IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i1p1458-1478.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cross‐administrative solutions for sustainable development: The case of the Watertown Hub

Author

Listed:
  • Jun Zhai
  • Jiamin Shen
  • Nannan Ge

Abstract

Water‐abundant regions face challenges due to urbanization and development, which pose threats to local water networks and the environment. Fragmented water network management and administrative boundaries hinder cross‐administrative collaboration and ecological conservation. This study presents a framework centered around the “Watertown Hub” concept, which focuses on integrated ecological and green development, fostering multifunctional, shared spaces for coordinated management in the Watertown region of the Yangtze River Delta, China. By leveraging landscape infrastructure and ecological sensitivity assessment, shared spaces are established beyond administrative boundaries, promoting cross‐administrative coordination, management, and resource integration. The approach effectively balances the protection of basin ecology and economic development, mitigates water system fragmentation, and addresses environmental concerns. It enhances regional communication, connectivity, and sustainability. Although the focus is on China's Jiangnan region, this research provides insights applicable to other water‐rich areas in South Asia and beyond, fostering cross‐administrative ecological coordination and sustainable development amidst urbanization pressures.

Suggested Citation

  • Jun Zhai & Jiamin Shen & Nannan Ge, 2025. "Cross‐administrative solutions for sustainable development: The case of the Watertown Hub," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 1458-1478, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:1:p:1458-1478
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.3181
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3181
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.3181?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ramanathan, R. & Ganesh, L. S., 1995. "Energy resource allocation incorporating qualitative and quantitative criteria: An integrated model using goal programming and AHP," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 197-218, September.
    2. Ahmad, Mahmood & Jiang, Ping & Majeed, Abdul & Umar, Muhammad & Khan, Zeeshan & Muhammad, Sulaman, 2020. "The dynamic impact of natural resources, technological innovations and economic growth on ecological footprint: An advanced panel data estimation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Melissa Nogueira Sondermann & Rodrigo Proença Oliveira, 2021. "A Shared Vision on the Transboundary Water Management Challenges of the Tagus River Basin," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(13), pages 4647-4664, October.
    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. Minjing Yang & Cosimo Magazzino & Abraham Ayobamiji Awosusi & Navzodbek Abdulloev, 2024. "Determinants of Load capacity factor in BRICS countries: A panel data analysis," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 48(2), pages 525-548, May.
    2. Wei Wang & Kehui Wei & Oleksandr Kubatko & Vladyslav Piven & Yulija Chortok & Oleksandr Derykolenko, 2023. "Economic Growth and Sustainable Transition: Investigating Classical and Novel Factors in Developed Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Hosan, Shahadat & Rahman, Md Matiar & Karmaker, Shamal Chandra & Saha, Bidyut Baran, 2023. "Energy subsidies and energy technology innovation: Policies for polygeneration systems diffusion," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    4. Sun, Yunpeng & Tian, Wenjuan & Mehmood, Usman & Zhang, Xiaoyu & Tariq, Salman, 2023. "How do natural resources, urbanization, and institutional quality meet with ecological footprints in the presence of income inequality and human capital in the next eleven countries?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    5. Bin Amin, Sakib & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad & Khan, Farhan & Manal Rahman, Faria, 2024. "Does technology have a lead or lag role in economic growth? The case of selected resource-rich and resource-scarce countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    6. Riza Radmehr & Samira Shayanmehr & Ernest Baba Ali & Elvis Kwame Ofori & Elżbieta Jasińska & Michał Jasiński, 2022. "Exploring the Nexus of Renewable Energy, Ecological Footprint, and Economic Growth through Globalization and Human Capital in G7 Economics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Mohamed Ali Elleuch & Marwa Mallek & Ahmed Frikha & Wafik Hachicha & Awad M. Aljuaid & Murad Andejany, 2021. "Solving a Multiple User Energy Source Selection Problem Using a Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Group Decision-Making Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    8. Chien, FengSheng & Zhang, YunQian & Lin, ZiQi & Lin, YuChao & Sadiq, Muhammad, 2024. "An integrated perspective on fintech, green innovation and natural resource rent: Evidence from Asia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    9. Regmi, Rupesh & Zhang, Zhuo & Zhang, Hongpeng, 2023. "Entrepreneurship strategy, natural resources management and sustainable performance: A study of an emerging market," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    10. Yugang He, 2022. "Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption and Trade Policy: Do They Matter for Environmental Sustainability?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-17, May.
    11. Li, Junhui & Li, Guowei, 2023. "What drives resource sustainability in Asia? Discovering the moderating role of financial development and industrialization," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    12. Bai, Yiran & Tang, Shichao & Lu, Chunxian & Chen, Beier & Yan, Minghui, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty and natural resource policy in the United States," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    13. Liu, Yang & Wang, Jianda & Dong, Kangyin & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad, 2023. "How does natural resource abundance affect green total factor productivity in the era of green finance? Global evidence," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    14. Geng, Yaxin & Rao, Pinyang & Sharif, Arshian, 2022. "Natural resource management and ecological sustainability: Dynamic role of social disparity and human development in G10 Economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    15. Merad, Myriam & Dechy, Nicolas & Serir, Lisa & Grabisch, Michel & Marcel, Frédéric, 2013. "Using a multi-criteria decision aid methodology to implement sustainable development principles within an organization," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 224(3), pages 603-613.
    16. Hao Wang & Yunfeng Hu, 2021. "Simulation of Biocapacity and Spatial-Temporal Evolution Analysis of Loess Plateau in Northern Shaanxi Based on the CA–Markov Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, May.
    17. Islam, M.K. & Hassan, N.M.S. & Rasul, M.G. & Emami, Kianoush & Chowdhury, Ashfaque Ahmed, 2024. "An off-grid hybrid renewable energy solution in remote Doomadgee of Far North Queensland, Australia: Optimisation, techno-socio-enviro-economic analysis and multivariate polynomial regression," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    18. Jih-Jeng Huang, 2016. "Resource decision making for vertical and horizontal integration problems in an enterprise," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 67(11), pages 1363-1372, November.
    19. Lei, Xiying & Alharthi, Majed & Ahmad, Ishtiaq & Aziz, Babar & Abdin, Zain ul, 2022. "Importance of international relations for the promotion of renewable energy, preservation of natural resources and environment: Empirics from SEA nations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 1250-1257.
    20. Hossain, Md. Emran & Islam, Md. Sayemul & Bandyopadhyay, Arunava & Awan, Ashar & Hossain, Mohammad Razib & Rej, Soumen, 2022. "Mexico at the crossroads of natural resource dependence and COP26 pledge: Does technological innovation help?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).

    More about this item

    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:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:1:p:1458-1478. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    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.