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Land
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Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds
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Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Energy, Land and Food (WELF) Nexus".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2025 | Viewed by 4767

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Sun

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Guest Editor
Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: regional development and planning; regional spatial growth management; sustainable development of watersheds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xiaojun Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210029, China
Interests: water resources planning and management; water resources management in response to climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Dongliang Zhao

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Guest Editor
School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Interests: thermal management; renewable energy; heat transfer
Prof. Dr. Kun Yu

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Guest Editor
Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Interests: land use and land cover change; coast zone environment; shoreline and water quality change; arid and semi-arid area vegetation change; water resource management; agricultural remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhifeng Jin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Jiangsu Research Center of Land Resource, Nanjing 210017, China
Interests: utilization of land resources; protection and utilization of natural resource assets; optimization of management and control of land and space

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Land, water, energy, and food are the basic requirements for maintaining human existence and ensuring sustainable socio-economic development. Increasing global natural and anthropogenic pressures have made the relationships between these elements more complex and fragile, thus posing great challenges to their supply–demand balance. In addition, land use, water resource allocation, energy supply, and food production security within the watershed, an integrated management unit, are critical to the overall sustainable development of the watershed. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to study the coupling of the land–water–energy–food (LWEF) system and the sustainable development of the watershed. An in-depth exploration of the inherent links between these elements will help formulate scientific and effective resource management policies, promote the high-efficiency utilization of resources, and achieve the coordinated development of the economy, society, and environment, thus promoting the sustainable development of the watershed.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to give insights into the nexus between land, water, energy, and food and the mechanisms of the coupling of land, water, energy, and food on watersheds to promote their sustainability.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Land–water–energy–food nexus and coupling mechanisms;
  • The sustainable development of watersheds;
  • Climate change adaptation and regional resilience;
  • Land use and watershed ecosystems;
  • Water supply and management;
  • The energy transition and carbon mitigation;
  • Food security and supply;
  • Resource, environmental, and regional high-quality development;
  • Spatial governance and the planning of watersheds.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Wei Sun
Prof. Dr. Xiaojun Wang
Prof. Dr. Dongliang Zhao
Prof. Dr. Kun Yu
Dr. Zhifeng Jin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • land–water–energy–food nexus
  • climate change adaptation
  • regional resilience
  • land use transformation
  • energy transition
  • resource management
  • resources and environment
  • water–energy–food
  • carbon peak and neutrality
  • spatial governance and planning

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 23458 KiB  
Article
Incorporating Stepping Stone Establishment into Rural Ecological Security Pattern Optimization: A Water–Energy–Food Coupling Perspective
by Jingwen Tian, Bolun Zhang, Jiaying Li, Anxiao Zhang and Ling Zhu
Land 2025, 14(4), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040862 - 14 Apr 2025
Viewed by 286
Abstract
Protecting ecological sources and restoring ecological stepping stones (ESSs) are key to constructing ecological security patterns (ESPs) in small-scale rural areas. Ecosystem services (ESs) associated with Water–Energy–Food (W-E-F) influence the ecological security of rural areas. However, how to construct rural ESPs to enhance [...] Read more.
Protecting ecological sources and restoring ecological stepping stones (ESSs) are key to constructing ecological security patterns (ESPs) in small-scale rural areas. Ecosystem services (ESs) associated with Water–Energy–Food (W-E-F) influence the ecological security of rural areas. However, how to construct rural ESPs to enhance the synergy and connectivity of W-E-F systems remains unclear. This study thus proposes a framework of rural ESP construction and optimization based on the coupling coordination analysis of ESs related to W-E-F, including Water yield, Carbon storage, and Food production. Using the Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan Green Heart region as a case, it identifies ecological sources and corridors through the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model and circuit theory. Moreover, it optimizes the ESP by incorporating the optimal ESS plan to improve source connectivity. The results show 14 ecological source patches covering a total area of 86.73 km2 and 117.21 km of ecological corridors. Three ESS plans are evaluated, with Option II proving optimal, increasing corridor length by 31.02% and source connectivity by 57.10%, which is based on the high CCD of three ESs. The “One Core, Three Zones, Four Corridors, and Multiple Points” scheme was defined as the ESP. This study underscores the significance of small-scale ecological restoration and advocates a shift from a “single ES” to a “coupled ESs” perspective. And it offers new insights aiming to enhance the source connectivity from the “patch–corridor–matrix” paradigms to the “patch–stepping stone–matrix” framework. It also provides feasible suggestions for balancing ecological protection and resource sustainability in rural areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds)
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16 pages, 3982 KiB  
Article
Quantifying the Provincial Carbon Emissions of China Embodied in Trade: The Perspective of Land Use
by Qiqi Wu, Jijun Meng, Cuiyutong Yang and Likai Zhu
Land 2025, 14(4), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040753 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 350
Abstract
Land use supports production and living activities and provides ecosystem services for people. With the flow of capital, goods, and services among regions, trade leads to the transfer of carbon emissions from importing regions to exporting regions, and this is telecoupled with land [...] Read more.
Land use supports production and living activities and provides ecosystem services for people. With the flow of capital, goods, and services among regions, trade leads to the transfer of carbon emissions from importing regions to exporting regions, and this is telecoupled with land systems in different regions. Although significant progress has been made in quantifying embodied carbon emissions induced by interprovincial and international trade, the telecoupling relationship between carbon emissions and land systems has not been sufficiently investigated. Here we followed the telecoupling theoretical framework and used the multi-region input–output (MRIO) model to examine the spatial pattern of embodied carbon emissions by land use in China due to interprovincial trade. The results show that the spatial patterns of embodied carbon emissions from the production end and from the consumption end are different based on land use type. The provinces with rich energy resources and favorable conditions such as Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Heilongjiang undertake carbon emissions from the agricultural and industrial land use of other provinces. In contrast, the provinces with large economies but scarce resources such as Zhejiang and Guangdong export larger portions of their carbon emissions to the land use of other provinces. Across China, developed regions generally exported more carbon emissions from land use than they undertake from other developing regions. The carbon transfer in agricultural land was prominent between the eastern and western regions. The carbon emissions of industrial land were generally transferred from southern regions to northern and western areas. Our research reveals different patterns of embodied carbon emissions for different land use types, and these findings could provide more detailed information for policy-making processes to achieve fair carbon emissions and sustainable land use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds)
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23 pages, 7168 KiB  
Article
Nature-Based Solutions for Stormwater Management: Co-Creating a Multiscalar Proposal in the Global South
by Fabiano Lemes de Oliveira, Maria do Carmo de Lima Bezerra, Orlando Vinicius Rangel Nunes, Enzo D’Angelo Arruda Duarte, Anna Giulia Castaldo and Davi Navarro de Almeida
Land 2025, 14(4), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040740 - 30 Mar 2025
Viewed by 631
Abstract
This article examines the application of nature-based solutions in stormwater management in the context of the Global South, focusing on a co-created green infrastructure plan and a pilot intervention project in the city of Paranoá-DF, Brazil. Urban challenges such as extreme floods, droughts, [...] Read more.
This article examines the application of nature-based solutions in stormwater management in the context of the Global South, focusing on a co-created green infrastructure plan and a pilot intervention project in the city of Paranoá-DF, Brazil. Urban challenges such as extreme floods, droughts, landslides, heatwaves, and biodiversity loss call for innovative planning strategies to enhance adaptation and resilience. The research methodology combined technical analyses, field work, community participation, and stormwater runoff modelling to develop integrated and culturally sensitive solutions to the city’s environmental and socio-economic challenges. This article then presents the outcomes of the community-based participatory workshops, which informed the definition of a green and blue infrastructure network incorporating a range of NBS. Community-identified priorities were used to design urban landscape interventions aimed at enhancing water-related ecosystem services and improving quality of life. Additionally, and supported by hydrological modelling, this article details a localised landscape intervention project that provides new perspectives on urban resilience in this context. Acknowledging the unique challenges faced by cities in the Global South—where social inequities and infrastructure deficits intersect with environmental vulnerabilities—this study highlights the importance of adapting NBS to the contexts of precarious urbanisation patterns. With hydrological stress expected to intensify under climate change, the proposed solutions address the heightened risks faced by low- and middle-income households, promoting more equitable and sustainable urban transformations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds)
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19 pages, 4154 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Land Use Patterns in a Typical Coal Resource-Based City Based on the Ecosystem Service Relationships of ‘Food–Carbon–Recreation’
by Wei-Ling Hsu, Zhicheng Zhuang, Cheng Li and Jie Zhao
Land 2025, 14(3), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030661 - 20 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 433
Abstract
Imbalanced supplies and demands of ecosystem services (ESSD) can negatively affect human well-being. Optimizing land use patterns in cities and regions is, in fact, essential to mitigate this challenge and ensure sustainable development. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the [...] Read more.
Imbalanced supplies and demands of ecosystem services (ESSD) can negatively affect human well-being. Optimizing land use patterns in cities and regions is, in fact, essential to mitigate this challenge and ensure sustainable development. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the supply and demand of food production services (FPs), carbon sequestration services (CSs), and recreation services (RSs) in a typical coal resource-based city (Huainan) in China. In addition, the main influencing factors and their driving mechanisms were further explored using the geographical detector (Geo-Detector) and multi-scale geographic weighted regression (MGWR) models. Future land use changes were also predicted under traditional and constrained development scenarios using the GeoSOS-FLUS model. The obtained results indicated that: (1) the comprehensive ecosystem service (ES) supply index decreased from 1.42 to 0.84, while the comprehensive demand index increased from 0.74 to 0.95 during the 2010–2020 period; (2) the urban and rural areas had spatial disparities; (3) changes in the construction, ecological, and cultivated land strongly impacted ES; (4) implementing constrained development scenarios can effectively protect the ecological land, control urban expansion, and improve the ESSD relationships in Huainan City. This study provides a valuable theoretical foundation and a methodological framework for future urban and land use optimization efforts, as well as for enhancing the sustainability of ecosystem services and mitigating the imbalance between the supplies and demands of ecosystem services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds)
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28 pages, 16409 KiB  
Article
The Trade-Offs and Constraints of Watershed Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of the West Liao River Basin in China
by Ran Lyu, Meng Yuan, Xiao Fu, Mingfang Tang, Laiye Qu, Zheng Yin and Gang Wu
Land 2025, 14(1), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010119 - 9 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 703
Abstract
Clarifying the spatiotemporal trade-offs between the supply and demand of ecosystem services is critical for regional ecological security and sustainable development. This paper focused on the West Liao River Basin, a crucial ecological barrier in Inner Mongolia, and quantified the supply and demand [...] Read more.
Clarifying the spatiotemporal trade-offs between the supply and demand of ecosystem services is critical for regional ecological security and sustainable development. This paper focused on the West Liao River Basin, a crucial ecological barrier in Inner Mongolia, and quantified the supply and demand of ecosystem services by utilizing the InVEST model. A coupled coordination model is established to evaluate the supply–demand trade-offs, while a decoupling index model is used to analyze the dynamic changes in coordination. The influencing factors on the supply–demand relationship are also explored by using a geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model. The results from 2005 to 2020 indicated a decrease in carbon storage and an increase in carbon emissions. Water yield, food, and meat supply increased, while their demand decreased. Soil retention supply and demand both increased. Basin-scale coordination improved from low to moderate levels, with significant gains in both coordination and matching degrees. Decoupling indices fluctuated, with the central region showing a significantly higher decoupling index. The GTWR model showed that the spatial and temporal impacts of eight driving factors, including land use, on CD differed significantly, with precipitation having the most significant impact. The research results provided a theoretical basis for the future development of regional ecological restoration and sustainable development policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds)
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20 pages, 7324 KiB  
Article
Water–Energy–Food Nexus in the Yellow River Basin of China under the Influence of Multiple Policies
by Yikun Zhang and Yongsheng Wang
Land 2024, 13(9), 1356; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091356 - 25 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1200
Abstract
The water–energy–food (WEF) nexus constitutes a pivotal aspect of regional ecological protection and high-quality development. The exertion of multiple WEF-related policies would engender both synergies and trade-offs within the WEF nexus. However, a quantified framework that integrates the impact of multiple WEF-related policies [...] Read more.
The water–energy–food (WEF) nexus constitutes a pivotal aspect of regional ecological protection and high-quality development. The exertion of multiple WEF-related policies would engender both synergies and trade-offs within the WEF nexus. However, a quantified framework that integrates the impact of multiple WEF-related policies with conventional WEF nexus assessments and simulations is currently lacking. This study quantified the WEF nexus in the Yellow River basin (YRB) of China under the influence of multiple policies, calculated the current and future WEF scores under different policy combination scenarios using the improved entropy weight method, the auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, and the linear optimization method. The results revealed the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, WEF overall scores and subsystem scores were substantially increased with spatial heterogeneity. (2) Scenario analysis indicated that policy implementation would generally accelerate WEF score improvements in each city, yet embracing all policies simultaneously was not optimal for each city. (3) The spatial heterogeneity in policy impacts was also found in the YRB, with higher trade-offs in the upper reaches of cities, and higher synergies in the middle and lower reaches of cities. To attain high-quality development within the YRB, the related policies’ implementation should consider the regional disparities and enhance the optimization of resource allocation across the regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land–Water–Energy–Food (LWEF) System Coupling and Sustainable Development of Watersheds)
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