Zhang Yun, Wu Yuping, Lu Zhaohan, Li Ling, Wang Peng
Research Center of Energy Economics, School of Business Administration, Henan Polytechnic University, 2001 Century Road, Shanyang District, Jiaozuo 454003, Henan Province, China.
Taihang Development Research Institute, Henan Polytechnic University, 2001 Century Road, Shanyang District, Jiaozuo 454003, Henan Province, China.
Heliyon. 2024 Jun 18;10(12):e33187. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33187. eCollection 2024 Jun 30.
Quantifying and interpreting the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is critical to achieve the sustainable development of urban resources. The mismatch between urban water, energy and food allocations is a prominent problem that is particularly acute in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) of China. In this study, models for the WEF coupling degree and coupling efficiency were constructed. The WEF coupling efficiencies of the 94 cities in the YRB from 2011 to 2020 were quantified using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. On this basis, the spatial distribution characteristics and evolutionary trends of different urban WEF coupling efficiencies were analysed and explored using an exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) model and a parametric kernel density estimation model. The results show that the energy subsystem constrain the development of the WEF nexus, and the food subsystem, in turn, regulates the development of the WEF nexus. In some years, the phenomenon of 'resource curse' occurred, in which the WEF coupling degree increased while the coupling efficiency decreased. Overall, the values of the urban WEF coupling efficiency were low, ranging from 0.5300 to 0.6300, which is not effective. Spatial clustering was detected in the urban WEF coupling efficiency. The clustering types were 'high-high' clustering areas in less developed regions and 'low-low' clustering areas in developed regions. The two clusters and the median contiguous group had different evolutionary trends. Both efficiency and polarisation increased in the high-clustering group, efficiency improved in the low-clustering group, and a new efficiency pole was formed in the median contiguous group. Among the three grouped cities, we discuss the potential of policies such as cross-city cooperation, intra-city multi-sectoral cooperation and cultivating new central growth cities to improve the WEF coupling efficiency in the YRB.
量化和解释水-能源-食物（WEF）关联对于实现城市资源的可持续发展至关重要。城市水、能源和食物分配之间的不匹配是一个突出问题，在中国黄河流域（YRB）尤为严重。本研究构建了WEF耦合度和耦合效率模型。利用数据包络分析（DEA）模型对2011年至2020年黄河流域94个城市的WEF耦合效率进行了量化。在此基础上，运用探索性空间数据分析（ESDA）模型和参数核密度估计模型，分析和探讨了不同城市WEF耦合效率的空间分布特征和演变趋势。结果表明，能源子系统制约着WEF关联的发展，而食物子系统则反过来调节着WEF关联的发展。在某些年份，出现了“资源诅咒”现象，即WEF耦合度增加而耦合效率下降。总体而言，城市WEF耦合效率值较低，在0.5300至0.6300之间，效率不高。城市WEF耦合效率存在空间集聚现象。集聚类型为欠发达地区的“高高”集聚区域和发达地区的“低低”集聚区域。两个集群和中位数相邻组具有不同的演变趋势。高集聚组的效率和极化程度均增加，低集聚组的效率提高，中位数相邻组形成了一个新的效率极点。在三类分组城市中，我们讨论了跨城市合作、城市内部多部门合作以及培育新的中心增长城市等政策在提高黄河流域WEF耦合效率方面的潜力。
