Are there heterogeneities in environmental risks among different types of resource-based cities in China? Assessment based on environmental risk field approach

With the rapid social and economic development, urban environmental risks are surging, necessitating urgent attention to prevention, control, and management. Resource-based cities, reliant on natural resources for economic growth, grapple with environmental hazards stemming from mineral resource extraction, processing, and production. The proliferation of “high energy consumption and high emission” projects exacerbates these risks through indiscriminate development. Environmental risk profiles vary significantly across resource-based cities at different developmental stages and with diverse resource portfolios. Employing the environmental risk field theory, this study assesses environmental risks in growing (Ordos), mature (Ganzhou), declining (Baishan), and regenerating (Baotou) resource-based cities, from 2015 to 2021 at a 10 km × 10 km resolution. The research findings reveal significant heterogeneity in environmental risks among various types of resource-based cities. While environmental risks generally exhibit an upward trend across all four city types, the increase is notably more pronounced in growing and mature resource-based cities. Growing and regenerating resource-based cities exhibit relatively lower levels of environmental risk, with distinct spatial agglomeration, whereas mature and declining resource-based cities face higher overall environmental risks, demonstrating greater receptor vulnerability and environmental risk field intensity, respectively. These results offer insights into the spatial distribution and predominant risk profiles of various resource-based urban environmental risk, identify high-risk points, and provide valuable suggestions for management strategies in resource-based cities.