eco-Environment Pressure: A Case Study of the West Taiwan Strait Urban Agglomeration, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Libiao Bai & Xinyu Zhou & Yuanyuan Tian & Lan Wei, 2024. "Evaluation for the Development of Urban Agglomeration Integration: A Case Study of Pearl River Delta," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 171(3), pages 877-904, February.
    3. Sun, Xiaohang & Duan, Haiyan & Song, Junnian & Zheng, Heran & Yang, Wei & Mi, Zhifu, 2024. "Carbon peaking trajectory links to development of a coupled urbanization-industrialization-energy system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    4. Kangxu Wang & Weifeng Wang & Tongtong Li & Shengjun Wen & Xin Fu & Xinhao Wang, 2023. "Optimizing Living Service Amenities for Diverse Urban Residents: A Supply and Demand Balancing Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-24, August.
    5. Qianqian Huang & Benhong Peng & Xin Sheng & Anxia Wan, 2022. "Exploring new ideas for sustainable development of urban agglomerations-based on the coupling of people’s livelihood and environmental governance," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(8), pages 9985-10004, August.
    6. Yanli Gao & Hongbo Li & Yan Song, 2021. "Interaction Relationship between Urbanization and Land Use Multifunctionality: Evidence from Han River Basin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-21, September.
    7. Zhenhui Huang & Wei Wei & Ying Han & Shuangying Ding & Ke Tang, 2022. "The Coupling Coordination Evolutionary Analysis of Tourism-Ecological Environment-Public Service for the Yellow River Basin of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-23, July.
    8. Wang, Xipan & Song, Junnian & Xing, Jiahao & Duan, Haiyan & Wang, Xian'en, 2022. "System nexus consolidates coupling of regional water and energy efficiencies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    9. Chen, Yu & Lin, Boqiang, 2021. "Understanding the green total factor energy efficiency gap between regional manufacturing—insight from infrastructure development," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    10. Yazhou Zhou & Yong Huang & Wenyuan Liu, 2024. "Understanding the Conflict between an Ecological Environment and Human Activities in the Process of Urbanization: A Case Study of Ya’an City, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-19, August.
    11. Xiaobing Gu & Guangyu Wang & Shunli Zhang & Linyan Feng & Ram P. Sharma & Huoyan Zhou & Liyong Fu & Qingjun Wu & Yaquan Dou & Xiaodi Zhao, 2023. "Relationship between Climate-Shaped Urbanization and Forest Ecological Function: A Case Study of the Yellow River Basin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-20, November.
    12. Wei Wei & Lei Xiao & Xiao Zhang & Luyao Jin & Di Wang & Xin Long & Qiaoqiao Yang & Jinxiang Li & Ying Zhou, 2025. "Spatial–Temporal Analysis of Coupling Coordination Between New Urbanization and Ecological Environment in Ya’an, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, January.
    13. Qiangyi Li & Lan Yang & Fangxin Jiang & Yangqing Liu & Chenyang Guo & Shuya Han, 2022. "Distribution Characteristics, Regional Differences and Spatial Convergence of the Water-Energy-Land-Food Nexus: A Case Study of China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-28, September.
    14. Kun Chen & Yinrong Chen & Min Liu & Yi Chen, 2023. "Research on the Spatio-Temporal Characteristics and Influence Path of High-Quality Economic Development from the Perspective of Urban Land Transfer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    15. Bing Zhang & Peng Hou & Hai-tao Xu & Yan-hong Zhao & Jun-jun Bai & Xian-lin Liu, 2021. "The Spatiotemporal Evolution Analysis of Ecosystem Pattern in Wenchuan (Magnitude 8.0) Earthquake Disaster Area, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-13, March.
    16. Mengning Liu & Chao Liu & Qingke Yang & Jinli Zhao, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Interactive Effect between Urbanization and Sustainable Urban Development: Evidence from Yangtze River Delta," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, July.
    17. Hongyi Zhang & Hsing Hung Chen & Kunseng Lao & Zhengyu Ren, 2022. "The Impacts of Resource Endowment, and Environmental Regulations on Sustainability—Empirical Evidence Based on Data from Renewable Energy Enterprises," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-14, June.
    18. Jingru Huang & Jie Shen & Lu Miao, 2020. "Carbon Emissions Trading and Sustainable Development in China: Empirical Analysis Based on the Coupling Coordination Degree Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-13, December.
    19. Yu Liu & Rui-tang Guo & Wei-guo Pan, 2024. "Evaluation of carbon emission efficiency and spatial relevance in the thermal power industry: evidence from China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 22715-22745, September.
    20. Tao Zhang & Lin Li, 2021. "Research on temporal and spatial variations in the degree of coupling coordination of tourism–urbanization–ecological environment: a case study of Heilongjiang, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8474-8491, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:15:p:6993-:d:1715296. 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.