scholarly journals Valuation of Water Resource Green Efficiency Based on SBM–TOBIT Panel Model: Case Study from Henan Province, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6944
Author(s):  
Yiru Guo ◽  
Yan Hu ◽  
Ke Shi ◽  
Yuriy Bilan

With progress in China’s industrialization and urbanization, the contradiction of social and economic development with water resource supply–demand and water environmental pollution becomes increasingly prominent. To cope with the dual constraints of resource shortage and environmental regulations, the concept of water resource green efficiency that considers economic, environmental, and ecological factors is highly involved to promote sustainable economic development. The theoretical and practice circle devote to scientific green efficiency assessment of water resources and effective recognition of relevant influencing factors. However, to an extent they neglect social benefits brought by sustainable development and possible influences of industrial restructuring on green efficiency. They also lack concern on green efficiency of water resources in inland arid areas. To offset the disadvantages of existing studies, the philosophy of sustainable development was integrated into the input–output assessment system of green efficiency of water resources, and an assessment model was constructed using the SBM–Tobit (slack-based measure and Tobit) method. Moreover, a case study based on Henan Province, China was carried out. The green efficiencies of water resources in 18 cities of Henan Province during 2011–2018 were calculated. The operation mechanism of relevant influencing factors was discussed, and the methods to improve green efficiency of water resources were determined. Results reveal that the sustainable green efficiency of water resources in Henan Province increased in fluctuation during 2011–2018. The mean green efficiency increased from 0.425 in 2011 to 0.498 in 2018. At present, green efficiency of water resources in Henan Province remains at a low level, with a mean of 0.504. Reducing water consumption intensity and increasing investment to water environmental pollution technologies can promote green efficiency of water resources significantly. Conclusions provide a new method for scientific measurement and green efficiency assessment of water resources in inland arid areas.

Author(s):  
Wang Lijuan

Carbon emission is further intensified as urbanization and industrialization continue to accelerate. China has maintained its rapid economic development and urbanization in the last 2 decades. The development of the construction industry has not only consumed a large number of energy sources but also resulted in significant carbon emissions, causing some environmental damage. Recognizing the major influencing factors of carbon emissions in the construction industry has become a research hotspot to alleviate environmental pollution caused by the construction industry and meet industrial demands for energy saving and emission reduction. In this study, the factors that influence annual carbon emissions of different building types in China from 2011 to 2018 were decomposed by Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) through a case study in Henan Province. The major influencing factors of carbon emissions have been identified. Results demonstrate that the per capita carbon emission in the construction industry in Henan Province remains high from 2011 to 2018, but it decreases year by year. Carbon emissions from the construction industry in Henan Province increase due to economic development and energy structure. Energy efficiency can inhibit carbon emissions from the construction industry in Henan Province. The obtained conclusions have a positive effect on analyzing annual variations in carbon emissions from the construction industry in a region, identifying influencing factors, and proposing specific countermeasures of energy saving and emission reduction.


2019 ◽  
pp. 36-64
Author(s):  
Edward B. Barbier

This chapter examines how humankind's complex relationship with water evolved historically to create today's water paradox. There is a significant difference between how water is managed and used for economic development today compared to past eras. Starting with the Agricultural Transition around 10,000 years ago, economic development was spurred by harnessing more water resources. Rather than threatening sustainable development, exploiting and controlling water resources was the key to building successful and long-lasting economies. Although the relationship between exploiting water resources and economic development has changed, many of the water institutions and innovations have not. Water may appear to be cheap, but it is only artificially so. Instead, the current market, policy, and governance institutions underprice it, and so people continue to use water excessively as if it were not scarce. Most of the innovations are also geared toward expanding command and control of water resources, not toward reducing use as economies develop.


2021 ◽  
Vol 315 ◽  
pp. 04019
Author(s):  
Sergey Zhironkin ◽  
Olga Zhironkina ◽  
Michal Cehlar

The processes of a green economy development, changes in approaches to the production and use of energy, the emergence of new sources of investment in the technological transition - all this is a consequence and, at the same time, the cause of structural shifts in the economies of advanced countries. In this light, the technological backwardness of the Russian economy, caused by a negative structural shift during the period of market reforms, impedes the transition to a green economy, rationalization of the use of natural resources and reduction of environmental pollution. Therefore, the development of theoretical provisions for the convergence of environmental and economic policies, the development of appropriate incentives for business are considered as an important step in the transition to sustainable development. For this purpose, the authors examine the original approaches to various paths of transition to sustainable development caused by structural shifts of a convergent nature in the economy.


Author(s):  
V Shinju ◽  
Aswathi Prasad

The natural resources are repository for the survival of all of us, so they must be used efficiently to meet the present needs while conserving them for future generations. An action to develop capacities from global to household levels for their sustainable management and regulation is required henceforth. Of these natural resources, water resources are most precious. If there is no water; there would be no life on earth. Since ‘water is the elixir of life’, water resource management has been considered as one of the most relevant areas of intervention. Understanding the gender dimensions of water resource management is a starting point for reversing the degradation of water resources. Women play an important role here since they have to access the water resources for almost all the activities on a daily basis. As the women are the strong social agents, effective and improved water preservation techniques could be achieved through their empowerment that may eventually lead to the well-being of the households in particular and of the community in general. Therefore, the major research question posed in this study is to analyze the role of women in the preservation and management of water, an inevitable, precious but diminishing natural resource. The study also intends to describe the relationship between the three ‘W's-Women, Water & Well-being. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are essential here as it is a contingent issue in the present scenario. Psychological dimensions were also explored since the issue is affecting the routine life of the community. The case study of women belonging to the Kuttadampadam region was done to explain the role of women in preserving water resources in the areas affecting severe water scarcity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 5048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Liu ◽  
Jixia Li ◽  
Juan Chen ◽  
Shaolei Yang

The urban ecological civilization construction relates to welfare of the people and the national future. It is an important field of the high-quality economic development to improve the urban ecological efficiency level. The purpose of this research is to provide a new perspective and method for the quantitative study of the urban sustainable development, and also to provide some decision-making references for the improvement of the urban ecological efficiency in Henan province. This paper uses the slacks-based measure-data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) model containing the undesirable output and the Malmquist index model to fully evaluate the urban ecological efficiency level in Henan province during the period of 2005–2016, via both the static and dynamic analysis. Based on this, the bootstrap regression model is applied in analyzing the influencing factors of the urban ecological efficiency. The research shows three findings. First, according to the static efficiency analysis, the urban ecological efficiency in Henan province is low as a whole and has a big promotion space. Moreover, there is a significant difference in the urban ecological efficiency level among the five regions because of the different geographical locations and social and economic development situations of the cities. Second, according to the dynamic efficiency analysis, in the last 12 years, the urban ecological efficiency in Henan province has shown an overall growth trend, and the technological progress has played a major role in promoting the urban ecological efficiency in Henan province. Third, according to the influencing factor analysis, the governmental financial support hinders the improvement of the urban ecological efficiency in Henan province, while the level of opening to the outside world, the urban population density, and the urban greening level promote it.


2010 ◽  
Vol 113-116 ◽  
pp. 1572-1576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Sheng Cao ◽  
Wan Jun Zhang

In the 21st century, diminishing water resources have become a global concern. The Taihang Mountain area plays an important role in the sustainable development of the Bohai coastal area in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei because of its special geographical location and features; but due to drought and deficiency of water, the Taihang Mountain area is faced with the dual problems of poverty and ecological vulnerability. It seems particularly important to develop and utilize the water resources in a sustainable manner as water is one of the key factors in promoting local economic development and improving the ecological environment. This paper investigates, from the perspective of water cycle and water transformation, the seepage recharge mechanism in slopes and river valleys, taking into account the hydrological features of the Taihang Mountain area and the hydro-geological features of slopes and river valleys in the area. Based on analysis of the formation process and characteristics of shallow groundwater resources, this paper puts forth the idea of “weak water consolidation” for sustainable development of water resources, and three groundwater development and utilization techniques in respect of seepage through rock-soil interfaces and weathered rock fissures in slopes and seepage in river valleys, offering a powerful support to the economic development and environmental improvement in the Taihang Mountain area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 11011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Van Anh Thi Duong ◽  
Lyudmila Pushkareva

Development society brings many benefits to people and also brings many challenges. Those challenges seriously affect sustainable economic development, the life and health of all people in society. At present, issues that the whole society has been facing are: hygiene, food safety, environmental pollution, new epidemics, and exhaust of natural resources as well as warming up of the earth... To limit and solve the aforementioned issues, it needs close cooperation and support from all people and enterprises. Every individual, every organization is a part of society. The development of each individual and each enterprise is also the development of society and vice versa. The rise of society will also have a positive impact on each member of it. Therefore, enterprises need to raise awareness about sustainable development and act responsibly with the community and society. It is necessary and useful not only for enterprises themselves but also for the whole society. In this thesis, the author focuses on addressing the following issues: Carrying out social responsibilities associated with environmental protection in order to sustainably develop of Vietnamese enterprises, thereby finding the causes and proposing solutions to help enterprises fulfill their social responsibilities and protect the green, clean and beautiful environment in accordance with the standards prescribed by the Law on Environment of Vietnam in 2014.


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