Improvement Path for Resource-Constrained Cities Identified Using an Environmental Co-Governance Assessment Framework...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Sustainable Development
• Policy Analysis

Background:

• Growing awareness of environmental destruction due to global warming and extreme weather.
• Environmental governance is key to sustainable development, requiring capital and stakeholder cooperation.
• Local governments often face resource limitations in environmental protection efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an environmental co-governance assessment framework.
• To identify effective strategies for improving environmental governance, especially for resource-limited local governments.
• To analyze the effectiveness of environmental policies and suggest enhancements.

Main Methods:

• Combined the Best-Worst Method (BWM) and a modified Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (mV) method.
• Developed an environmental co-governance assessment framework (BWM-mV model) based on stakeholder network structure.
• Conducted an empirical case study with the Pingxiang City Government.

Main Results:

• The BWM-mV model effectively evaluates environmental governance policies and suggests improvements.
• Identified critical areas for the Pingxiang City Government: high-quality information communication platform (C13) and smooth joint decision-making by stakeholders (C24).
• The framework is particularly suitable for local governments with limited resources.

Conclusions:

• The BWM-mV model provides a practical tool for enhancing environmental co-governance.
• Prioritizing information platforms and stakeholder decision-making is vital for effective environmental management.
• This approach supports sustainable development goals in resource-constrained settings.