Abstract
This study proposes water–carbon–ecological footprints to form footprint family indicators for identifying the ecological compensation and regional development equilibrium in the Triangle of Central China (TOCC). The occupation of natural capital stock and flow consumption can be illustrated through a three-dimensional ecological footprint model, and Gini coefficient is integrated into the evaluation framework for fairness measurement from various aspects. Quantificational ecological compensation standards can be given with concerns of ecological resource conversion efficiency and willingness to pay indicators. Results reveal that there exit rising trends in ecological and carbon footprints in the TOCC from 2000 to 2015, while its water footprint presents a fluctuating trend. A majority of average Gini coefficients exceed the warning value (i.e., 0.4) under different footprints, implying a relatively poor overall fairness of regional development. In terms of water footprint, the relatively higher compensation expenses exist in Jingmen, Xiangtan, and Yichun, while Yichang, Zhuzhou, and Fuzhou have higher received compensation values as compared with other cities. When it comes to carbon footprint, Wuhan, Loudi, and Xinyu should pay higher compensation expenses due to their overuse of biological resources. The highest amounts of compensation expense appear in Nanchang and Wuhan from the perspective of ecological footprint.
Analysis of water–carbon–ecological footprints and resource–environment pressure in the Triangle of Central China
