Environmental and Sustainability Indicators最新文献

{"title":"Multi-perspective assessment of ecological civilization progress across cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt","authors":"Li Ma,&nbsp;Huiyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Qing Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ecological civilization, China's national strategy, promotes sustainable development through green growth, harmony between humans and nature, and improved well-being. The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), with diverse urban trajectories, plays a key role in this goal. However, conventional static indices fail to capture dynamic changes, goal deviations, and multidimensional linkages. While the SDGs set ambitious targets, they lack explicit benchmarks, and current evaluation methods, relying on subjective or static data structures, limit goal-oriented assessments. Based on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) theory, this study integrates multi-source data to create a multidimensional indicator system for ecological environment (EE), ecological economy (EEC), ecological living (EL), and ecological framework (EF). An ecological civilization profile is developed using the mean-trend-fluctuation method. Dynamic weighting is achieved through K-means, hierarchical clustering, SOM, and machine learning models (RF, SVM, CatBoost). The goal-oriented S-P-G (Status-Progress-Gap) framework evaluates 108 YREB cities (2013–2022), identifies development stages, reveals spatial patterns via Getis-Ord Gi∗, and quantifies indicator contributions using RF-SHAP. Results show that the SI increased from 65 in 2013 to 70 in 2022, the PI rose rapidly (average annual growth &gt;8 % in 2014–2017) before stabilizing with a −4.84 % drop in 2020, and the GI declined from 38.9 % to 27.0 %. The “east-high-west-low” pattern was observed, with provincial capitals catching up (PI &gt; 55 by 2022). RF-SHAP analysis shows EEC drives SI, EL enhances PI and narrows GI, while EE is a bottleneck in advanced cities. Based on these findings, we offer differentiated policy recommendations tailored to cities at various development stages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101107"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal variation in the dependence of avian order composition on vegetation characteristics: A case study from Heilongjiang Province, northernmost China","authors":"Jiaqi Cai ,&nbsp;Chenyang Ding ,&nbsp;Qi An ,&nbsp;Yu He","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101063","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101063","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although bird dependence on vegetation is well established, its seasonal variation remains poorly understood, particularly in high-latitude cold regions. Based on citizen science data from the China Bird Report (CBR), this study investigated the seasonal variation in the effects of vegetation characteristics on avian order composition in Heilongjiang Province, the northernmost in China. The study period was divided according to vegetation phenology into the growing seasons and the dormant seasons, which were analyzed separately. We first combined permutation-based multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to test whether bird order composition differed between the two seasonal periods. Then random forest (RF) regression models were applied to further explore the importance of bird orders in predicting vegetation characteristics and generated partial dependence plots to visualize these relationships. The results revealed pronounced seasonal differences. Specifically: (1) during the growing season, open understory vegetation promoted the diversity of birds with different ecological habits, whereas dense, well-developed multilayered vegetation facilitated trophic interactions between raptors and small forest birds; (2) during the dormant season, tall trees provided favorable resources for some <em>Accipitriformes</em> and <em>Anseriformes</em>, and dense evergreen terrestrial vegetation offered essential overwintering resource for <em>Strigiformes</em>; and (3) across seasons, the effective maintenance of wetland vegetation were crucial for sustaining waterbird diversity, while the retention of mature trees within moderately dense forests supported the abundance of <em>Piciformes</em>. These findings highlight pronounced phenological differences in bird–vegetation interactions and offer new insights for bird conservation and vegetation planning in cold-region ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101063"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145651784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolution characteristics of China's marine tourism resilience and diagnosis of the obstacle factors","authors":"Lan Xing ,&nbsp;Simeng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101090","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Marine tourism is one of the pillar industries of marine economy, and the healthy development of marine tourism is an important guarantee for the sustainable development of marine economy. However, previous research focusing on tourism of coastal cities limits the highlight of maritime characteristics, causing the difficulty to distinguish marine tourism from overall tourism of coastal cities. Based on the panel data of 51 coastal cities in China from 2010 to 2021, this paper constructs marine tourism index (MTI) and index system of marine tourism resilience (MTR) measured by AHP-EW-TOPSIS method. Dagum Gini coefficient, <span><math><mrow><mi>β</mi></mrow></math></span> convergence model and obstacle degree model are used to examine regional differences, development trends and the main obstacle factors affecting MTR of China. Results showed that: (1) China's MTR shows an increasing trend from 2010 to 2019. With the outbreak of COVID-19, it decreases significantly in 2020 but recovers to some degree in 2021. Among them, Eastern coastal areas in China shows the highest MTR; (2) Regional difference of MTR shows a fluctuating upward trend from 2010 to 2019, and a cliff-like decline after the epidemic in 2020, where hypervariable density is the main source of the overall difference; (3) China's MTR in overall and sub-regional coastal areas has both absolute and conditional <em>β</em> convergence trend, and the convergence speed shows “Northern coastal areas &gt; Eastern coastal areas &gt; overall coastal areas &gt; Southern coastal areas”; (4) The main obstacles to the improvement of China's MTR are stable, including adjustment ability of marine tourism market, resistance ability of marine tourism industry environment, resistance ability of marine tourism resources, renewal ability of innovation investment of coastal cities and renewal ability of reorganization in coastal cities. From the perspective of subdimension, demand resilience is the main weakness. Based on these new insights, particular attention should be paid to the evolution of China's MTR, the formulation of regional coordinated development policies, and the elimination of main obstacles, in order to put forward countermeasures and suggestions for the steady and sustainable development of China's marine tourism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101090"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrogeochemical assessment and spring water quality modelling along the Upper, Middle, and Lower Tyrrhenian Coast of the Calabria region, southern Italy","authors":"Ilaria Guagliardi ,&nbsp;Luisa Perna ,&nbsp;Tommaso Caloiero ,&nbsp;Ernesto Infusino","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101079","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater, the main drinking source for over 2.8 billion people, meets more than half of global water needs. Effective management requires knowledge of its quantity and quality. This study analyzes 160 spring water points along Calabria's Tyrrhenian coast (southern Italy), divided into five sectors based on topographic, geological, and hydrogeological features. Physical-chemical parameters and hydrochemical facies were assessed using Langelier-Ludwig and Piper diagrams, supported by geostatistical tools. Results show significant variability. Waters in the Lao/Noce basins are “fairly to very hard” but “low mineral.” In the Upper Tyrrhenian, hardness and mineralization range from “low” to “average.” The Middle Tyrrhenian spans from “very light” waters over acidic rocks to “hard” waters over marble. The Lower Tyrrhenian is mostly “fairly hard,” while the Savuto Basin features “very light” to “light” waters, with minimal mineralization. Hydrochemical facies differ by area: Lao/Noce show chloride-sulphate and bicarbonate Ca-Mg types, influenced by agriculture. Upper Tyrrhenian waters vary with altitude. Middle Tyrrhenian springs in metamorphic rocks show lower Ca-Mg content. Lower Tyrrhenian waters reflect lithological diversity, while the Savuto shows nitrate contamination, indicating anthropogenic impact. This Mediterranean-representative area offers a reference for groundwater quality assessment and supports future comparative and sustainable management efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101079"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting socio-climatic risk hotspots for smallholder dairy farming: A 2050 forecast for the Indo-Gangetic plains of India","authors":"Siddhesh Zade ,&nbsp;Sanjit Maiti ,&nbsp;Apoorva Veldandi ,&nbsp;Amitava Panja ,&nbsp;Sanchita Garai ,&nbsp;Akshay Muluk ,&nbsp;Bishwa Bhaskar Choudhary ,&nbsp;Rupak Goswami ,&nbsp;Anirban Mukherjee ,&nbsp;Gopal Sankhala","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2026.101125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2026.101125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The unprecedented changes in the climatic conditions are being indiscriminately experienced across the globe, with effects which are felt asymmetrically around the world by different regions due to numerous socioeconomic disparities in play. Especially, the higher magnitude of rising temperatures and aberrations in rainfall make the Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP) more fragile toward social facets of climatic vulnerabilities. Indo Gangetic Plains are dominated by smallholders with higher agricultural production and livestock, for whose sustainability it is imperative to comprehend the nature and extent of risk due to climate change in an interaction with the societal aspects. A novel district-level socio-climatic risk index for dairying, constituting 68 indicators tailored to and encompassing the dairy production system, was developed using the IPCC Risk Assessment Framework (2014). Taking it one step further, geospatial hotspots were analysed (using Getis Ord Gi∗) to quantify district-level risks for the dairy production system in Indo Gangetic Plains spanning across the 171 districts of five states of India. To capture the dynamics of the changing risk, the historical risk was compared against two Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios, namely, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. The results revealed a higher area of 11,071,783 ha under risk hotspots in the eastern part of IGP (covering Bihar and West Bengal) projected to intensify and increase in area by 1,690,921 ha (3.83 %) and 1,667,179 ha (3.78 %) as per SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, respectively, by the 2050s. Hence, location-specific adaptation plan may be formulated to improve the climate resiliency of the smallholder dairy production system of India.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101125"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond rainfall and fertilizer: Autoregressive distributed lag insights on population, greenhouse gas emissions, and wheat sustainability in Bangladesh","authors":"Abu Hayat Md Saiful Islam ,&nbsp;Md. Monirul Islam ,&nbsp;Arifa Jannat ,&nbsp;Md Shishir Ahamed ,&nbsp;S.M. Shahriar","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change, coupled with rapid population growth, poses substantial and escalating risks to agricultural productivity, particularly in highly vulnerable regions like Bangladesh. This study investigates the impacts of climatic and non-climatic factors on wheat production in Bangladesh over the period 1972–2021, using 50 years of annual data and employing an autoregressive distributed lag approach in conjunction with an error correction model. Long-run cointegration results indicate that a 1 % increase in cultivated area, fertilizer application, and rainfall leads to increases in wheat production of approximately 3.19 %, 1.51 %, and 0.18 %, respectively. In contrast, a 1 % rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and population is associated with reductions in wheat production of about 2.05 % and 6.89 %, respectively. In the short run, a 1 % increase in cultivated area, fertilizer use, gross domestic product, GHG emissions, and rainfall results in corresponding increases in wheat production of approximately 1.75 %, 1.28 %, 4.60 %, 0.44 %, and 0.05 %, respectively. Conversely, a 1 % increase in the total ecological footprint reduces wheat yield by 2.41 %. These findings underscore the importance of policies that expand access to land (e.g. <em>khas</em> land, land rental market), provide subsidized fertilizers, and curb GHG emissions to enhance wheat production and climate resilience. Furthermore, prioritizing population management is essential to mitigating adverse impacts on wheat production and ensuring long-run food security and sustainable agricultural development in Bangladesh.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101098"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Future redistribution of Hovenia acerba Lindl. in China under climate change","authors":"Yangzhou Xiang ,&nbsp;Suhang Li ,&nbsp;Qiong Yang ,&nbsp;Ying Liu ,&nbsp;Jiaojiao Liu ,&nbsp;Bin Yao ,&nbsp;Yuan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101069","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101069","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Hovenia acerba</em> Lindl. is valued for its medicinal properties and role in maintaining ecosystem integrity, particularly through soil stabilization. However, climate change poses significant challenges to its natural distribution. This study employed an optimized Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model alongside BCC-CSM2-MR climate projections to predict the impacts of climate change on the distribution of <em>H. acerba</em> in China and to identify key environmental determinants. We found that precipitation in the driest month (Bio14) and minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6) are the primary factors governing its distribution. Under current climatic conditions, the potential suitable habitat for <em>H. acerba</em> covers approximately 29.15 % of China's land area. Future projections indicate a consistent expansion of suitable habitats under all climate scenarios, with a notable northwestward shift in the distribution centroid from Hunan to Hubei Province. These findings highlight the resilience of <em>H. acerba</em> to climate change and provide critical insights for its conservation and sustainable management under future climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101069"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145651786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A hybrid approach combining Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS to rank agritourism destinations in Tan Cuong green tea region, Thai Nguyen, Vietnam","authors":"An Thinh Nguyen ,&nbsp;Tung Lam Nguyen ,&nbsp;Ngoc Anh Le ,&nbsp;Ngoc Trinh Phuong ,&nbsp;Thi Thao Do ,&nbsp;Tuyen Tran Thi ,&nbsp;Huyen Trang Le","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agritourism is recognized as a strategic approach to harness the existing advantages of rural areas, including both on-farm and off-farm attractions. This study, conducted in the Tan Cuong tea region of Thai Nguyen, examines the practical application of the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) in ranking agritourism destinations. Five experts, all with experience in agritourism in Tan Cuong, provided data through questionnaires for the analysis. The results indicated that the Hao Dat Tea Cooperative (A1) ranked highest for sustainable agritourism development. Additionally, the transportation system serving agritourism destinations (C9) was identified as the most influential factor based on the empirical findings. Based on these results, policy recommendations are proposed to prioritize the development of agritourism across various destinations, with suggestions for both central and local policy initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101039"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Land use configuration optimization based on ecosystem service enhancement in Xi'an City","authors":"Shancai Xiao ,&nbsp;Wenfeng Fu ,&nbsp;Fenfang Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Integrating quantitative assessments of ecosystem services (ESs) into land use management is essential for promoting regional sustainable development, yet their application remains limited. To address this gap, this research proposed a comprehensive framework for land use optimization that explicitly incorporated ESs, with particular emphasis on enhancing their provision. Taking Xi'an City as the study area, two key ESs, i.e., water conservation and soil retention were estimated using the InVEST and RUSLE models, and three development-oriented scenarios were defined: Historical Development Scenario (HDS), Economic Development Scenario (EDS), and Ecological Conservation Scenario (ECS). Projected land use structures for 2035 under the EDS and ECS were generated using a multi-objective genetic algorithm model that incorporated varying levels of ESs enhancement, while the HDS projection was derived using a Markov model. These projections were subsequently used as inputs for the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model to simulate the spatial patterns of land use in Xi'an City. The findings indicated that shrubland had the highest soil retention capacity per unit area (475.59 t/ha), whereas grassland exhibited the greatest water conservation capacity per unit area (6344.5 m³/ha). Forest land, cropland, and construction land dominated across all scenarios, accounting for over 94 % of the area. Cropland experienced the greatest decline, decreasing by 10.74 %, 13.03 %, and 8.52 % under the HDS, ECS, and EDS, respectively, while construction land expanded most rapidly, increasing by 14.67 %, 6.44 %, and 17.38 % under the same scenarios. Forest land increased significantly under the HDS (4.46 %) but declined under the ECS (−1.29 %) and EDS (−1.87 %). While overall land use patterns were similar across scenarios, local differences emerged: construction land under the EDS gradually expanded toward the Qinling Mountains, whereas under the HDS and ECS, forest land and grassland expanded markedly in the eastern part of the city. Overall, this research proposed an advanced framework that integrated ESs into land use optimization, offering spatial planning strategies that balanced development needs with ecological conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101076"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145797884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research on the delineation of urban growth boundary based on integration and “dual evaluation”: A case study of the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area, China","authors":"Jichao Ma ,&nbsp;Zhenqin Shi ,&nbsp;Yu Ma ,&nbsp;Shiyuan Cheng ,&nbsp;Yanhui Yan ,&nbsp;Sicheng Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101075","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.101075","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metropolitan areas, as core spatial vehicles driving socioeconomic development, urgently require their spatial governance to transition from “single-city” approaches to “regional coordination”. The Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), as a key measure for balancing economic development with ecological conservation and advancing sustainable development, urgently requires transcending the limitations of individual cities. It must prioritize regional coordination to meet the practical demands of metropolitan area integration.This study focused on the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area (ZMA) in China, applying a comprehensive approach and the PLUS model for land use simulations and UGB delineation with integration and “dual evaluation”. The results showed that (1) The PLUS model based on integration and dual evaluation demonstrates high land use accuracy (Kappa: 0.92, overall: 96.2 %) and can be applied for UGB delineation at the metropolitan scale. (2) Simulations indicate that land use in the study area is trending toward a decrease in cropland, shrubland, and grassland, an increase in water and construction land, while forest coverage remains largely stable. (3) In different scenarios, the UGB in the study area expanded (with expansion rates ranging from 17.7 % to 21.8 %) and the connections between towns strengthened. (4) The spatial expansion of the controlled-scale boundary, baseline boundary, and buffer zone of the ZMA's urban growth control primarily exhibits a composite “block-and-belt” expansion pattern, covering areas of 13,105.04 km², 11,915.02 km², and 2766.94 km² respectively. The study offers a replicable approach for metropolitan land use management, advancing urban sustainability and providing a scientific foundation for spatial governance in ZMA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 101075"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}