A Quantitative Analysis on the Coordination of Regional Ecological and Economic Development Based on the Ecosystem Service Evaluation

Abstract

The coordination between regional ecological and economic development has become a crucial topic in current environmental and development research due to the establishment of sustainable development goals and the acceleration of urbanization. In this study, an improved eco-economy coordination (EEC) model is proposed to evaluate the coordination of regional ecological and economic development. This study focuses on Wuhan, China, and utilizes socioeconomic and remote sensing data from 2000 to 2015 to measure both static and dynamic ecosystem service values (ESV). ESVs are the direct and indirect benefits produced by ecosystems that support human survival and development. The calculated ESVs are then integrated into the ecological–economic coordination (EEC) evaluation. This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the ecological-economic coordination across various districts of Wuhan, with a focus on spatiotemporal factors. In addition, this paper highlights the role of environmental adjustment coefficients in enhancing the EEC assessment. The results show that (1) the total static ESV experienced a loss of RMB 1.2 billion (approximately USD 169 million) and showed a decreasing trend, while the dynamically corrected ESV reversed this trend; and (2) EEC based on static ESV showed a low degree of conflict between ecological and economic reconciliation compared with a significant increase in EEC based on dynamic ESV. Based on static ESV, the EEC showed a low degree of conflict between ecological and economic reconciliation compared to a significant increase in EEC based on dynamic ESV. After being corrected by environmental adjustment coefficients, the EEC values showed a more differentiated distribution. Most regions demonstrated an overall upward trend in EEC, with a few, such as Wuchang District and Jiang’an District, being notable examples. However, Jianghan District presented a high conflict status. Finally, a series of decision-making suggestions are given based on relevant study results, and an important policy implication is that the coordination of economic growth and ecological protection, under large downward pressure from EEC values, needs to be paid special attention in policy decision-making.