Environmental Impact Assessment Review最新文献

{"title":"Scenario-based cumulative impacts assessment on iconic species habitats under marine spatial planning and fishing policies in the Yangtze River Estuary","authors":"Ziyu Zhu ,&nbsp;Wenhui Yang ,&nbsp;Wenbo Cai ,&nbsp;Wanting Peng ,&nbsp;Chengzhao Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing cumulative policy impacts on species habitats is critical for balancing marine conservation and blue economy goals, yet fine-scale evaluations in estuaries remain challenging. This study developed a scenario-based cumulative impact assessment (CIA) framework by integrating species distribution models (SDMs) to evaluate the changes in cumulative anthropogenic pressure on the habitats of iconic species under different policy futures for the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE). Three iconic species—Chinese sturgeon (<em>Acipenser sinensis</em>), Chinese mitten crab (<em>Eriocheir sinensis</em>), and Osbeck's grenadier anchovy (<em>Coilia mystus</em>)—were selected as focal species. Results indicated that pollution (38.4–43.4%) and shipping (21.7–25.8%) were the dominant pressures affecting the habitats of these focal species across all policy scenarios. Spatial analysis revealed that high-impact zones were predominantly concentrated within shipping-intensive channels. Scenario comparisons showed that Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) implementation significantly reduced cumulative impacts on the habitats of these focal species by 24.5%, whereas a scenario simulating the reopening of commercial fishing increased this pressure by 8.7%. This suggests that, within the modeled framework and for these specific habitats, CMSP is a highly effective policy tool for mitigating key anthropogenic pressures. Given that this analysis is derived from a linear modeling approach and focuses on habitat pressure rather than population dynamics, the conclusions should be regarded as indicative of potential spatial trends within the modeled framework. This spatially explicit, scenario-based case study highlights the value of policy-relevant habitat pressure assessments for informing the management of complex anthropogenic pressures in estuaries. The framework offers a transferable approach for anticipating spatial trade-offs in other multi-use coastal systems, underscoring the need for integrated, context-aware planning to achieve sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108356"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regional and socioeconomic inequalities in the impact of environmental regulation on green innovation","authors":"Meihan Liu ,&nbsp;Jingjie Zhao ,&nbsp;Yi Zhao ,&nbsp;Ruilian Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108365","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108365","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Green technology innovation (GTI) plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development and ecological modernization in China. This study investigates the spatial distribution and driving mechanisms of GTI inequality across Chinese provinces, with particular attention to the influence of environmental regulation. This paper makes several innovative contributions. First, it is among the few studies that analyze green technology innovation at the provincial level, moving beyond the predominant focus on the firm level. Second, it offers a spatially explicit perspective on how environmental regulation can be optimized to mitigate regional, economic, and demographic inequalities in innovation outcomes. Drawing on provincial panel data from 2007 to 2023 and employing quantitative models, the analysis reveals that GTI is disproportionately concentrated in economically advanced and coastal regions, while central and western provinces remain lagging. In detail, compared to 2007, the level of regional green innovation in 2023 increased by 900.11%. Over the period from 2007 to 2023, the average level of green innovation was 5524.49 (measured by the number of green patent applications). The average value was lowest in 2007 (612.97) and reached its highest in 2020 (11,982.30), reflecting steady growth until 2020, after which there was a noted decline as described earlier. Looking at the average levels across the 30 provinces and cities, the mean green innovation level was 5524.49, with Qinghai Province recording the lowest average (261.76) and Jiangsu Province the highest (24,563.88).The effects of environmental regulation are found to be heterogeneous across regions: in the eastern provinces, regulation exerts no significant influence on GTI, whereas in central and western regions, stronger regulation significantly enhances innovation. Similarly, environmental regulation is less effective in areas with high levels of economic development and large population sizes, but proves more conducive to green innovation in less-developed and less-populated regions. Among the key factors shaping these outcomes are clean energy utilization, environmental protection investment, economic development, and industrial structure. These findings highlight the necessity of adopting regionally differentiated innovation policies and tailoring regulatory frameworks to local conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108365"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the environmental benefits and resource loads of municipal wastewater treatment plants in China","authors":"Yuchen Hu ,&nbsp;Renke Wei ,&nbsp;Ke Yu ,&nbsp;Zhouyi Liu ,&nbsp;Qi Zhou ,&nbsp;Huan Zhang ,&nbsp;Meng Zhang ,&nbsp;Chenchen Wang ,&nbsp;Lujing Zhang ,&nbsp;Baolin Xue ,&nbsp;Guoqiang Wang ,&nbsp;Gang Liu ,&nbsp;Shen Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108334","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108334","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) provide clean water for urban areas, but due to the significant use of energy and chemicals, the actual environmental implications remain concerning. An evaluation framework for assessing environmental benefits and resource loads is established using monthly operational data from more than 6200 MWWTPs in China from 2007 to 2020 to determine the sustainable potential of this industry and the determinants. A quantile random forest model is used to objectively obtain the plants' sustainability scores without being affected by differences in treatment conditions. The scores are characterized by major pollutant removal performance, representing environmental benefits, and by electricity and chemical consumption performance, representing resource loads. Each plant is provided with an efficient tool that enables it to clarify its actual contribution and to achieve precise improvements. The results show that pollutant removal is improved by large treatment capacities and rational sequence adjustments, whereas resource consumption is reduced through flexible operational responses and favorable ambient temperatures. Socioeconomic drivers play a regulatory role in the context of natural climate conditions. This grid-level evaluation study quantitatively clarified the actual impacts of MWWTPs by considering both the interactions among internal indicators and the effects of external macro-regional factors, thereby providing a data-driven reference for developing targeted improvement measures for individual plants and for policy makers to promote the sustainable development of the industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108334"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145993552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does the recycling and utilization of reclaimed water policy effectively address regional water scarcity? Evidence from a pilot city in China","authors":"Yuntong Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhe Liu ,&nbsp;Tony R. Walker ,&nbsp;Michelle Adams ,&nbsp;Weili Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108341","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108341","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The recycling and utilization of reclaimed water (RURW) is a crucial strategy for addressing the increasing imbalance between water supply and demand in water-scarce regions worldwide. Assessing the impact of the RURW policy and investigating its relationship with water resource utilization level (WRUL) are essential for improving the RURW model. Utilizing the Synthetic Control Method (SCM), this study focuses on Tianjin, a pilot city for the RURW policy and constructs a synthetic counterfactual Tianjin using non-policy provincial capitals and municipalities as the control group. This approach enables an empirical examination of how RURW allocation optimization enhances WRUL in China's first batch of pilot cities. The findings reveal that since the RURW policy implementation in 2022, this policy has gradually improved WRUL in Tianjin, with the efficiency gap between real Tianjin and synthetic Tianjin to expand over time. The mechanism analysis demonstrates that increased reclaimed water utilization directly contributes to higher WRUL in Tianjin. The findings demonstrate the essential role of RURW policy in supplementing water resource for urban development in water-scarce regions, while also contributing to the theoretical framework for evaluating such policies. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights for enhancing regional water resource management and promoting sustainable global water recycling practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108341"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing stage-dependent impacts of environmental factors on public-perceived flood risk: Insights from a GeoXAI framework","authors":"Bo Li ,&nbsp;Zhiqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Xuefei Wang ,&nbsp;Shaobin Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108402","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108402","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flooding is among the most destructive natural hazards, posing a major threat to sustainable development. Accurate assessment of public-perceived flood risk (PPFR) is essential for improving flood impact evaluation and informing management strategies. Taking the “7.20 Extreme Rainfall” event in Zhengzhou in 2021 as a case study, this study quantifies PPFR and its evolution across the pre-flood, during-flood, and post-flood stages using social media data. By incorporating a Geospatial Explainable Artificial Intelligence (GeoXAI) framework, this study assesses the nonlinear effects and spatial heterogeneity of natural, built, and socioeconomic environmental factors on PPFR. The results show that: (a) Precipitation, road density, building density, population density, and night light index are the key determinants of PPFR; (b) These five key factors exhibit highly similar threshold effects across the three stages. However, the magnitudes of their positive and negative effects show significant stage-specific variations, peaking in the during-flood stage and remaining weakest in the pre-flood stage; (c) High-value positive areas for natural and built environmental factors exhibit a relatively stable spatial pattern, whereas those of socioeconomic environmental factors shift significantly across stages. Based on these findings, a stage-specific and dynamically adjustable prioritization mechanism is recommended to enhance the precision and efficiency of urban flood management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108402"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological-health risks and priority control factors in acid mine drainage-impacted mining regions: A lifecycle assessment from a source-oriented perspective","authors":"Bing Wang ,&nbsp;Lei Ma ,&nbsp;Jiazhong Qian ,&nbsp;Yang Long ,&nbsp;Wei Xie ,&nbsp;Dan Ding ,&nbsp;Hekun Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater contamination associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) are of particular concern in mining regions, yet ecological-health risks assessment throughout the lifecycle has received rarely attention. An integrated assessment framework was developed to enable closed-loop analysis spanning source apportionment, risk quantification, and remediation scenario prediction. Results demonstrate that the groundwater is predominantly influenced by AMD, characterized by severe acidification, high salinity, and combined heavy metal and sulfate contamination, and the shallow aquifer as the priority target zone for pollution remediation. A source-oriented priority control strategy identified AMD from surrounding abandoned mines and mining-beneficiation wastewater/tailings leaching as key risk driver, with As (carcinogenic risk), Al (non-carcinogenic risk), and Cu (ecological risk) designated as priority pollutants. Monte Carlo simulation-based health risk assessment revealed significant non-carcinogenic risks and unacceptable carcinogenic risks for children, primarily driven by As and Cd, with ingestion as the dominant exposure pathway. Predictive simulations further indicate that water level recovery combined with limestone neutralization can improve water quality and reduce non-carcinogenic risks, but ecological and carcinogenic risks control have limited effectiveness. Moreover, as the model does not fully account for key biogeochemical processes, actual risks may be more severe than predicted. These findings validate a targeted risk management strategy focusing on mining sources and highly toxic elements, providing a scientific basis for groundwater pollution control and risk early warning in mining areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108387"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Redefining the environmental performance of building-attached photovoltaics enabled by technological advances: A life-cycle quantification of 268 cities in China","authors":"Ying Wei ,&nbsp;Yuan Chang ,&nbsp;Yayin Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Building-attached photovoltaics (BAPVs) offer a low-carbon pathway for energy transition in China by boosting PV installation while alleviating associated land use pressure. However, the existing environmental footprint data of crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV are mostly outdated due to technological advancements, and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) PV systems still lack region-specific evaluations in China. Using a process-based life-cycle inventory model with updated production data and local energy mixes in China, this study reassessed the greenhouse gas (GHG), SO₂, and NO_x emissions for monocrystalline silicon (Mono-Si), multicrystalline silicon (Multi-Si), CIGS rooftop, and CIGS facade systems across 268 Chinese cities. The results show that BAPVs in China can reduce GHG emissions by 662 megatons CO_2e/yr. While CIGS rooftops (18.3 g CO_2e/kWh) outperformed c-Si rooftops (19.9 g CO_2e/kWh) in GHG emission mitigation, CIGS facades were significantly carbon intensive (71.8 g CO_2e/kWh). Notably, Mono-Si had lower levelized GHG emissions (19.1 g CO_2e/kWh) than Multi-Si (20.8 g CO_2e/kWh), reversing previous conclusions. A spatial analysis indicated that Northwest China, which is characterized by lower PV degradation rates and rich solar resources, is more suitable for centralized solar farms, whereas East and North China are better candidates for BAPVs because of the large installation areas. This study delivers an updated, China-specific environmental footprint dataset for c-Si and CIGS PV systems and supports the selection of current BAPV technology. The mitigation potential analysis provides the optimal BAPV deployment strategies for guiding low-carbon investments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108353"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging green economic efficiency gaps between G7 and E7 economies: The role of technological innovation and resource rents","authors":"Shuyu Li ,&nbsp;Xueting Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108366","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108366","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amid intensifying energy challenges and ecological constraints, promoting green economic transformation has become vital for achieving sustainable growth and reducing reliance on resource-intensive development models. This study explores the heterogeneity of green economic efficiency (GEE) between the Group of Seven (G7) and Emerging Seven (E7) economies using a three-stage super-efficiency SBM-DEA that integrates non-radial measurement, effective unit ranking, and stochastic noise correction. A Tobit regression model is further employed to assess the nonlinear effects of the technological innovation and natural resource rents on GEE. The results indicate that: (1) G7 economies consistently outperform E7 economies in GEE, although the efficiency gap has gradually narrowed since 2016. Within E7 economies, marked efficiency disparities persist, reflecting limited technological diffusion and weaker innovation capacity. (2) G7 economies exhibit synergistic improvements across management, technological, and scale efficiencies, whereas E7 economies display higher volatility and structural constraints. (3) Technological innovation exhibits a pronounced U-shaped effect on green economic efficiency (GEE), whereas natural resource rents display an inverted U-shaped relationship with GEE. These effects are more pronounced and rapidly transmitted in G7 economies, while in E7 economies they are weaker and the turning points are delayed. Further analysis indicates that industrial structure significantly constrains the impact of innovation, whereas government effectiveness does not constitute a stable moderating mechanism in either group of economies. These findings highlight the need for differentiated policy strategies to promote green economic efficiency through innovation-driven growth, efficient resource use, and institutional reform.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108366"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying environmental impacts on planetary boundaries: A refined and validated impact assessment method","authors":"Qiang Yang,&nbsp;Andrea Paulillo","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Planetary Boundaries (PBs) framework defines a safe operating space (SOS) for humanity and is increasingly applied within in Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA) to evaluate the environmental performance of systems against ecological limits. Integrating PBs into AESA requires methods that express environmental impacts using metrics consistent with the PBs' control variables (CVs). However, existing PBs-based impact assessment methods mainly use proxy indicators or outdated CVs inconsistent with the latest advances in the PBs framework. This misalignment, combined with a lack of validation against empirical data, leads to unreliable and potentially incorrect interpretations of AESA results. Herein, we address these gaps by developing a novel PBs-based impact assessment method (PB-IA) that covers seven PBs and nine CVs, aligns with the latest PBs framework, and is validated against empirical data. Key advances include characterisation factors (CFs) for newly proposed CVs: functional integrity, genetic diversity, N and P surplus, as well as updates to existing CFs to improve their temporal and spatial dynamics. PB-IA provides CFs for 554 environmental flows to Exiobase v3.9.6 and is tested and validated through an environmentally extended multi-regional input–output (EE-MRIO) modelling to quantify PBs' CVs results from global anthropogenic activities. PB-IA results for five CVs are largely consistent with the latest PBs assessments and broader literature, with deviations within ±13%, thus providing an early-stage validation. Larger discrepancies for atmospheric aerosols loading, freshwater consumption, and stratospheric ozone depletion are due to differences in data structures and assumptions in Exiobase. Overall, PB-IA provides a scientifically sound and empirically validated methodology for AESA that expresses environmental pressures directly in the units of PBs' CVs. It is readily applicable to EE-MRIO and adaptable to process-based LCA, thereby supporting science-based policy and decision-making across global and sub-global scales.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108355"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cooling varies with green space characteristics: Unraveling nonlinear spatial heterogeneity in cooling effects of urban green spaces with geographic explainable AI","authors":"Xinyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Jinyu Hu ,&nbsp;Tianyu Xia ,&nbsp;Yuheng Mao ,&nbsp;Xin Li ,&nbsp;Chunguang Hu ,&nbsp;Jinguang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108401","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing research on the relationship between urban green spaces (UGS) and land surface temperature (LST) has overlooked the nonlinear mechanisms associated with multiple UGS characteristics, diverse climatic backgrounds, and particularly spatial heterogeneity. To address these gaps, we established a systematic UGS assessment framework integrating three core dimensions: UGS composition, configuration, and morphological structure. Leveraging geographic explainable artificial intelligence (i.e., GeoShapley), we then quantified the nonlinear cooling effects of various UGS metrics and their spatial heterogeneity across five cities representing distinct climatic zones in China. Results demonstrated that (1) UGS composition, configuration, and morphological structure collectively regulated cooling effects, but their contribution magnitudes, cooling thresholds, and nonlinear responses displayed significant climate-specific differences. (2) GeoShapley quantified the role of location features, which substantially reshaped UGS metric importance for cooling, and uncovered pronounced nonlinear spatial heterogeneity in UGS cooling effects across urban areas. (3) UGS with high tree cover, strong connectivity, and dominance by large patches generally exhibited robust cooling effects, yet these benefits were constrained in dense built-up areas; in contrast, in regions with strong thermal backgrounds and limited ventilation, moderately dispersed small- and medium-sized UGS patches, together with their edges adjacent to grassland and water, could enhance cooling efficiency. These findings provide climate-specific, spatially explicit guidance for targeted urban greening interventions and advance sustainable urban heat mitigation strategies. Methodologically, this study has pioneered the integration of geographic explainable AI into urban thermal environment research, offering a novel approach to disentangle complex nonlinear and spatially dependent relationships in UGS cooling effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":309,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Impact Assessment Review","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 108401"},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}