China's Urban Waste Resource Management Systems: A Case of the Yangtze River Basin.

Urban waste management is vital for environmental protection and sustainable development. Understanding the characteristics and innovative paths of waste management systems in the Yangtze River Delta urban cluster is of significant importance. Analyzing 285 policies implemented from 2003 to 2022, the research employs methods like stage evolution text quantification and network structure analysis to reveal distinct characteristics of policy evolution in urban waste management. The study identifies a four-stage pattern of policy development: policy pilot stage, policy implementation stage, policy regulation stage, and policy dissemination stage. The findings highlight an increasing diversification of policy initiators and improvements in multisector collaboration. The central government plays a pivotal role in guiding urban waste management, while local governments follow suit through demonstration, indicating a preference for individual local autonomy over horizontal joint management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]