Quantitative evaluation of Tibet’s resource and environmental carrying capacity

This study identifies the carrying state and value of Tibet’s resource and environmental carrying capacity.A new theoretical framework is proposed for exploring the resource and environmental carrying capacity based on two perspectives of“growth limit”and“stability of Human-Earth relationship system”.On this basis,an ideal growth model that accords with the“short board”effect is established to predict the population limitation.Analytical results show that the holistic state of resource and environmental carrying capacity in Tibet is in jeopardy.From 2010 to 2016,Tibet’s carrying state continued to decline,moreover,the negative forces still overwhelm the positive forces.Although the resource reserves still have room for more population,the environmental capacity and ecological capacity have been overloaded.Meanwhile,the Human-Earth relationship system is in an unstable stage.Three scenarios that respond to different socioeconomic developments are implemented to predict the population limitation of resource and environmental carrying capacity in Tibet;thus,authors argue that Tibet should keep its population size within 4 million around 2025.This research will provide reference for sustainable development and resources and environmental conservation in Tibet.

Comprehensive Measurement for Carrying Capacity of Resources and Environment of City Clusters in Central China

Studying the carrying capacity of resources and environment of city clusters in the central China has important practical guidance significance for promoting the healthy, sustainable and stable development of this region. According to their influencing factors and reciprocity mechanism, using system dynamics approaches, this paper built a SD model for measuring the carrying capacity of resources and environment of the city clusters in the central China, and through setting different development models, the comprehensive measurement analysis on the carrying capacity was carried out. The results show that the model of promoting socio-economic development under the protection of resources and environment is the optimal model for promoting the harmony development of resources, environment, society and economy in the city clusters. According to this model, the optimum population scale of the city clusters in 2020 is 42.80×106 persons, and the moderate economic development scale is 22.055×1012 yuan (RMB). In 1996-2020, the carrying capacity of resources and environment in the city clusters took on obvious phase-change characteristics. During the studied period, it is basically at the initial development stage, and will come through the development process from slow development to speedup development.

Analysis of the Concept of Environmental Carrying Capacity

From the concept of carrying capacity proposed in the early 20th century to as an important tool for describing development constraints in the 21st century,many scholars have conducted extensive and detailed research on carrying capacity at different levels,but the carrying capacity system has not yet formed a unified theoretical and methodological system.By summarizing and analyzing the existing literature,based on the viewpoints of Mr.Gao Jixi and Mr.Zeng Weihua,the relationship between different mainstream carrying capacities is analyzed,and finally a system for summarizing the elements of different carrying capacities is provided,which to some extent serves as a reference for scholars who have just come into contact with the concept of carrying capacity.It is thought that:①the research on ecological carrying capacity covers the scope of cities,and the research at the urban level complements the neglected and insufficient areas of ecological research.②The main difference among ecological carrying capacity,urban comprehensive carrying capacity and resource environment carrying capacity lies in the different research scopes.In the mainstream view,environmental carrying capacity and resource carrying capacity are summarized under the framework of different research scopes.Water environment carrying capacity,land resource carrying capacity and other single factor carrying capacity are special in-depth studies of environment and resource carrying capacity.③Ecological carrying capacity at the ecological level includes environmental carrying capacity and resource carrying capacity.At the urban level,urban ecology is equivalent to urban environment to a certain extent,and resources can be classified into urban environmental carrying capacity as an environmental element.

Evaluation of Water Resources Carrying Capacity in Gansu Section of Yellow River Basin Based on Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Model

As a basic natural resource and strategic economic resource,the development and utilization of water resources is an important issue related to the national economy and people's livelihood.How to scientifically evaluate the water resources carrying capacity is the premise to improve the regional water resources carrying capacity and ensure the regional water security.The Gansu section of the Yellow River basin is an important water conservation and recharge area.Whether the water resources in this area can ensure the normal operation of the ecosystem and whether it can carry the sustainable development of social economy is the key to realize the high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.In this study,from the three dimensions of water consumption per capita,water consumption of 10000 yuan GDP and ecological water use rate,by constructing the evaluation index system and index grading standard of water resources carrying capacity,the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model was used to evaluate the water resources carrying capacity of Gansu section of the Yellow River Basin,in order to provide theoretical decision-making basis for the comprehensive development,utilization and planning management of water resources in Gansu section of the Yellow River basin and even the whole basin,and help the high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

Geological resources and environmental carrying capacity evaluation review,theory, and practice in China

Evaluations of resources and environmental carrying capacities (GRECC)are the premise of land space planning and use control.Resource allocations and environmental capacity are the basic conditions that restrict development in a region.In this paper,based on a systematic review of China's geological environment,groundwater resources,mineral resources,other geological resources and the environmental carrying capacity research status,the relationship between the natural resource environmental system and the socio-economic system is studied.Then a "coordination theory of resources and environmental carrying"is proposed.Next,on the basis of an evaluation experiment performed at different scales and for different types of regions,the technical methods for an evaluation of the geological resources and environmental carrying capacity at the regional (inter-provincial)and provincial scales in China are established for the first time.This paper presents a standardized method based on technical ideas, evaluation methods,and index systems for geological resource and environmental carrying capacity evaluation.Finally,an evaluation of the groundwater resource carrying capacity in China is used as an example for the demonstration of the groundwater resource background and use of state evaluation methods.

Evaluation of regional water resources carrying capacity based on binary index method and reduction index method

Based on the regional water resources carrying capacity(WRCC)evaluation principles and evaluation index system in the National Technical Outline of Water Resources Carrying Capacity Monitoring and Early Warning(hereafter referred to as the Technical Outline),this paper elaborates on the collection and sorting of the basic data of water resources conditions,water resources development and utilization status,social and economic development in basins,analysis and examination of integrity,consistency,normativeness,and rationality of the basic data,and the necessity of WRCC evaluation.This paper also describes the technique of evaluating the WRCC in prefecture-level cities and city-level administrative divisions in the District of the Taihu Lake Basin,which is composed of the Taihu Lake Basin and the Southeastern River Basin.The evaluation process combines the binary index evaluation method and reduction index evaluation method.The former,recommended by the Technical Outline,uses the total water use and the amount of exploited groundwater as evaluation indices,showing stronger operability,while the latter is developed by simplifying and optimizing the comprehensive index system with greater systematicness and completeness.The mutual validation and adjustment of the results of the above-mentioned two evaluation methods indicate that the WRCC of the District of the Taihu Lake Basin is overloaded in general because some prefecture-level cities and city-level administrative divisions in the Taihu Lake Basin and the Southeastern River Basin are in a severely overloaded state.In order to explain this conclusion,this paper analyzes the causes of WRCC overloading from the aspects of basin water environment,water resources development and utilization,water resources regulation and control ability,water resources utilization efficiency,and water resources management.

System dynamics model of Suzhou water resources carrying capacity and its application

A model of Suzhou water resources carrying capacity （WRCC） was set up using the method of system dynamics （SD）. In the model, three different water resources utilization programs were adopted： （1） continuity of existing water utilization, （2） water conservation/saving, and （3） water exploitation. The dynamic variation of the Suzhou WRCC was simulated with the supply-decided principle for the time period of 2001 to 2030, and the results were characterized based on socio-economic factors. The corresponding Suzhou WRCC values for several target years were calculated by the model. Based on these results, proper ways to improve the Suzhou WRCC are proposed. The model also produced an optimized plan, which can provide a scientific basis for the sustainable utilization of Suzhou water resources and for the coordinated development of the society, economy, and water resources.

Measurement and assessment of water resources carrying capacity in Henan Province, China

As demands on limited water resources intensify, concerns are being raised about water resources carrying capacity（WRCC）, which is defined as the maximum sustainable socioeconomic scale that can be supported by available water resources and while maintaining defined environmental conditions. This paper proposes a distributed quantitative model for WRCC, based on the principles of optimization, and considering hydro-economic interaction, water supply, water quality, and socioeconomic development constraints. With the model, the WRCCs of 60 subregions in Henan Province were determined for different development periods. The results showed that the water resources carrying level of Henan Province was suitably loaded in 2010, but that the province would be mildly overloaded in 2030 with respect to the socioeconomic development planning goals. The restricting factors for WRCC included the available water resources, the increasing rate of GDP, the urbanization ratio, the irrigation water utilization coefficient, the industrial water recycling rate, and the wastewater reuse rate, of which the available water resources was the most crucial factor. Because these factors varied temporally and spatially, the trends in predicted WRCC were inconsistent across different subregions and periods.

Evaluation of the water resources carrying capacity of Shandong peninsula, China

Research on the carrying capacity and security of water resources is vital for its contribution to implementing sustainable development goals. The limitation of water resources is one of the most important factors that influence the sustainable utilization of resources. Studying the carrying capacity of water resources will not only facilitate monitoring and forecast of national resources and environmental carrying capacity, but also be valuable for building ecological civilization. According to the principles of evaluation system, the carrying capacity of water resources on Shandong peninsula is explored. A comprehensive evaluation model of the carrying capacity of water resources is constructed based on the carrying capacity of water resources index and the composite of water resources index. The results show that the capacity of water resources on Shandong peninsula is generally consistent with overexploitation, and that the development and utilization of water resources has reached a considerable scale under existing economic and technological conditions. The carrying capacity of water resources in this region is relatively small, and the contradiction between supply and demand of water resources is alarming. Relative countermeasures are put forward, to improve the water resources carrying capacity and to provide a basis for future sustainable development and utilization of water resources in this region.

Carrying capacity of water environment in public tourism resources based on matter-element model

When water environmental carrying capacity of public resource tourist attraction is studied, the two action subjects of tourists and local residents should be discussed, and comprehensive consideration must be given to the influence of these two on water environment. On the basis of water resource carrying capacity and water quality carrying capacity, water environmental carrying capacity index of public resource tourist attraction was constructed, the model for the water environmental carrying capacity of public resource tourist attraction was established on the basis of matter-element model and analytical hierarchy process. By applying this method, water environmental carrying capacity situation of a certain public resource tourist attraction can be gained, moreover, situations about several aspects of water environmental carrying capacity can be evaluated.

Spatial and Dynamic Analysis of Regional Sustainable Development Using Geographic Information System and Relative Carrying Capacity of Resources

Relative carrying capacity of resources is an index to measure sustainable development through carrying capacity. Case studies of eleven cities in Zhejiang (Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Shaoxing, Jinhua, Quzhou, Zhoushan, Taizhou and Lishui) illustrated regional sustainable development approach. In this study, to provide insight into spatial and dynamic analysis of region sustainable development, we calculated the relative carrying capacity of land resources and economical resources and synthetical carrying capacity of resources in different cities in Zhejiang, and geographic information system was carried out. The results showed that all cities but Hangzhou and Ningbo were ecologically sustainable, and relative carrying capacity of land resources in northern and eastern Zhejiang was larger than those in southern and western Zhejiang. The sampling years of Wenzhou, Hangzhou and Ningbo contribution rates of land resource to synthetic carrying capacity were grouped into three stages, and there were two milestones trends and changes in 1996 and 2004, respectively. This study demonstrated that geographic information system and relative carrying capacity of resources are effective for assessment of region sustainable development, and provide policy guidelines for decision-making.

Assessment of Comprehensive Carrying Capacity of Land Resources Based on Land Functions

Based on relevant research results,from the perspective of land use functions,an evaluation indicator system of carrying capacity of land resources composed of three second-grade indicators( production,living and ecological carrying capacity) including 24 third-grade indicators was established,and the carrying capacity of land resources in ten cities of Shaanxi Province in 2013 was assessed and analyzed by using mean square error analysis method and hierarchical clustering method. The results showed that the three types of carrying capacity in most cities of Shaanxi Province are shown as follows: ecological carrying capacity > living carrying capacity > production carrying capacity,and the differences between various regions in a single type of carrying capacity basically accorded with the actual situation of development in each city; there were obvious differences between various cities in the comprehensive carrying capacity of land resources,which was basically consistent with regional economic and social development.

Safety Evaluation of Water Environment Carrying Capacity of Five Cities in Ningxia Based on Ecological Footprint of Water Resources

[Objectives]To make safety evaluation of water environment carrying capacity of five cities in Ningxia based on ecological footprint of water resources.[Methods]With the help of the grey relational model,15 indicators were selected from the natural,economic,and social aspects,and the most influential factors in the three fields were selected.Based on the concept of ecological priority,the water resources carrying capacity of the five cities in Ningxia from 2010 to 2019 was calculated with the help of the water resources ecological footprint model.Then,the indicators of the water resources ecological footprint model were coupled with the existing indicators to establish a comprehensive evaluation indicator system.Finally,the changes of the water environment carrying capacity of the five cities in Ningxia were analyzed with the help of the principal component analysis(PCA).[Results]The ecological pressure of water resources and the ecological deficit of water resources in the five cities were relatively large.Specifically,Yinchuan City had the most obvious deficit of water resources but good carrying capacity;Zhongwei City had a large ecological deficit of water resources,poor carrying capacity,and the largest ecological pressure index of water resources;Guyuan City had low water resources ecological deficit,water resources ecological carrying capacity and water resources ecological pressure index.[Conclusions]Through the analysis of the coupling indicator system,it can be seen that the water environment carrying capacity of the five cities is in an upward trend,indicating that the water environment in each region tends to become better.

The Impact of Marine Aquaculture on the Environment;the Importance of Site Selection and Carrying Capacity

A growing increase in the world’s population and a gradual decline in poverty necessitate a search for new sources of protein in order to guarantee food security. Aquaculture has been identified as a potential sector capable of meeting the requirements for increased protein production without making excessive demands on the ecosystem. Although water makes up 70% of the earth’s surface, aquaculture cannot feasibly be practised everywhere;it requires a unique set of natural, social and economic resources to be managed in an environmentally responsible way. Finding suitable sites for aquaculture is becoming an ever increasing problem in the development of the sector as precautions need to be taken in setting up sites to ensure appropriate environmental characteristics exist and that good water quality can be maintained. Additionally, the effects of aquaculture on coastal and inland resources must be clearly determined to implement policies and regulatory frameworks to control its impact. Marine cage farming is gaining momentum, specifically in the Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal regions. For these sites to be further developed there is a need to minimize the effects on the environment and conflicts with other coastal users. To this aim the concept of allocated zones for aquaculture (AZA) is being adopted to provide specific areas for marine aquaculture to avoid environmental degradation. When choosing an (AZA) suitable site, it is vital to calculate ‘carrying capacity’ to reduce the risks and to protect the marine ecosystems. In this study the MERAMOD model was used to investigate the carrying capacity of marine fish farms. Modelling offers the possibility to simulate and predict the environmental impact of fish farms.

Dynamic evaluation of water resources carrying capacity of the Dianchi Lake Basin in 2005-2015,based on DSPERM framework model and simulated annealing-projection pursuit model

With the intensi fed impact of human activities,most lakes have been severely disturbed and the lake ecosystem has been seriously damaged,which exerted a great impact on the living envi-ronment of human beings in the lake basins.The health of the lake ecosystem has gradually become one of the hot issues in recent years.In this study,the water resources carrying capacity(WRCC)was used to reveal the chain rel ationship between human activities and water environ-ment in the economic dewelopment of the Dianchi Lake Basin in Kunming City of China during 2005-2015.Specifically,we chose 25 ewaluation indicators related to the water environment and socialeconomic activities,classified them into six subsystems,Le,the driwing force subsystem(D),the water resources si tuation and consumption subsystem(S),the water resources pressure subsystem(P),the water environmental situation subsystem(E),the response subsystem(R),and the management subsystem(M),and built a comprehensive assessment system-DSPERM frame-work model.Si mulated annealing-projection pursuit model which reflects the structure or feature of high-dimensional data was adopted to calculate the WRCC of the Dianchi Lake Basin during 2005-2015 by weighting each evaluation indicator and each subsystem of the DSPERM frame work model.The resuls show that the WRCC of the Dlanchi Lake Basin was in level II(medium carying capacity)from 2005 to 2012.Since 2013,the WRCC has been at level II(strong carying capacity),and from 2005 to 2015,it showed a gradual upward trend.The evaluation indicators of each subsystem varied greatly and exhibited different development trends.The indicators of the water resources pressure subsystem had the greatest impact on the WRCC,followed by the in-dicators of the water environmental si tuation subsystem and the water resources situation and consumption subsystem.We recommend that the DSPERM framework model and the simulated anneal ing-projection pursuit model constructed in this work can be used to analyze the dynamic changes of the WRCC over the years.They have the advantages of practicability and feasibilty,and can provide the basis for the scienti fic decision-making and comprehensive management of regional water environment planning.

RESEARCH ON THE POPULATION CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE LAND RESOURCES IN THE ECONOMIC AREA OF ZHUJIANG DELTA

The authors once made a preliminary research on population carrying capacity of the land in the Economic Area of Zhujiang Delta (EAZD for short) in 1995, and reckoned that the ultimate population in this region will be 23 550 thousand by year of 2000. While the population in being in EAZD was 22.62 million in 1999.This accords with the prefigured result in the rough from the point of view of development. According to the data of plow land resources from the 2000 Statistical Yearbook of EAZD and the study on the population-foodstuff-plow land relationship, this paper calculates the productive potential of plow land and the population carrying capacity of land by year of 2010, and puts forward the countermeasures for improving the population carrying capacity of land in this region.

Application of System Dynamics in Analyzing the Cultivated Land-Water Resources Carrying Capacity in Bijie Prefecture,China

The cultivated land-water resources carrying capacity(CL-WRCC)with the method of system dynamics(SD)were analyzed.Bijie prefecture of Guizhou province served as a case in this study.Bijie prefecture is one of the least-developed areas in China.In Bijie,the physical and chemical characteristics of karst as well as the rapid economic development lead to the scarcities of cultivated land-water resources(CL-WR).On the basis of analysis on the subsystems of Bijie CL-WRCC system,the fundamental feedback structure of CL-WRCC was presented by causal loop diagram.Considering the three aims("poverty alleviation and development,ecological construction,and population control")of Bijie as the major goals,Bijie CL-WRCC SD model was developed.Three scenarios,resource-saving and environment-friendly development-oriented scenario(Scenario 1),fast economic development-oriented scenario(Scenario 2),and coordinated development-oriented scenario(Scenario 3),were investigated.Simulation results indicate that Scenario 3 which takes social economic development,environment protection,and cultivated landwater resources utilization into account,is the best alternative scenario.It can promote the coordination development of society,economy,cultivated land,water resources,and environment.In this study,the technological support and the decision-making for the rational use of CL-WR are provided not only in Bijie,but also in other similar regions of China.

The Coordination Effect of Marine and Land Resources Carrying Capacity of Coastal Areas in China

The carrying capacity of marine and land resources is one of the indicators to measure the sustainable development level of coastal areas,reflecting the supporting capacity of the ecological environment for human activities and the impact of human activities on the regional environment.This paper establishes an evaluation index system to determine the evaluation value of the carrying capacity of marine and land resources in China’s coastal areas,the evaluation index of marine and land resources supply capacity(economic and social development demand)subsystem,and the degree of coordinated development of the subsystems in 11 coastal areas from 2006 to 2017.The results showed that the average supply and demand capacity of the two subsystems in each region is not high;the average demand level of economic and social development is higher than the supply capacity of marine and land resources;the carrying capacity of marine and land resources is slightly overloaded in most areas;the collaborative development between the supply and demand subsystems is barely coordinated with moderate imbalance;most regions need to move in the direction of green development to ensure the supply capacity of marine and land resources.

Risk-based evaluation on geological environment carrying capacity of mountain city - A case study in Suide County, Shaanxi Province, China

With the rapid development and expansion of the cities in China, the carrying capacity of resource and environment has become a huge concern for local governments. From the perspective of geological environment, geological disasters are the main restraining factor of the development in mountain cities. This study was conducted in Suide County of Shaanxi Province with a risk-based approach as followed: a hazard analysis on geological disasters based on a slope geological survey at a scale of 1:10,000; a consequence analysis based on unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) aerial survey data; integrating the results of hazard analysis and consequence analysis, a risk zonation and analysis of geological disasters in urban areas were completed considering urban planning, land use planning and the safety of infrastructure and major engineering. Subsequently, taking the acceptable levels of human life and property risks incurred by landslides as the criteria of the evaluation of geological environment carrying capacity, a comprehensive assessment of current and future urban carrying capacity was conducted based on the results of the risk analyses. Accordingly, the prior development zone, the restricted development zone and the prohibited zone were delineated, with corresponding suggestions for future urban development. The technological and methodological system used in the study can be applied to geological environment carrying capacity evaluation of other important mountain cities, which can provide scientific basis for the optimization of land and space.