IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v26y2024i4d10.1007_s10668-023-03160-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable development of urban agglomeration based on material metabolism: a case study on Fujian Delta, China

Author

Listed:
  • Yangyang Lin

    (Xiamen University)

  • Yiping Chen

    (Xiamen University)

  • Hongtao Nie

    (Xiamen University)

  • Lihong Peng

    (Xiamen University)

Abstract

As highly concentrated urbanized areas, urban agglomerations bear increasing resource depletion and environmental pressures, which threaten the regional sustainable development. Resource and environmental problems arising from the process of urbanization can be attributed to the dislocation or maladjustment of material metabolism in time or space. Conducting research on material metabolism at the level of urban agglomerations is helpful in finding the root causes of environmental problems to provide support for the reduction of regional resource consumption and pollution emissions. The material metabolism characteristics of the urban agglomeration and internal cities of the Fujian Delta Urban Agglomeration (FDUA) in China are evaluated using the material flow analysis. The following results are observed. (1) The economic development of the FDUA is still at risk of resource consumption, and a large proportion of hidden flow (HF > 80%) drags down the overall metabolic efficiency and sustainable development. (2) The discharge of various pollutants in the FDUA generally shows a downward trend. Improving metabolic efficiency, delayed MCI growth, and improved overall regional environmental quality are observed. (3) Cities that have relatively scarce land resources but are economically developed, such as Xiamen, still bear a relatively heavy ecological burden (ECdmc > 1). (4) Regional collaboration is conducive to the sustainable development of multiple regions. On the one hand, the results of this study provide decision-making basis for the sustainable development of the national ecological civilization demonstration area. On the other hand, this work guides the establishment of a comprehensive industrial linkage and cooperation mechanism for the same type of small- and medium-sized urban agglomerations.

Suggested Citation

  • Yangyang Lin & Yiping Chen & Hongtao Nie & Lihong Peng, 2024. "Sustainable development of urban agglomeration based on material metabolism: a case study on Fujian Delta, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 10533-10555, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:26:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-023-03160-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-03160-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-023-03160-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-023-03160-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Inga Ivanova & Øivind Strand & Loet Leydesdorff, 2019. "What Is the Effect of Synergy Provided by International Collaborations on Regional Economies?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 10(1), pages 18-34, March.
    2. Zhi Li & Chengri Ding & Yi Niu, 2019. "Industrial structure and urban agglomeration: evidence from Chinese cities," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 63(1), pages 191-218, August.
    3. Zhang, Yan & Liu, Hong & Chen, Bin, 2013. "Comprehensive evaluation of the structural characteristics of an urban metabolic system: Model development and a case study of Beijing," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 106-113.
    4. Chengwei Wang & Qingchun Meng, 2020. "Research on the Sustainable Synergetic Development of Chinese Urban Economies in the Context of a Study of Industrial Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-15, February.
    5. Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Fishman, Tomer & Lauk, Christian & Haas, Willi & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2019. "Integrating Material Stock Dynamics Into Economy-Wide Material Flow Accounting: Concepts, Modelling, and Global Application for 1900–2050," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 121-133.
    6. Juan Infante-Amate & David Soto & Eduardo Aguilera & Roberto García-Ruiz & Gloria Guzmán & Antonio Cid & Manuel González de Molina, 2015. "The Spanish Transition to Industrial Metabolism: Long-Term Material Flow Analysis (1860–2010)," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 19(5), pages 866-876, October.
    7. Tiejun Dai & Wanjun Wang, 2018. "The Characteristics and Trends of Socioeconomic Metabolism in China," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(5), pages 1228-1240, October.
    8. Cao, Zhi & Liu, Gang & Duan, Huabo & Xi, Fengming & Liu, Guiwen & Yang, Wei, 2019. "Unravelling the mystery of Chinese building lifetime: A calibration and verification based on dynamic material flow analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 442-452.
    9. Raupova, Ozoda & Kamahara, Hirotsugu & Goto, Naohiro, 2014. "Assessment of physical economy through economy-wide material flow analysis in developing Uzbekistan," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 76-85.
    10. Mike Hodson & Simon Marvin & Blake Robinson & Mark Swilling, 2012. "Reshaping Urban Infrastructure," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 16(6), pages 789-800, December.
    11. Sabine Barles, 2009. "Urban Metabolism of Paris and Its Region," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 13(6), pages 898-913, 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. Asterios Papageorgiou & Rajib Sinha & Björn Frostell & Cecilia Sundberg, 2020. "A new physical accounting model for material flows in urban systems with application to the Stockholm Royal Seaport District," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(3), pages 459-472, June.
    2. Bertoldi, Nicola & Perrotti, Daniela, 2025. "Linking systems to agencies in urban metabolism studies: A conceptual framework and computational analysis of research literature," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    3. Yanxian Li & Jiawen Wang & Dan Xian & Yan Zhang & Xiangyi Yu, 2021. "Regional consumption, material flows, and their driving forces: A case study of China's Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (Jing–Jin–Ji) urban agglomeration," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(3), pages 751-764, June.
    4. Vincent Augiseau & Eunhye Kim, 2021. "Inflows and Outflows from Material Stocks of Buildings and Networks and their Space-Differentiated Drivers: The Case Study of the Paris Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Jing Guo & Tomer Fishman & Yao Wang & Alessio Miatto & Wendy Wuyts & Licheng Zheng & Heming Wang & Hiroki Tanikawa, 2021. "Urban development and sustainability challenges chronicled by a century of construction material flows and stocks in Tiexi, China," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(1), pages 162-175, February.
    6. Yang, Honghua & Ma, Linwei & Li, Zheng, 2023. "Tracing China's steel use from steel flows in the production system to steel footprints in the consumption system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    7. Ning Zhang & Aziz Kemal Konyalıoğlu & Huabo Duan & Haibo Feng & Huanyu Li, 2024. "The impact of innovative technologies in construction activities on concrete debris recycling in China: a system dynamics-based analysis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(6), pages 14039-14064, June.
    8. Behr, Andreas & Schiwy, Christoph & Hong, Lucy, 2022. "Impact of Agglomeration Economies on Regional Performance in Germany," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 52(01), May.
    9. Jean-Baptiste Bahers & Paula Higuera & Anne Ventura & Nicolas Antheaume, 2020. "The “Metal-Energy-Construction Mineral” Nexus in the Island Metabolism: The Case of the Extractive Economy of New Caledonia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-18, March.
    10. Juanjo Galan & Daniela Perrotti, 2019. "Incorporating Metabolic Thinking into Regional Planning: The Case of the Sierra Calderona Strategic Plan," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(1), pages 152-171.
    11. Marco Bianchi & Carlos Tapia & Ikerne del Valle, 2020. "Monitoring domestic material consumption at lower territorial levels: A novel data downscaling method," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(5), pages 1074-1087, October.
    12. Guo, Xiuping & Meng, Xianglei & Luan, Qingfeng & Wang, Yanhua, 2023. "Trade openness, globalization, and natural resources management: The moderating role of economic complexity in newly industrialized countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    13. Angelica Pianegonda & Sara Favargiotti & Marco Ciolli, 2022. "Rural–Urban Metabolism: A Methodological Approach for Carbon-Positive and Circular Territories," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-16, October.
    14. Infante-Amate, Juan & Aguilera, Eduardo & de Molina, Manuel González, 2018. "Energy transition in Agri-food systems. Structural change, drivers and policy implications (Spain, 1960–2010)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 570-579.
    15. Abd Alla, Sara & Bianco, Vincenzo & Tagliafico, Luca A. & Scarpa, Federico, 2020. "Life-cycle approach to the estimation of energy efficiency measures in the buildings sector," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    16. Allisa G. Hastie & Christopher M. Chini & Ashlynn S. Stillwell, 2022. "A mass balance approach to urban water analysis using multi‐resolution data," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(1), pages 213-224, February.
    17. Mathieu, Valentin & Roda, Jean-Marc, 2023. "A meta-analysis on wood trade flow modeling concepts," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    18. Le Boulzec, Hugo & Delannoy, Louis & Andrieu, Baptiste & Verzier, François & Vidal, Olivier & Mathy, Sandrine, 2022. "Dynamic modeling of global fossil fuel infrastructure and materials needs: Overcoming a lack of available data," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    19. Yihan Chi & Yongheng Fang & Jiamin Liu, 2022. "Spatial–Temporal Evolution Characteristics and Economic Effects of China’s Cultural and Tourism Industries’ Collaborative Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-23, November.
    20. Infante-Amate, Juan & Travieso, Emiliano & Aguilera, Eduardo, 2024. "Unsustainable prosperity? Decoupling wellbeing, economic growth, and greenhouse gas emissions over the past 150 years," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 184(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:spr:endesu:v:26:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-023-03160-w. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.