IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i7p3036-d1623274.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluation of the Sustainable Development Capacity of Bay Cities in China in the Context of Blue Bay Remediation Action

Author

Listed:
  • Jian Feng

    (School of Economics and Management, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China)

  • Lingjin Kong

    (School of Economics and Management, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China)

  • Haoyang Li

    (School of Agricultural Science and Practice, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 6JS, UK)

  • Nicola Cannon

    (School of Agricultural Science and Practice, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 6JS, UK)

  • Xianmin Chang

    (School of Agricultural Science and Practice, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 6JS, UK)

  • Longbo Ma

    (School of Economics and Management, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China)

Abstract

In response to the urgent need for the sustainable development of the marine environment, the Chinese government initiated Blue Bay Remediation Action (BBRA) in 2016, piloting efforts in 16 bay cities. Recognizing that these areas function as integrated ecosystems, it is clear that solely addressing issues within the bays will not completely resolve the ecological challenges. Guided by the principles of comprehensive treatment and sustainable development inherent in the BBRA policy, this paper incorporates the ecological indicators of bays and the surrounding sea into a sustainable development framework for 52 bay cities. To identify a balanced approach for the development of the economy, ecology, and society, a three-component evaluation system with 39 indicators is established to assess the sustainable development levels of bay cities from 2015 to 2019 in China. According to the results of the principal component and coupling coordination degree analyses, they indicate that after BBRA, the change in the sustainable development levels of the pilot bay cities is not obvious. Significant disparities exist in the levels of sustainable development among the majority of the pilot cities, with imbalances observed across economic, ecological, and social dimensions. Consequently, in researching the balanced sustainable development of bay cities, it is essential to consider the unique development characteristics of each city during the implementation process of the BBRA.

Suggested Citation

  • Jian Feng & Lingjin Kong & Haoyang Li & Nicola Cannon & Xianmin Chang & Longbo Ma, 2025. "Evaluation of the Sustainable Development Capacity of Bay Cities in China in the Context of Blue Bay Remediation Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-25, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:7:p:3036-:d:1623274
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/7/3036/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/7/3036/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Han, Xu & Wang, Ying & Yu, Wanlin & Xia, Xianli, 2023. "Coupling and coordination between green finance and agricultural green development: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PA).
    2. Baodi Sun & Yinru Lei & Lijuan Cui & Wei Li & Xiaoming Kang & Manyin Zhang, 2018. "Addressing the Modelling Precision in Evaluating the Ecosystem Services of Coastal Wetlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Longyu Shi & Linwei Han & Fengmei Yang & Lijie Gao, 2019. "The Evolution of Sustainable Development Theory: Types, Goals, and Research Prospects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-16, December.
    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. Lijun Zhou & Lucen Liu & Yan Wang & Yuxian Ou & Zijing Zhao, 2021. "Exploring the Relationship between Leisure and Sustainability in a Chinese Hollow Village," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Junuguru Srinivas & Naveen Kolloju & Akanksha Singh & Siriman Naveen & Sudhaveni Naresh, 2024. "The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals-2030," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(4), pages 15485-15498, December.
    3. Xuan Liu & Xuexi Huo, 2024. "Green Finance, Land Transfer and China’s Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Juan Abello-Romero & Claudio Mancilla & Walter Sáez & Francisco Ganga-Contreras & Ivette Durán-Seguel, 2023. "Sustainable Development and Corporate Sustainability of Chilean State Universities: Evidence from Their Strategic Elements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-16, July.
    5. Lin Zhuo & Xiangfeng Guan & Songzhong Ye, 2020. "Quantitative Evaluation and Prediction Analysis of the Healthy and Sustainable Development of China’s Sports Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, March.
    6. Marian Oliński & Jarosław Mioduszewski, 2022. "Determinants of Development of Social Enterprises according to the Theory of Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-21, November.
    7. Walter Leal Filho & João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio & Lucas Veiga Ávila & Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis & Paula M. Hernandez‐Diaz & Karina Batista & Bruno Borsari & Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, 2025. "Enhancing the contribution of higher education institutions to sustainable development research: A focus on post‐2015 SDGs," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 1745-1757, April.
    8. Usama M. Ibrahem & Abdullah Z. AlMankory & Hussein M. Abdelfatah & Dalia M. Kedwany & Ibrahem M. Diab & Rabab A. Abdul Kader, 2024. "MOOC-based e-platform during the Corona pandemic to qualify and train women to achieve sustainable development: obstacles, needs, and impacts," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(10), pages 26785-26816, October.
    9. Paul G. Kimiti & Xavier Francis Ichani, 2024. "Unraveling the Implementation of Kenya’s Environmental Diplomacy Pillar in Mitigating Air Pollution: A Case of Nairobi City County," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(3), pages 2387-2404, March.
    10. Yang, Xiaoxi & Zhang, Dansha & Masron, Tajul Ariffin, 2024. "The impact of smart city construction on achieving peak carbon neutrality: Evidence from 31 provinces in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    11. Xiaowei Ni & Yongbo Quan, 2023. "Measuring the Sustainable Development of Marine Economy Based on the Entropy Value Method: A Case Study in the Yangtze River Delta, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-16, April.
    12. repec:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:3s:p:3281-3295 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Freddy Marín-González & Sharmila Rani Moganadas & Ana Judith Paredes-Chacín & Sook Fern Yeo & Subhacini Subramaniam, 2022. "Sustainable Local Development: Consolidated Framework for Cross-Sectoral Cooperation via a Systematic Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-33, May.
    14. Abdulkabir Opeyemi Bello & Taofeek Tunde Okanlawon & Ibrahim Yahaya Wuni & Suhaib Arogundade & Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi, 2024. "Exploring the nexus between the barriers and drivers for sustainable smart cities in developing countries: The case of Nigeria," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 4097-4113, August.
    15. Chen, Liang & Ma, Rui & Li, Jing & Zhou, Fengjiao, 2024. "Revolutionizing sustainable economic growth in China: Harnessing natural resources, green development, and fintech for a greener future," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    16. Rita Vasconcellos Oliveira, 2021. "Social Innovation for a Just Sustainable Development: Integrating the Wellbeing of Future People," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-12, August.
    17. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Yuan, Zihao & Kang, Yongchao, 2024. "Green finance and land ecological security: A potential mechanism for sustainable development," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 1222-1241.
    18. John J. Fitzpatrick, 2020. "Target Ecological Limits and Not Economic Growth," World, MDPI, vol. 1(2), pages 1-14, September.
    19. Huang, Ruilei & Wei, Jiuchang, 2023. "Does CEOs’ green experience affect environmental corporate social responsibility? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 205-231.
    20. Jackson Sekasi & Mauro Luiz Martens, 2021. "Assessing the Contributions of Urban Light Rail Transit to the Sustainable Development of Addis Ababa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-22, May.
    21. Zlati, Monica Laura & Antohi, Valentin-Marian & Ionescu, Romeo-Victor & Iticescu, Catalina & Georgescu, Lucian Puiu, 2024. "Quantyfing the impact of the water security index on socio-economic development in EU27," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 93(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:7:p:3036-:d:1623274. 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.