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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2017, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (8): 2545-2553.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.201708.020

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Evaluation of reactive nitrogen emissions reduction in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration based on ‘N offset’ mechanism and data envelopment analysis

XIAN Chao-fan1,2, WANG Li-yan1,2, LU Fei1, ZHENG Hua1, OUYANG Zhi-yun1*   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
    2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2016-12-31 Published:2017-08-18
  • Contact: * E-mail: zyouyang@rcees.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71533005) and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract: The rapid development of urbanization has brought the huge ecological pressure and serious environmental pollution, resulting from direct and indirect emissions of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen to atmosphere and hydrosphere during nitrogen consumption. Based on the quantitative analysis of reactive nitrogen emissions by Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration, we constructed an evaluation index for annual reactive nitrogen removal efficiency of this region by employing data envelopment analysis. Then we attempted to put forward low-nitrogen development countermeasures based on ‘N offset’ mechanism for the sustainable development. The results showed that the total reactive nitrogen emissions of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration slightly decreased with fluctuation during urbanization in 2004-2014. Hebei Province was the main contributor to nitrogen emission, occupying 79%-84% and 74%-79% of nitrogen loss to atmosphere and hydrosphere. The main sources of emission were agricultural activities, and then turned to industrial activities and residential livelihood. The impacts of urbanization on reactive nitrogen emission intensity of each region were different. The annual emission intensity of this agglomeration was 5.8 t N·km-2. Beijing City owned the highest of emission reduction efficiency, followed by Hebei Province and Tianjin City. The keys for overall low-nitrogen urbanization were supposed to be the reduction in the emissions intensity of Hebei Province and the improvement in emission reduction efficiency of Tianjin City. The countermeasures toward emission reduction, basing on collaborative ‘N offset’ mechanism, would contribute to the reciprocity among Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration in emission reduction during sustainable development.