Coupling and coordinated development of new urbanization and agro-ecological environment in China

Agricultural ecological environment conservation is a major strategic mission for the sustainable development of China's agriculture and rural areas at present. Therefore, it is of great significance to examine the coupling and coordination relationship between new urbanization and the agro-ecological environment, and, accordingly, to establish China's sustainable agro-economic development model. However, this topic has not been adequately addressed in previous studies. To fill this gap, this study detailed an empirical investigation into the spatio-temporal differentiation of and influencing factors on the coupling and coordinated development of new urbanization and the agricultural ecological environment in China. First, aided by spatial analysis methods, a detailed analysis of the spatio-temporal patterns and dynamics of the coupling and coordinated development of new urbanization and the agro-ecological environment was conducted. The driving factors were quantitatively examined using the random panel Tobit model and the panel data modeling technique. The results indicate that the coupling degree between China's new urbanization and the agro-ecological environment ranges from 0.30 to 0.50, which is in the antagonistic stage. The degree of coupling and coordination is between 0.39 and 0.59, basically on the verge of imbalance and reluctant coordination. Most provinces lag behind in new urbanization. Panel data analysis demonstrates financial support for agriculture, rural economic development, environmental pollution control capabilities, and government capabilities significantly impacting the degree of coupling and coordination between China's new urbanization and the agro-ecological environment. Among them, financial support for agriculture and industrialization has different effects on the degree of coupling and coordination between the eastern and midwestern regions. Based on the findings of this study, a series of policy suggestions for improving China's new urbanization and agro-ecological environment is proposed.