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Global mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets to regional solution at different scales with structural effects. Because local ecosystem service has different functions to influence regional environment, it is unclear that land use structural effects on lowering emission intensity and mitigating air pollution, and it is debatable that the efficiency of mitigation of GHG emission can be improved by increasing what kind of ecological infrastructure at regional scale. We propose a systematic methodology on identification of trade-offs among structural impacts of land use change on emission intensity at regional scale through both qualitatively and quantitatively statistical analysis to clarify impacts of different land use on the mitigation of emission intensity. In particular to a region with some distinct constraints of natural resources, regional planning has to rely on scientific solutions for bridging the gap of emission mitigation target among multi-levels of administrations and at same time enhancing the optimal allocation of natural resource. In this case study, we qualitatively analyze the principle component among impact factors in a regional socio-economic-ecological system of Zhangye City (where is located at the middle reach of the Heihe River Basin) during 1980s–2010s, and quantitatively analyze the relationship between land use structure and emission intensity with controlling the effects of air contaminations. The analytical results prove that forest land has statistically significant impacts on the mitigation of emission intensity, more importantly, there are no statistical significant evidences showing that cultivated land and wetland have the same functions. It indicates that to identify key issues from those mixed impacts of land use structure at regional scale determines to promote an optimal path of natural resource allocation for reducing the GHG emission and air contaminations. It implies that mitigation of GHG sorely needs to take land use structure changes into consideration of the systematic research for scientifically improving regional planning and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and land (W-L) resources become even more important in the context of urban-rural integration in China's arid northwest region in order to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Our study used Gini coefficients to examine the relationship between natural resources and economic development in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Cobb-Douglas (C-D) production functions were used to determine the economic impacts of W-L resources on rural-urban economic development. We also examined the spatiotemporal interaction characteristics of the growth drag effect of W-L resources. As a result of the decline in Gini coefficients between 2000 and 2020, Xinjiang experienced a decrease in water resources, land resources, and urban-rural GDP (gross domestic product). The output elasticities of urban-rural land and water resources were 0.3544 and 0.4790, respectively, whereas the output elasticities of urban-rural land resources were 0.1501 and 0.2185, respectively. As a result, water resources contribute to the growth of urban-rural GDP more than land resources, and W-L resources contribute to the economic development of rural areas more than it does to that of urban areas. Land resources were found to have a drag effect on urban and rural economies, respectively, in 7 and 56 counties, respectively, and water resources were found to have a drag effect on urban and rural economies, respectively, in 67 and 58 counties. In Xinjiang, water resources contributed more to economic growth than land resources. Even though W-L resources still have a drag effect on urban-rural economic growth, we can gain greater driving force by optimizing and improving resource use. However, this requires an optimal allocation and efficient use of water resources. • The drag model can analyze the drag effects of natural resource use on the urban-rural economy. • Water resources are more compatible with the urban-rural economy than land resources. • Water constraints affect Xinjiang's economic growth more than land constraints. • Water scarcity reduced Xinjiang's urban economic growth by 0.68%–1.57% from 2000 to 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]