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Scientific water resource carrying capacity (WRCC) evaluations are necessary for providing guidance for the sustainable utilization of water resources. Based on the driving-pressure-state-impact-response feedback loop, this paper selects 21 indicators under five dimensions to construct a regional WRCC comprehensive evaluation framework. The projection pursuit clustering (PPC) method is implemented with the matter-element extension (MEE) model to overcome the limitations of subjective deviation and indicator attribute incompatibility in traditional comprehensive assessment methods affecting the accuracy of evaluations. The application of the integrated evaluation model is demonstrated in Baoding city in the Jing-Jin-Ji area from 2010 to 2017. The results indicate that the economic water consumption intensity is the most influential factor that impacts the WRCC change in Baoding, and the pressure subsystem and response subsystem are dominant in the entire system. The WRCC in Baoding significantly improved between 2010 and 2017 from a grade V extremely unsafe state to a grade III critical state. Natural water shortages and large population scales are the main negative factors during this period; however, the existing measures are still insufficient to achieve an optimal WRCC status. Considering the future population and industry inflow, additional actions must be proposed to maintain and promote harmonious conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial structures in China's resource-based cities are unlikely to materially change in the short term, and the large quantities of air pollutants emitted by residents' energy consumption cause serious air pollution. It is therefore urgently required to frame policies that can be adopted to realize the sustainable development of a social economy under the constraint of atmospheric environment in China's resource-based cities. In this paper, we develop a dynamic optimization model by using input–output analysis with gross regional product (GRP) maximization as the objective function. This model contains three submodels: the socioeconomic submodel, atmo-environmental control submodel, and energy submodel. The model is applied to Tangshan City, a typical resource-based industrial city, to conduct a dynamic simulation with 13 terms from 2013 to 2025 and based on the data in 2012. The goal for the model operation is to realize the optimal development of a social economy under the restrain of certain emission levels of air pollutants. This goal is achieved by introducing a comprehensive policy that includes a residential clean energy promotion policy and an industry emission reduction policy, and industrial restructuring also plays a role by industrial subsidies. The simulation results demonstrate that sulfur dioxide ( S O 2 ) and nitrogen oxides ( N O x ) can be reduced by 53% and 45%, respectively, in Tangshan City in 2025 compared with their values in 2012 with an annual GRP growth rate of 6.2%. The total output of the clean energy in the simulation period is 41.4 million tons of standard coal. The goal of improving the atmospheric environment and sustainable development of social economies in resource-based cities can be achieved by coordinating the relationship among economic development, atmospheric environmental protection, and energy consumption through a dynamic optimization model with a comprehensive policy and industrial restructuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture, a strategic industry that secures the country and stabilizes society, has invariably been valued by China to feed its 1.4 billion people. However, the long-term extensive development of agriculture has led to a series of water problems such as groundwater overexploitation, water shortages, and water pollution in some areas of China, resulting in great pressure on the ecological environment and social economy. In this paper, we constructed a dynamic optimization simulation model based on the input–output (I–O) approach within the horizon of 2012–2025 to explore the synthetic optimal policies for achieving both socioeconomic development, and water resources and water environment protection in a node city on the middle route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, Handan. Six scenarios based on various synthetic policies were adopted. The simulation results show that during the simulation period, the maximum development of the social economy can be achieved under the premise of achieving the specific objectives of water resources and water environment protection in a comprehensive scenario. In addition, the water environment improved: the annual chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions reduced by 7.5%, 10.3%, 5.0%, and 5.9% in pig farming, cattle farming, chicken farming, and households, respectively. Furthermore, the water supply–demand structure was optimized. The water demand of wheat planting and groundwater extraction decreased at an annual rate of 9.1% and 7.7%, respectively. The supply of reclaimed water increased at an annual rate of 9.2%. The model adapted in the paper can simulate and evaluate the impact of all the feasible synthetic policies on the economy, water resources, and water environment, and provide targeted, scientific recommendations for solving the agricultural water use problems in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]