An Empirical Study on the Ecological Economy of the Huai River in China

water Article An Empirical Study on the Ecological Economy of the Huai River in China Chunmei Zhang 1,*, Chengxiang Wang 2,*, Guangxiong Mao 1 , Min Wang 1 and Wei-Ling Hsu 1,* 1 School of Urban and Environmental Science, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an 223300, China; [email protected] (G.M.); [email protected] (M.W.) 2 Urban Design Analysis Lab, Graduate School of Urban Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea * Correspondence: [email protected] (C.Z.); [email protected] (C.W.); [email protected] (W.-L.H.); Tel.: +86-15189653701 (C.Z.); +86-15751385380 (W.-L.H.) Received: 8 June 2020; Accepted: 29 July 2020; Published: 31 July 2020 Abstract: The Huai River is an important flood control and discharge river in the middle and east of China, and the development of ecological economy with regional advantages is significant for the protection and improvement of the resources and environment of the basin. On the basis of defining the connotation of an ecological economic system, this study constructed an index system, and it applied the methods of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) to study the ecological economy of the Huai River. This study concluded that (1) the efficiency in most areas was efficient, but inefficient in a few areas; (2) the causes of inefficiency were unreasonable production scale and unqualified production technology, which led to redundant input of resources, insufficient output of days with good air quality, and excessive output of particulate matter with less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5); and (3) the efficiency was different in different regions, so it was necessary to respectively formulate and implement strategies for protection and development of resources and environment. The research results can be used as an important reference for formulating ecological economic policies around the world. Keywords: the ecological economic mode; the ecological economic system; ecological economic efficiency evaluation; data envelopment analysis; exploratory spatial data analysis 1. Introduction The resource depletion and environmental pollution [1–5] caused by the rapid development of modern society and economy are becoming more and more serious and have been identified as global public health issues [6]. Water, the basis of all life and an indispensable and irreplaceable element of natural resources and environment for social and economic development, is often not accessible for approximately 11% of the world’s population [7]. The global extraction of raw materials has increased from about 23 billion tons to more than 80 billion tons since 1970 [8], and CO2 concentration in the global atmosphere has increased from about 325 ppm to more than 410 ppm in this same period [9]. Heavy haze pollution, which mainly comprises PM2.5 with serious exceedance, causes 12–16 thousand premature deaths every year in China, the world’s second largest economy [5]. The Huai River Basin is a highly polluted river basin in China due to the traditional rapid economic growth [1]. Several serious pollution incidents occurred in this area, which risked the life safety of millions of people living alongside the rivers. For a long time, many scholars have paid attention to the problems of rainfall, flood disaster [10], water resource consumption [2], and water resource pollution [1] in the Huai River Basin, and there is a lack of research on the transformation of economic growth mode in the basin. Water 2020, 12, 2162; doi:10.3390/w12082162 www.mdpi.com/journal/water Water 2020, 12, 2162 2 of 18 WaterPeople 2020, 12, havex FOR PEER gradually REVIEW realized that the conventional economic growth model (Figure21 ofa), 18 which isolates humans from nature, while indiscriminately exploiting natural resources, has generated severesevere resourceresource crunchcrunch andand exertedexerted considerableconsiderable environmentalenvironmental pressurepressure onon world development [[11].11]. JustJust asas pointedpointed outout inin thethe programprogram “The“The EconomicsEconomics ofof EcosystemsEcosystems andand Biodiversity”Biodiversity” (TEEB)(TEEB) commissionedcommissioned byby the G8 + 55 group group of of nations, nations, living living organisms organisms and and the the non non-living-living environment environment in innature nature provide provide services services such such as as resource resource supply, supply, environmental regulation, habitat,habitat, andand culturalcultural facilities,facilities, whichwhich havehave importantimportant useuse valuevalue andand non-usenon-use valuevalue for the development of human society, butbut theirtheir integrity, integrity, health, health and, and resilience resilience are critical are critical thresholds thresholds for the servicefor the provision. service provision. When resources When areresources depleted are or depleted the environment or the environment is degraded, is degraded, high follow-up high follow costs- ofup the costs loss of of the natural loss of services natural becomeservices manifest become especiallymanifest especially in health einffects, health production effects, production losses, and losses costs for, and cleaning costs for and cleaning restoration. and Fromrestoration the perspective. From the ofperspective economics, of nature economics, represents nature a formrepresents of capital a form whose of capital dividend whose is paid dividend in the formis paid of naturein the form services of nature [12–15 ].services Therefore, [12– the15]. ecological Therefore, economic the ecological mode (Figureeconomic1b), mode which (Figure considers 1b), naturewhich toconsiders be an integral nature part to be of thean integral human system, part of isthe expected human tosystem, become is the expected most e fftoective become way t tohe solvemost theeffective contradiction way to solve between the contradiction social economic between development social economic and ecological development security and [ 5ecological]. The essence security of the[5]. eco-economicThe essence of mode the iseco to-economic develop society mode andis to economy develop onsociety the basis and ofeconomy the ecological on the environment basis of the byecological the establishment environment of aby compound the establishment ecosystem of consisting a compound of economy, ecosystem society, consisting and nature of economy, with a virtuoussociety, and cycle, nature so as with to achieve a virtuous the “win–win” cycle, so as ofto economicachieve the development “win–win” andof economic ecological development protection. Theand Vennecological diagram protection. [16] representing The Venn an ecologicaldiagram economic[16] representing system comprises an ecological three economic basic subsystems: system thecompr economy,ises three society, basic and subsystems: ecology (Figure the 1economy,b). The economic society, subsystemand ecology receives (Figure labor 1b). and The technology economic inputssubsystem from receives the social labor subsystem and technology and outputs inputs from products the social and subsystem services into and the outputs social products subsystem. and Theservices social into subsystem the social receives subsystem. environmental The social resourcessubsystem from receives the ecologicalenvironmental subsystem resources and from outputs the domesticecological waste subsystem into the and ecological outputs subsystem. domestic waste The ecological into the subsystemecological receivessubsystem. production The ecological waste fromsubsystem the economic receives subsystem production and waste outputs from resources the economic and environments subsystem into and the outputs economic resources subsystem. and Theseenvironments three subsystems into the economic form a complex subsystem. ecological These economic three subsystems system through form a thecomplex interweaving ecological of materialeconomic circulation system through and energy the interweaving transfer. of material circulation and energy transfer. (a) (b) FigureFigure 1.1. EvolutionEvolution ofof thethe economiceconomic system;system; ((aa)) conventionalconventional economiceconomic systemsystem [[11];11]; ((bb)) ecologicalecological economiceconomic systemsystem [[5,165,16].]. HowHow toto speed speed up up the the development development of social of social economy economy and maintain and maintain the virtuous the cyclevirtuous of ecological cycle of economicecological system?economic Developing system? Developing an ecological an economyecological and economy improving and itsimprov efficiencying its can efficiency achieve thecan aboveachieve two the goals above at two the goals same at time. the same The e ffitime.ciency The of efficiency eco-economy of eco refers-economy to the refers utilization to the utilization degree of variousdegree resourcesof various and resources the discharge and the degree discharge of waste degree in theof waste eco-economic in the eco mode.-economic It reflects mode the. It ability reflects to producethe ability more to produce goods and more services, goods consumeand services, less resources,consume less and resources have less, impactand have on less the impact environment. on the Therefore,environment. we shouldTherefore, scientifically we should evaluate scientifically the effi ciencyevaluate of eco-economicthe efficiency modeof eco and-economic explore mode its causes and explore its causes and spatial characteristics, so as to provide a factual basis for the regional accurate formulation and implementation of resources and environment

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