Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment of the Arid Central Asia by Downscaling Planetary Boundaries

IF 7.3 1区地球科学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Earths Future Pub Date : 2025-06-06 DOI:10.1029/2025EF006129

Ziyang Zhu, Meiqing Feng, Yaning Chen, Weili Duan, Zhi Li, Wim Cornelis, Philippe De Maeyer

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Assessing absolute environmental sustainability (AES) is essential to ensure that human activities remain within a safe operating space. However, it remains unclear whether the planetary boundaries (PBs) have been breached in Central Asia. This study analyzed environmental pressures in arid Central Asia from 2000 to 2020 by downscaling PBs and evaluating AES ratios. Environmental distance was applied to identify environmental surpluses or overshoots, while an integrated environmental sustainability index (IESI) was to identify priority management areas. Domestic consumption dominated the environmental footprint during 2000–2020. Besides land footprint, water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and human appropriation of net primary production to Central Asia were mainly from Europe and Asia. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were identified as IESI level III, becoming priority management areas for sustainable development. Improving resource utilization efficiency and strengthening trade cooperation can strengthen the PBs of arid Central Asia and promote sustainable environmental development.

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基于行星边界降尺度的中亚干旱区绝对环境可持续性评价

评估绝对环境可持续性（AES）对于确保人类活动保持在安全的操作空间内至关重要。然而，目前尚不清楚中亚是否已经突破了地球边界。本研究分析了2000 - 2020年中亚干旱地区的环境压力，方法是降低PBs的尺度并评估AES比率。环境距离用于确定环境过剩或过度，而综合环境可持续性指数（IESI）用于确定优先管理领域。2000-2020年期间，国内消费主导了环境足迹。除土地足迹外，中亚的水、碳、氮、磷和人类对净初级生产的占用主要来自欧洲和亚洲。哈萨克斯坦和乌兹别克斯坦被确定为IESI第三级，成为可持续发展的优先管理领域。提高资源利用效率，加强贸易合作，可以增强中亚干旱地区的生态平衡，促进环境的可持续发展。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Earths Future ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESGEOSCIENCES, MULTIDI-GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

CiteScore

11.00

自引率

7.30%

发文量

260

审稿时长

16 weeks

期刊介绍： Earth’s Future: A transdisciplinary open access journal, Earth’s Future focuses on the state of the Earth and the prediction of the planet’s future. By publishing peer-reviewed articles as well as editorials, essays, reviews, and commentaries, this journal will be the preeminent scholarly resource on the Anthropocene. It will also help assess the risks and opportunities associated with environmental changes and challenges.