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Effects of the Policy and Human Intervention on the Infrastructure-Environment Nexus in China

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  • Zhaodan Wu

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
    Jiangsu Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of World Water Valley and Water Ecological Civilization, Nanjing 211100, China
    One Belt & One Road African Research Center, Hohai University, Changzhou 213022, China)

  • Quanliang Ye

    (Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands)

  • Ze Tian

    (Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
    One Belt & One Road African Research Center, Hohai University, Changzhou 213022, China)

Abstract

With the outstanding investment in infrastructure during the past decades, the evaluation of the infrastructure-environment nexus is highly required to achieve the sustainable development of economy, resources and environment, as well as human being. This study analyzes the supply-chain-wide blue water withdrawal occurred in China for global infrastructure development, and one step further, the potential effects of policy and human intervention on future infrastructure-related environmental performances. Our results showed that the blue water withdrawal in China was main for the domestic infrastructure construction because of its rapid-growing investment, coupled with that in the United States, Japan, and India. Energy-related products (e.g., “Electricity by coal”) and primary materials (e.g., “Basic iron and steel”), highly required for the construction of infrastructure, have played relatively great roles in China’s blue water withdrawal. For the future sustainable development of infrastructure, we also addressed that efficiency improvement and nonconventional water resource utilization could cover half of the blue water gap between the current development trend and the sustainable one. In light of the synergies among infrastructure development, environmental sustainability and socioeconomic intervention, it is vital to uphold economic and environmental efficiency in the decision-making of infrastructure development.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhaodan Wu & Quanliang Ye & Ze Tian, 2020. "Effects of the Policy and Human Intervention on the Infrastructure-Environment Nexus in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-13, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7279-:d:409095
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