The Evaluation of the Sustainable Development Capacity of Bay Cities in China：Under the Background of Blue Bay Remediation Action

Abstract

In response to the urgent need for sustainable development of the marine environment, the Chinese government initiated the Blue Bay Remediation Action (BBRA) in 2016, piloting efforts in 16 bay cities. Recognizing that these areas function as integrated ecosystems, it is clear that solely addressing issues within the bays will not completely resolve the ecological challenges. Guided by the principles of comprehensive treatment and sustainable development inherent in the BBRA policy, this paper incorporates ecological indicators of bays and the surrounding sea into a sustainable development framework for 52 bay cities. To identify a balanced approach for the development of the economy, ecology and society, a three-component evaluation system with 40 indicators is established to assess the sustainable development levels of bay cities from 2015 to 2019 in China. According to the result of the principal component and coupling coordination degree analysis, it indicates that after BBRA, the change of sustainable development levels of the pilot bay cities is not obvious. Significant disparities exist in the levels of sustainable development among the majority of pilot cities, with imbalances observed across economic, ecological, and social dimensions. Consequently, in researching the balanced sustainable development of bay cities, it is essential to consider the unique development characteristics of each city during the implementation process of the BBRA