Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Construction and case study of rural environmental value-added evaluation system based on emergy theory

  • Case study
  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

At the same time as the rapid development of developing countries, unreasonable conventional planning and industrialization have led to instability in rural areas, especially resource-based rural systems. Rural environment and planning continue to receive widespread attention. Based on the emergy analysis theory, this paper constructed a rural environmental value-added evaluation system with resource, development, space and environmental protection as the factor layer (including 18 sub-indicators). Based on this system, the value-added situation of the socio-economic-natural composite ecological environment of Queshan Village in Shanxi Province from 2010 to 2015 was quantitatively evaluated, and the development strategy was proposed. It was found that from 2010 to 2015, the resource element decreased from 0.17 to about 0.00, the development factor decreased from 0.16 to 0.06, the space factor increased by 0.19 from 0.07, the environmental protection factor decreased from 0.21 to 0.05, and the composite index decreased from 0.61 to 0.30. It showed that the ecological environment growth of Queshan Village was negative in the evaluation period, and the development showed an imbalance law and an unsustainable development trend. According to the analysis results, this paper put forward development opinions from four aspects: resources, industry, environment and government investment. This method constructs a quantitative analysis system for rural environmental value-added evaluation, and has certain theoretical and practical value in rural planning guidance and evaluation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ali, M., Marvuglia, A., & Geng, Y. (2019). Accounting emergy-based sustainability of crops production in India and Pakistan over first decade of the 21st century. Journal of Cleaner Production, 207, 111–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amaral, L. P., Martins, N., & Gouveia, J. B. (2016). A review of emergy theory, its application and latest developments. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 54, 882–888.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angilella, S., Catalfo, P., Corrente, S., et al. (2018). Robust sustainable development assessment with composite indices aggregating interacting dimensions, the hierarchical-SMAA-Choquet integral approach. Knowledge-Based Systems, 158, 136–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babcicky, P. (2013). Rethinking the foundations of sustainability measurement, the limitations of the environmental sustainability index (ESI). Social Indicators Research, 113(1), 133–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagstad, K. J., Semmens, D. J., Waage, S., & Winthrop, R. (2013). A comparative assessment of decision-support tools for ecosystem services quantification and valuation. Ecosystem Services, 5, 27–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, T., Yang, D., Huo, J., et al. (2018). Evaluation of Oasis sustainability based on emergy and decomposition analysis. Sustainability-Basel, 10(6), 1856.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, W., Shen, Y., & Wang, Y. (2018). Evaluation of economic transformation and upgrading of resource-based cities in Shaanxi province based on an improved TOPSIS method. Sustainable Cities and Society, 37, 232–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C., & Cheng, K. (2018). Evaluation of the sustainability of Hakka villages in the Lui-Tui area of Taiwan via emergy analysis. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 20(6), 2831–2856.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dang, X., Liu, G., Xue, S., & Li, P. (2013). An ecological footprint and emergy based assessment of an ecological restoration program in the Loess Hilly Region of China. Ecological Engineering, 61, 258–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan, Y., Qi, Q., Xian, C., et al. (2017). A modified ecological footprint method to evaluate environmental impacts of industrial parks. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 125, 293–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, D. O., & Benzi, P. (2015). A long-term sustainability assessment of an Argentinian agricultural system based on emergy synthesis. Ecological Modelling, 306(6), 121–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graymore, M. L. M., Sipe, N. G., & Rickson, R. E. (2010). Sustaining human carrying capacity, a tool for regional sustainability assessment. Ecological Economics, 69(3), 459–468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, P. (2017). Disproportionality and resource-based environmental inequality, an analysis of neighborhood proximity to coal impoundments in Appalachia. Rural Sociology, 82(1), 149–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan, X., Chen, M., & Hu, C. (2015). An ecological compensation standard based on emergy theory for the Xiao Honghe River Basin. Water Science and Technology, 71(10), 1463–1470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, H., Zhong, Z., Wen, C., & Sun, H. (2018). Agricultural environmental total factor productivity in China under technological heterogeneity, characteristics and determinants. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25(32), 32096–32111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jafari, M., Asgharipour, M. R., Ramroudi, M., et al. (2018). Sustainability assessment of date and pistachio agricultural systems using energy, emergy and economic approaches. Journal of Cleaner Production, 193, 642–651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacarrière, B., Deutz, K. R., Jamali-Zghal, N., & Le, C. O. (2015). Emergy assessment of the benefits of closed-loop recycling accounting for material losses. Ecological Modelling, 315, 77–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lan, S., Qin, P., Lu, H. (2002). Emergy analysis of eco-economic system. Beijing: Chemical Industry Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y. U., Yanyu, L. U., Wei, H., & Yuqing, X. U. (2016). The significance and general approaches of climatic carrying capacity assessment. Chinese Journal of Urban & Environmental Studies, 04(01), 1650005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, C., Shi, X., Qu, L., & Li, B. (2016). Comparative analysis for the urban metabolic differences of two types of cities in the resource-dependent region based on emergy theory. Sustainability-Basel, 8(7), 635.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, D. (2017). Research on Wuxi ecosystem health assessment based on emergy analysis. Nanjing: Nanjing University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mainali, B., Pachauri, S., Rao, N. D., & Silveira, S. (2014). Assessing rural energy sustainability in developing countries. Energy for Sustainable Development, 19(1), 15–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mori, K., & Christodoulou, A. (2012). Review of sustainability indices and indicators, towards a new City Sustainability Index (CSI). Environmental Impact Assessment, 32(1), 94–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odum, H. T. (1996). Environmental accounting—emergy and environmental decision making. Child Development, 42(4), 1187–1201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pan, H., Zhang, X., Wu, J., et al. (2015). Sustainability evaluation of a steel production system in China based on emergy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, 1498–1509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pang, M., Zhang, L., Ulgiati, S., & Wang, C. (2015). Ecological impacts of small hydropower in China, Insights from an emergy analysis of a case plant. Energ Policy, 76, 112–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qu, L., Shi, X., Liu, C., & Yuan, Y. (2017). An emergy-based hybrid method for assessing sustainability of the resource-dependent region. Sustainability-Basel, 9(1), 153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruckelshaus, M., Mckenzie, E., Tallis, H., et al. (2015). Notes from the field, lessons learned from using ecosystem service approaches to inform real-world decisions. Ecological Economics, 115, 11–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siche, J. R., Agostinho, F., Ortega, E., & Romeiro, A. (2008). Sustainability of nations by indices, comparative study between environmental sustainability index, ecological footprint and the emergy performance indices. Ecological Economics, 66(4), 628–637.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, R. (2009). Dynamic analysis of agro-ecosystem in Shanxi Province based on emergy. Changsha: Hunan Agricultural University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, R. (2016). Construction and empirical study on evaluation index system of provincial ecological civilization in China. Beijing: China University of Geosciences.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Q., Chen, G. Q., et al. (2013). Environmental sustainability of wind power, An emergy analysis of a Chinese wind farm. Renew Sust Energ Rev, 25(5), 229–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, S. (2017). A case study of a novel sustainable agricultural development evaluation method based on Euclidean distance theory. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 37(11), 3840–3848.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, X. (2016). Research on the development model of resource-based rural transformation. Jinzhong: Shanxi Agricultural University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yi, H., Srinivasan, R. S., Braham, W. W., & Tilley, D. R. (2017). An ecological understanding of net-zero energy building, evaluation of sustainability based on emergy theory. Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 654–671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yue, J., Jiang, X., Yuan, X., et al. (2017). Design of a multiplexed system for domestic wastewater of Happy Farmer’s Home (HFH) and environmental evaluation using the emergy analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 156, 729–740.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, M. M. (2011). Environmental injustice in China’s industrialized rural areas, observations from Juancheng county and their national context. Berkeley Undergraduate Journal, 24(3), 149–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zulaica, L., & Tomadoni, M. (2015). Environmental sustainability indicators in the periurban of Mar del Plata City, Argentina. Anales de Geografia de la Universidad Complutense, 35(2), 195–216.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was sponsored by Pingding County Government.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Modern Agricultural Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200000, China

    Ajun Wan, Runqiu Tu, Weidong Yue, Yixuan Liu & Yunpeng Wu

Authors
  1. Ajun Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Runqiu Tu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Weidong Yue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yixuan Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yunpeng Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ajun Wan.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wan, A., Tu, R., Yue, W. et al. Construction and case study of rural environmental value-added evaluation system based on emergy theory. Environ Dev Sustain 23, 4715–4734 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00729-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00729-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation