Decoupling Economic Growth from Embodied Water–Energy–Food Consumption Based on a Modified MRIO Model: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta Region in China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Authors examine “Decoupling economic growth from embodied water-energy-food consumption based on modified MRIO model: a case study of the Yangtze River Delta region in China” seems an interesting work based on Water, energy, and food are for socioeconomic development, which are highly interwoven in urban activities. This study proposes a comprehensive framework to investigate WEF utilization based on a modified multi-regional input-output (MRIO) analysis. Taking the case of the Yangtze River Delta region, we first inventory embodied water-energy-food consumption from 2012 to 2017. Then decoupling analysis and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method are applied to explore decoupling states and identify driving factors. The results show that overall embodied WEF consumption showed a downward trend from 2012 to 2017 and different provinces varied significantly. However, below are some observations that authors can address during revision:

1.    General comments, the introduction lack rational, motivation and scope of the work. Authors need to clearly state what is research question and research objectives.

2.    In relation to WEF and model MRIO what are those great impacts on the ecological environment?

3.    There is a lack of discussion and deliberation on the positive/negative decoupling

4.    In WEF analysis, what is rationale of using modified multi-regional input-output (MRIO)

5.    Authors chose: Taking the case of the Yangtze River Delta region, we first inventory embodied water energy-food consumption from 2012 to 2017. Why period 2012-2017

6.    WEF consumption level should have provide in a longitudinal format

7.    What are those inventoried sectoral WEF resources consumption

8.    Authors employ Tapio analysis and the LMDI method were applied to reveal decoupling states and explore influencing factors. List those influencing factors in relation to WEF

9.    Authors collect Raw data on water, energy, and food were collected from Water Resources Bulletin, China Environmental Statistics Yearbook, China’s Energy Statistical Yearbook, and China Agriculture Yearbook. Provided tabulation of such data with descriptive measures and discussion.

10.  Authors discuss managerial implications, but there is a lack of economic generalization of the results.

acceptable

Author Response

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Detailed comments are below: 

Abstract

1. WEF appears in the text for the first time, please write the full spelling

2. Please state the reasons why choose Yangtze River Delta region as a case study

3. Make the results clearer. For example: Line 19: "Decoupling performances..." Please be more specific about the results obtained

Introduction

1. Line 49: Owen et al should be followed by the year, and many of the same errors should be corrected in the latter part of the text.

2. Line 57: Did all the above studies use MRIO? Perhaps "MRIO is widely used in environmental impact studies of supply chains".

3. Line 59: Please list some of the studies that have used different units of measurement

4. Line 106: "The results..." This sentence refers to the same literature as the previous one. Please standardize the citation format for the full text.

Materials and Methods

1. The section "2.1 Study area" describes the importance of Yangtze River Delta region and should be included in the introduction.

2. A higher resolution is needed for Figure 1.

3. The unit (sej) in Figure 3 need to be explained in the figure caption.

4. Figure 6 is in Chinese, please revise it.

5. The legends in Figure 7 need to be explained further.

Discussion and Conclusion

1. Policy implications are not specific. Detailed implications should be given based on (supported by) your findings.

2. Policy implications first and then the conclusion.

Extensive editing of English language required

Author Response

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

1. The authors should have presented a theoretical analysis of existing methods for studying the problem considered in the article.

2. The authors should present the theoretical and practical novelty of the study

The authors should have presented a theoretical analysis of existing methods for studying the problem considered in the article.

The authors should present the theoretical and practical novelty of the study

Author Response

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors have improved the work and responded to the comments.

acceptable 

Author Response

Thanks for your time and valuable suggestions. We really appreciate it.

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors have addressed most of my comments. This version is much better than the previous one.  I only have one minor comment for this version:

In introduction, the authors discussed many studies regarding to water-energy-carbon nexus, but the literature review for environment-food nexus is weak.  The following research may help the authors to improve the Introduction section (please note that it is just a recommendation not a request):

Trade-off between human health and environmental health in global diets ,2022, Resources, Conservation & Recycling. 

Author Response

Thank you for the suggestion.  It is helpful and relevant to our research. We have added the reference to improve the literature review for the environment-food nexus ( Line 81, page2).

Line 81: “ Zhang and Li [17] applied global average footprints to evaluate the environmental impacts of various diets, revealing an increasing consumption of phosphorus and nitrogen as well as blue water use in China due to its high consumption of rice, vegetable, and pork.”

Reviewer 3 Report

It's ok now

Author Response

Thanks for your time and valuable suggestions. We really appreciate your help.