In the rapidly evolving landscape of global urban development, the sustainability of resource and environmental carrying capacity (RECC) has emerged as a critical concern for policymakers and researchers alike. The intricate dynamics of regional integration policies and their consequences on urban agglomerations demand rigorous analysis and innovative frameworks. A groundbreaking study focusing on the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) offers profound insights into how regional economic integration can be strategically leveraged to enhance the sustainability of environmental resources within urban clusters. This research represents a significant stride toward bridging the persistent gap between theoretical constructs and applied methodologies in the fragmented literature surrounding RECC and regional integration.
At the core of this extensive investigation is an integrative conceptual framework designed to fuse influence mechanisms with policy instruments. This framework is pivotal in quantifying, interpreting, and ultimately amplifying the effectiveness of regional integration policies targeted at improving RECC. The study employs a rich dataset encompassing 117 cities distributed across the YREB, spanning from 2005 through 2021. By embracing advanced econometric techniques, notably the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model complemented by a mediation mechanism model, the researchers methodically evaluate the tangible policy effects and decipher the intricate pathways through which regional integration exerts influence on environmental sustainability outcomes.
The findings reveal a statistically significant positive impact of regional integration policies on RECC, with an estimated increase of approximately 0.016 units. While this quantitative uplift may appear modest at first glance, its implications are profound when contextualized across the vast urban network within the YREB. The study dissects the underlying channels facilitating this influence, identifying economic linkages, industrial restructuring, and technological advancement as pivotal mediatory mechanisms. Not all these mediators have fully matured in their capacity to influence RECC, suggesting considerable potential for targeted policy refinement and intensified focus in those domains.
Delving deeper into the mediation analysis highlights economic linkage as an essential vector enabling resource and environmental systems to adapt to regional integration imperatives. Industrial restructuring also emerges as a critical conduit, signifying the transformation of traditional economic sectors towards more environmentally sustainable configurations. However, the partial realization of these mediating effects signals latent inefficiencies or barriers within the urban agglomerations that temper the full potential of integration policies. Technological progress, identified as a third mediator, underscores the crucial role of innovation diffusion and capacity building in fostering sustainable resource management and environmental resilience.
Beyond the quantification of policy impacts, the study achieved a novel dimension through configurational analysis, employing the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). This qualitative-quantitative hybrid approach uncovers the combinatorial conditions and interactive dynamics among antecedent factors driving policy success in enhancing RECC. Fundamental components such as economic motivation, administrative capacity, and the deployment of supply, demand, and environmental policies manifest as critical levers whose synergistic interplay dictates the efficacy of integration strategies.
The configurational analysis reveals that no single factor dominates in isolation; rather, distinct, complex configurations of multiple antecedents shape regional outcomes. For instance, high RECC enhancement is contingent upon aligning robust economic incentives with efficient administrative frameworks and nuanced policy mixes. These configurations vary significantly among different urban agglomerations within the YREB, reflecting localized socio-economic, political, and environmental contexts. This heterogeneity calls for tailored policy packages sensitive to the unique characteristics and capacities of each urban region.
An intriguing revelation of the study lies in the identification of substitution effects among the five antecedent conditions. This suggests that deficits in certain dimensions, such as weaker administrative capacity, might be compensated for through stronger economic motivation or more innovative policy instruments, illustrating the adaptive flexibility within regional integration strategies. This insight provides a pragmatic pathway for policymakers operating under resource or governance constraints, enabling them to optimize policy combinations to still achieve meaningful enhancements in RECC.
The introduction of a mediation mechanism model within the DID framework marks a methodological advance in quantifying the nuanced causal chains linking regional integration to environmental sustainability. Through this model, the study circumvents limitations of attributing policy outcomes solely to direct effects, instead revealing indirect channels whereby intermediary processes, like industrial upgrading and economic ties, exert substantial influence. This approach delivers a more comprehensive understanding of policy impact dynamics and facilitates more precise interventions to amplify positive effects.
Simultaneously, the employment of fsQCA to investigate policy tool configurations brings a fresh perspective to the evaluation of regional integration strategies. Unlike traditional regression-based analyses, fsQCA accommodates the complexity and nonlinearity inherent to socio-political phenomena, recognizing that multiple pathways can lead to similar sustainability outcomes. This analytical innovation enables the detection of equifinality in policy effects, fostering a more nuanced and contextually sensitive interpretation critical for real-world governance applications.
The study’s focus on the YREB, one of China’s most economically and environmentally significant regions, adds substantial empirical weight to its conclusions. The YREB, characterized by intense urbanization, diverse industrial landscapes, and significant ecological vulnerability, offers an ideal testbed for exploring the interplay between regional integration and sustainability. The insights gained here have implications that extend beyond the YREB boundaries, providing valuable lessons for other rapidly urbanizing and industrializing regions globally seeking balanced growth with ecological preservation.
Importantly, the research underscores the necessity of aligning economic motivation with administrative capacity to optimize policy outcomes—an alignment that enhances the feasibility, enforcement, and adaptability of integration policies. The intricate balance between these factors shapes the regional institutional environment, affecting how resources are allocated, technologies adopted, and industries transformed. Strengthening administrative systems while fostering economic incentives can thus create virtuous cycles propelling urban agglomerations toward higher sustainability thresholds.
Technological advancements, though identified as a mediator, warrant deeper investigation to unlock their full potential within regional integration frameworks. Accelerating the diffusion of green technologies, promoting innovation clusters, and enhancing knowledge spillovers are strategies suggested by the study to fortify the role of technology in scaling environmental carrying capacity. Encouraging cross-city and cross-sector collaborative innovation emerges as a vital policy dimension for sustaining long-term enhancements in RECC.
Furthermore, the study’s temporal span from 2005 to 2021 provides a valuable longitudinal perspective, capturing the evolution of policy impacts, urban dynamics, and sustainability trajectories over time. This allows for robust assessments of policy continuity, adaptability, and cumulative effects, highlighting periods of acceleration or stagnation. Such temporal analysis equips decision-makers with evidence-based guidance for timing and sequencing interventions to maximize positive environmental and economic synergies.
The multi-faceted approach adopted by the researchers exemplifies the necessity of interdisciplinary perspectives in addressing complex sustainable development challenges. By integrating economic theories, policy analysis, environmental science, and advanced quantitative methods, the study responds to the layered nature of RECC and regional integration policy effects. This holistic vision is crucial for designing sophisticated governance models that are responsive to the intertwined ecological and socio-economic realities of mega-urban regions.
The research ultimately calls on policymakers to rethink conventional one-size-fits-all approaches, advocating for adaptive, evidence-driven policy mixes uniquely crafted for the distinct socio-economic fabrics of urban agglomerations. Customizing policy instruments based on localized capacity, motivational drivers, and environmental contexts promises higher effectiveness and sustainability in resource and environmental management. It is this tailored, integrative strategy that the study demonstrates as vital for the future of regional integration and urban sustainability.
In conclusion, the study presents a comprehensive and methodologically rigorous roadmap for understanding and enhancing the effectiveness of regional integration policies in elevating the resource and environmental carrying capacity of urban agglomerations. Its novel integration of influence mechanisms and policy instrument configurations offers a replicable framework with wide applicability across varied geographical contexts. As regions worldwide grapple with balancing rapid urban growth and ecological preservation, this research provides timely and actionable insights to inform the design of resilient, sustainable urban futures.
Subject of Research: Regional integration policies and their impact on resource and environmental carrying capacity (RECC) in urban agglomerations within the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
Article Title: Measuring and enhancing the effectiveness of regional integration policies for resource and environmental carrying capacity.
Article References:
Chen, D., Lu, X., Zhang, C. et al. Measuring and enhancing the effectiveness of regional integration policies for resource and environmental carrying capacity. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1102 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05407-5
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