Pollution Load Coordination and Eco-Compensation for Trans-Boundary Water Pollution Control: The Case of the Tri-Border Region of the Yangtze Delta

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The following suggestions for this manuscript were as follows:

Abstract:

The abstract provides a concise and clear overview of the study background, objectives, methods, key findings, and implications. A few minor suggestions:

• The abstract mentions "Partition Governance Mode (PGM)" but does not define this term. Consider spelling out the full name on first use.
• The abstract would benefit from more specific details on the methods, such as the use of a 1-D river network model and eco-compensation calculations.
• The sentence starting "The framework presented herein..." could be made more concise.

Introduction:

The introduction effectively establishes the rationale and significance of the research by reviewing relevant literature on transboundary water pollution issues globally and in China's Yangtze River Delta region. The authors clearly identify key knowledge gaps and challenges that motivate this study. The overall organization and flow of ideas is logical. A few minor improvements:

• Provide some numerical data when mentioning the prevalence of transboundary river basins globally.
• The paragraph starting "Diverging from conventional instances..." could be condensed to more concisely highlight unique complexities of the study area.
• The final paragraph nicely outlines the key components of the proposed framework, but some details are vague (e.g. "uniform technical framework"). Consider more specifics here to orient the reader.

Materials and Methods:

This section provides adequate details on the study area, datasets used, and methodological procedures. The subsections are logically organized. Specific suggestions:

• Provide a locator map showing the geographic boundaries of the study region.
• In Dataset section, consider organizing the details into a concise data table.
• The explanations of the mathematical modeling and eco-compensation calculations are appropriate and sufficiently detailed.
• Consider adding a flow chart to visually map out the overall methodological framework and connectivity between each component.

Results and Discussion:

The results are presented in a clear and logical manner, with appropriate use of figures and tables to summarize key data. The discussions meaningfully interpret the results in context of the study objectives and previous literature. Some particular points:

• In section 4.1, explain the relevance of the flow direction analysis.
• For Figures 6 and 8, spell out the full names of the regions in the captions or an associated table to aid interpretation.
• The eco-compensation results are insightful but warrant further analysis of policy implications in the Discussion.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor English revision should be done.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors, it was a pleasure to review your manuscript "Pollution Load coordination and eco-compensation for trans-boundary water pollution control: the case of tri-border region of Yangtze delta". I think you have done a good research, the methodology is good as well as the presentation of the results. There are just a few suggestions for you that you can see below.

I suggest you make a better version of Fig. 1 and 3, in this form parts are barely visible, especially the miniature graphs positioned at the points of analysis.

I think the conclusion of your research should be better. The advantages and novelties resulting from your research should be particularly emphasize.

Best regards.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1.     Abstract. Please show the full names of TECA and COD.

2.     Introduction. It is recommended to compare this work with previous studies and further emphasize the novelty of this study.

3.     When using the term "significant", it should have supported by statistics. Did author do any statistical analysis on data?

4.     The limitations of current research and future development prospects should be discussed.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Introduction:

 The Introduction section of the manuscript provides an overview of the challenges associated with trans-boundary pollution conflict and highlights the relevance of the study regarding trans-boundary water pollution control in the Tri-border Region of Yangtze Delta (TBYD). The authors have laid out the background effectively, but several aspects could be improved:

 Specify the Research Gap: Clearly articulate the specific research gap that this study is aiming to fill within the broader context of trans-boundary pollution management.

Clarify the Objective: Strengthen the introduction by framing the research objectives or questions more explicitly. This will help guide the reader in understanding the paper’s intended contributions.

Improve the Organization: The opening could benefit from a more structured presentation of current knowledge and gaps leading to the purpose of the study.

Cite Recent Literature: Ensure that references used to set up the context are both relevant and current, as this will demonstrate the manuscript’s timeliness.

Methods:

 The “Methods” section discusses a 1-D mathematical model for simulating pollution concentration and calculating the water pollution load carrying capacity. To improve the section:

 Provide Details on Model Development: Clarify the process of building the 1-D mathematical model. Include details on model selection, parameterization, and assumptions.

Model Validation: Expand on the validation of the model. Present a clear explanation of how historical data was used to calibrate and confirm the reliability of the model predictions.

Address Limitations: The current description does not thoroughly discuss the potential limitations of the chosen methodology. This information is critical for contextualizing the results.

Enhance Figure Descriptions: Figures should be accompanied by more detailed captions to guide the reader through the methodology framework.

Results and Discussion:

 This section effectively presents hydrological characteristics, delineates the coordination scope, establishes a mathematical model for the river network, and coordinates load based on pollution load capacity calculation. Here are areas for improvement:

 Interpretation of Results: While the results are presented, the interpretation could be deepened. The authors should discuss how their findings relate to and expand upon existing literature.

Integration of Results and Discussion: Ensure there are clear transitions between the presentation of results and the ensuing discussion. It could be helpful to integrate these aspects more thoroughly, rather than treating them as discrete sections.

Discuss Implications: Present the broader implications of the findings with regards to policy and management strategies for trans-boundary pollution control.

Statistical Analysis: While the authors present a range of data, it is important that they clearly discuss the statistical analyses that support their conclusions.

By addressing these points, the manuscript would gain clarity, depth, and value to the reader, significantly enhancing its contribution to the field of trans-boundary pollution management and control.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Moderate editing of English language required

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

We express our sincere gratitude for your constructive feedback on our manuscript titled "Pollution Load Coordination and Eco-compensation for Trans-boundary Water Pollution Control: The Case of the Tri-border Region of Yangtze Delta." Your valuable comments have immensely contributed to enhancing the quality of our manuscript.

We are glad to accepte all your comments and have diligently incorporated all the revision work.  In addition, we have provided the attachment in response to your comments point by point.

In addition to the major revision work as illustrated in attachment, we have undertaken thorough revisions to enhance the clarity and coherence of the language throughout the manuscript.

Finally, we genuinely appreciate your guidance in refining these crucial aspects of our manuscript. Your feedback has improved the clarity of our manuscript and has aided in highlighting the unique contributions of our research. Thank you so much for your valuable time and comments!

Best wishes and heartfelt thanks for your support!

 

Wangkan

Associate professor

Ningbo University

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

OK

Author Response

Dear reviewer，

I hope this message finds you well. We write this letter to express our sincere gratitude for your feedback on our manuscript titled "Pollution Load Coordination and Eco-compensation for Trans-boundary Water Pollution Control: The Case of the Tri-border Region of Yangtze Delta." Your valuable comments have immensely contributed to enhancing the quality of our manuscript.

Warm regards and heartfelt thanks for your support！

 

Wangkan

Associate Professor

Ningbo University

 

Round 3

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Minor revision should be made before this manuscript has been accepted: please cite related studies in the 5. Implication and limitation section to improve the discussion.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

We write to extend our sincere gratitude for all your thoughtful assessment and suggestions of our manuscript titled "Pollution Load Coordination and Eco-compensation for Trans-boundary Water Pollution Control: the Case of the Tri-border Region of the Yangtze Delta." All your valuable comments and suggestions have immensely contributed to highlighting the value of our research.

In this round, we have thoroughly incorporated and addressed the your valuable comment.  All the important studies and documents in the "5. Implication and Limitation" section and 6 referencees have been added in the list. In addition, the whole content of this section has been revised for a better illustration of our discussion part. The detailed revision work could be seen in the attachment.

Finally, we want to express our gratitude for your time and invaluable suggestions once again! Your advises in these rounds has dramatically improved the quality of our manuscript. We truly hope that the new revised version will meet the standards for publication.

Best wishes and heartfelt thanks for all your support!

 

Wang Kan

Associate professor

Ningbo University

Author Response File: Author Response.docx