Spatiotemporal evolution of water-linked ecosystem service values in the Pearl River Basin: A GIS-based approach for sustainable water-ecology-society governance
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2025
Abstract
The Pearl River Basin, one of southern China's most vital water ecosystems, has experienced significant changes in ecosystem service values (ESV) due to rapid urbanization, posing challenges to water resource management and governance. Despite the importance of water-related ecosystem services (WES) in the region, comprehensive assessments of their spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers remain scarce. This study addresses this gap by employing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a human disturbance index to evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of ESV in the basin from 2000 to 2020, with a focus on water resources. Using the ecosystem service value equivalent approach, adjusted for biomass factors, we assess the impacts of land use/cover changes-particularly in water bodies, forests, and croplands-on ESV. The findings reveal an overall decline in ESV by approximately 15 %, with water-related ecosystem services showing marked sensitivity to human activity, especially in urbanizing areas, where declines of up to 30 % were observed in some regions. Geographic detector analysis highlights that population density, GDP, vegetation cover, and human activity collectively drive changes in water-linked ESV. These findings underscore the need for sustainable water resource management strategies that balance ecological stability with socio-economic development, offering critical guidance for integrated water-ecology-society governance in the Pearl River Basin.
Keywords
Ecosystem Services, Spatiotemporal Analysis, Pearl River, Environmental Drivers
Divisions
aei
Publication Title
Desalination and Water Treatment
Volume
322
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher Location
STE 800, 230 PARK AVE, NEW YORK, NY 10169 USA