Evaluation of Resources and Environment Carrying Capacity Based on Support Pressure Coupling Mechanism: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Resource and environmental carrying capacity (RECC) is an important basis for achieving sustainable urban development, and analysis of the relationship between regional resources and human activities is of great significance for sustainable regional development. Taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as the study area, this study establishes a framework for analyzing RECC based on the resource and environmental support capacity (RES) and the pressure on the resource and environment (REP), calculates the RES and REP of 110 cities in the YREB from 2009 to 2018, and analyzes the main constraints on RECC. The results show that (1) there are inter-regional imbalances in RECC within the study area, with cities that are more economically developed or at a higher administrative level usually having more severe problems with RECC. (2) The RES and REP indices of cities in the YREB show an overall increasing trend, but the relative growth rates of the RES and REP indices of cities at different levels differ. (3) The built-up area, green space in built-up areas, total gas supply, and length of sewage pipes are hindering factors for most cities to improve their RES. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the current situation and changing trends of RECC in the YREB and can provide a reference for decision-making on sustainable development of the region’s large river basin.