IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v6y2014i8p5203-5230d39108.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Emergy Synthesis and Regional Sustainability Assessment: Case Study of Pan-Pearl River Delta in China

Author

Listed:
  • Guomin Li

    (Sustainable Development Research Center, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
    Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Yaoqiu Kuang

    (Sustainable Development Research Center, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
    Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China)

  • Ningsheng Huang

    (Sustainable Development Research Center, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China)

  • Xiangyang Chang

    (School of Environment Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

Abstract

In this paper, emergy analysis is used in association with the ternary diagrams and geographic information system (GIS) tools to improve the evaluation of sustainability for the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region. Emergy accounting of PPRD is estimated, and various emergy-based indicators are reported. Ternary diagrams are drawn to provide a graphical representation of the emergy accounting data. Finally, the GIS tools are employed to assist in the emergy-based spatial analysis, and emergy density based on flat land area is mapped to reflect the intensity of emergy use in human activity areas. Results show the following: (1) the current development path of the PPRD region, with the value of emergy sustainability index (ESI = 0.227) significantly lower than one, is unsustainable in the long run; (2) Guangdong has the lowest ESI value (0.071), and the ESI values of Fujian, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi are lower than 0.5, indicating that the economy in these provinces overly relies on non-renewable and imported resources; (3) Guizhou has a high emergy yield rate and is thus the main energy supplier in PPRD; and (4) among the nine provinces in PPRD, only Hainan has an ESI value (2.145) higher than one.

Suggested Citation

  • Guomin Li & Yaoqiu Kuang & Ningsheng Huang & Xiangyang Chang, 2014. "Emergy Synthesis and Regional Sustainability Assessment: Case Study of Pan-Pearl River Delta in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-28, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:8:p:5203-5230:d:39108
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/8/5203/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/8/5203/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liu, G.Y. & Yang, Z.F. & Chen, B. & Ulgiati, S., 2009. "Emergy-based urban health evaluation and development pattern analysis," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(18), pages 2291-2301.
    2. Brown, Mark T. & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2010. "Updated evaluation of exergy and emergy driving the geobiosphere: A review and refinement of the emergy baseline," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(20), pages 2501-2508.
    3. Gasparatos, Alexandros & Gadda, Tatiana, 2009. "Environmental support, energy security and economic growth in Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 4038-4048, October.
    4. Giannetti, B.F. & Almeida, C.M.V.B. & Bonilla, S.H., 2010. "Comparing emergy accounting with well-known sustainability metrics: The case of Southern Cone Common Market, Mercosur," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3518-3526, July.
    5. Cho, Cheol-Joo, 2013. "An exploration of reliable methods of estimating emergy requirements at the regional scale: Traditional emergy analysis, regional thermodynamic input–output analysis, or the conservation rule-implicit," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 288-296.
    6. Agostinho, Feni & Diniz, Guaraci & Siche, Raúl & Ortega, Enrique, 2008. "The use of emergy assessment and the Geographical Information System in the diagnosis of small family farms in Brazil," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 210(1), pages 37-57.
    7. Nourry, Myriam, 2008. "Measuring sustainable development: Some empirical evidence for France from eight alternative indicators," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 441-456, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoxian Zhang & Fang Ma, 2015. "Emergy Evaluation of Different Straw Reuse Technologies in Northeast China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Bonilla, Silvia H. & Papalardo, Fábio & Tassinari, Celso A. & Sacomano, Jose B. & de Carvalho, Fabio Romeu, 2019. "Contribution of the Paraconsistent Tri-Annotated Logic to emergy accounting and decision making," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 393(C), pages 98-106.
    3. Wang, Xueqi & Liu, Gengyuan & Coscieme, Luca & Giannetti, Biagio F. & Hao, Yan & Zhang, Yan & Brown, Mark T., 2019. "Study on the emergy-based thermodynamic geography of the Jing-Jin-Ji region: Combined multivariate statistical data with DMSP-OLS nighttime lights data," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 397(C), pages 1-15.

    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. Giannetti, B.F. & Ogura, Y. & Bonilla, S.H. & Almeida, C.M.V.B., 2011. "Accounting emergy flows to determine the best production model of a coffee plantation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(11), pages 7399-7407.
    2. Giannetti, B.F. & Demétrio, J.F.C. & Bonilla, S.H. & Agostinho, F. & Almeida, C.M.V.B., 2013. "Emergy diagnosis and reflections towards Brazilian sustainable development," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1002-1012.
    3. Giannetti, B.F. & Almeida, C.M.V.B. & Bonilla, S.H., 2010. "Comparing emergy accounting with well-known sustainability metrics: The case of Southern Cone Common Market, Mercosur," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3518-3526, July.
    4. Liu, Xinyu & Liu, Gengyuan & Yang, Zhifeng & Chen, Bin & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2016. "Comparing national environmental and economic performances through emergy sustainability indicators: Moving environmental ethics beyond anthropocentrism toward ecocentrism," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1532-1542.
    5. Mellino, Salvatore & Ripa, Maddalena & Zucaro, Amalia & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2014. "An emergy–GIS approach to the evaluation of renewable resource flows: A case study of Campania Region, Italy," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 271(C), pages 103-112.
    6. Xiumei Xu & Chao Feng & Yongshan Du & Qimeng Wang & Gaige Zhang & Yicheng Huang, 2022. "Evaluating the sustainability of a tourism system based on emergy accounting and emergetic ternary diagrams: a case study of the Xinjiang Kanas tourism area," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6731-6787, May.
    7. Geng, Yong & Tian, Xu & Sarkis, Joseph & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2017. "China-USA Trade: Indicators for Equitable and Environmentally Balanced Resource Exchange," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 245-254.
    8. Fang, Wei & An, Haizhong & Li, Huajiao & Gao, Xiangyun & Sun, Xiaoqi & Zhong, Weiqiong, 2017. "Accessing on the sustainability of urban ecological-economic systems by means of a coupled emergy and system dynamics model: A case study of Beijing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 326-337.
    9. Qingsong Wang & Hongkun Xiao & Qiao Ma & Xueliang Yuan & Jian Zuo & Jian Zhang & Shuguang Wang & Mansen Wang, 2020. "Review of Emergy Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment: Coupling Development Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, January.
    10. De La Fuente, G. & Asnaghi, V. & Chiantore, M. & Thrush, S. & Povero, P. & Vassallo, P. & Petrillo, M. & Paoli, C., 2019. "The effect of Cystoseira canopy on the value of midlittoral habitats in NW Mediterranean, an emergy assessment," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 404(C), pages 1-11.
    11. Gengyuan Liu & Mark T. Brown & Marco Casazza, 2017. "Enhancing the Sustainability Narrative through a Deeper Understanding of Sustainable Development Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-19, June.
    12. Zhang, XiaoHong & Hu, He & Zhang, Rong & Deng, ShiHuai, 2014. "Interactions between China׳s economy, energy and the air emissions and their policy implications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 624-638.
    13. Liu, Gengyuan & Yang, Zhifeng & Chen, Bin & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2014. "Emergy-based dynamic mechanisms of urban development, resource consumption and environmental impacts," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 271(C), pages 90-102.
    14. Jia He & Yi Li & Lianjun Zhang & Junyin Tan & Chuanhao Wen, 2021. "A County-Scale Spillover Ecological Value Compensation Standard of Ecological Barrier Area in China: Based on an Extended Emergy Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-26, November.
    15. Giannetti, B.F. & Ogura, Y. & Bonilla, S.H. & Almeida, C.M.V.B., 2011. "Emergy assessment of a coffee farm in Brazilian Cerrado considering in a broad form the environmental services, negative externalities and fair price," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(9), pages 679-688.
    16. Zhang, XiaoHong & Cao, Jun & Li, JinRong & Deng, ShiHuai & Zhang, YanZong & Wu, Jun, 2015. "Influence of sewage treatment on China׳s energy consumption and economy and its performances," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 1009-1018.
    17. Lawn, Philip & Clarke, Matthew, 2010. "The end of economic growth? A contracting threshold hypothesis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 2213-2223, September.
    18. White, David J. & Hubacek, Klaus & Feng, Kuishuang & Sun, Laixiang & Meng, Bo, 2018. "The Water-Energy-Food Nexus in East Asia: A tele-connected value chain analysis using inter-regional input-output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 550-567.
    19. Lou, Bo & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2013. "Identifying the environmental support and constraints to the Chinese economic growth—An application of the Emergy Accounting method," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 217-233.
    20. O'Mahony, Tadhg & Escardó-Serra, Paula & Dufour, Javier, 2018. "Revisiting ISEW Valuation Approaches: The Case of Spain Including the Costs of Energy Depletion and of Climate Change," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 292-303.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:8:p:5203-5230:d:39108. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.