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• The matrix representation of grey possibility function is provided. • The solution method of possibility function's turning points is given. • The "maximum criterion" decision paradox is solved. • A variable stage self-correcting grey clustering model is proposed. • The meteorological drought grade of 17 stations in china henan province is evaluated. The grey clustering model based on the possibility function is frequently used in system evaluation, but the setting of the possibility function is frequently subjective, which results in the weak credibility of the clustering results. In addition, the "maximum criterion" decision paradox of the model has fuzzy boundaries, making the clustering process impossible to program. Based on this, the possibility function is represented as a matrix in the paper, and the possibility function is calculated by an optimization model to guarantee the objectivity of the clustering results. A variable stage self-correcting grey clustering model is built by using the kernel weight transformation as the primary tool, "entropy subtraction" as the signal of the decision paradox, and "entropy non-subtraction" as the model's termination signal. The model's Matlab source code is provided to reduce the complexity of the model. The illustration and comparative analysis demonstrate the model's logic and efficacy. Using the model for the evaluation of the meteorological drought grade in Henan Province can offer a fresh perspective for meteorological departments to make choices and assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigate a novel TrFBWM to yield the TrF criteria weights. • Develop the TrFZSG to rank the alternatives. • Propose a TrF-BWM-ZSG by fusinging the BWM and ZSG. This paper investigates a hybrid emergency decision-making (EDM) method called TrF-BWM-ZSG by combining the BWM (best-worst method) and ZSG (zero-sum game) in trapezoidal fuzzy (TrF) environment. Firstly, this paper defines the entropy and similarity for trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (TrFNs). Based on the entropy and similarity measures, a bi-objective programming model is constructed to distribute the weights for experts. Then, based on the multiplicative consistent trapezoidal fuzzy reference comparisons (TrFRCs), a novel TrFBWM is investigated to yield the TrF criteria weights. This novel TrFBWM highlights two innovations: (i) A crisp goal programming weight-determining model is constructed by using the multiplicative consistent TrFRCs; (ii) A reasonable consistency ratio is defined, in which the consistency index is determined according to the consistent transitivity of TrFRCs. Afterwards, the TrFZSG is developed to achieve the alternatives' ranking order by extending the classical ZSG into TrF environment. Lastly, the availability of the TrF-BWM-ZSG is corroborated through a real EDM case of Henan rainstorm disaster. The advantages of the TrF-BWM-ZSG are manifested by several valuable comparisons. Some desirable results derived by the TrF-BWM-ZSG are received: (i) The optimal alternative selected by the proposed TrF-BWM-ZSG suits the actual rescue situation; (ii) The proposed TrF-BWM-ZSG owns high generality since TrFN can reduce to crisp number, interval and triangular fuzzy number; (iii) The developed novel TrFBWM is helpful to preserve more inherent information of TrFNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new rigid-flexible composite recyclable supporting structure is proposed. • Numerical calculation and full-scale test are developed for the new supporting system. • Mutual validation of full-scale test and finite element result is carried out. • The full-scale test shows that the new supporting system is stable. The underground ecological granary has the advantages of low temperature, heat insulation, safety, and mechanization operation of moving grain in and out of the granary. It is the most suitable environmentally friendly warehouse for long-term grain storage at present. Traditional underground granary supporting structures mostly use cement materials and present disadvantages including long periods of construction, difficulties in repairing cracks and leakages, and difficulties in demolition. Based on a steel skeleton supporting structure and flexible waterproof polymers, this paper proposed a new rigid-flexible composite recyclable supporting structure for underground storage granaries. Through the use of ABAQUS software, this paper established a three-dimensional finite element numerical model for excavation of the new supporting structure; analyzed stresses and deformations of the steel pile, middle beam, and steel plate and ground settlement at different excavation steps; and checked the stability of the new supporting structure. Additionally, considering a certain ecological storage granary in Zhongmou County of Henan Province, this paper developed a full-scale test for the new supporting structure. By monitoring the stresses of the supporting structure and ground settlement during excavation, it was concluded that the field monitoring results basically matched the results from numerical simulation. The new supporting structure has the advantages of good stability, quick construction, recyclable usage, low cost, and broad application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The extent of flooding in China is greater than in any other country. • Nearly 66% of China's landmass is submerged by flooding. • Financial toll of flooding accounts for approximately 1.42% of the annual GDP. • Various forms of climatic change contribute to flooding. The extent of flooding in China is more significant than in any other country. Our research reveals that approximately 66 % of China's landmass is submerged by flooding, affecting about 50 % of the population. Furthermore, the financial toll of flooding now accounts for approximately 1.42 % of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), which is almost 40 times higher than the corresponding figure for the United States. We have observed that Zhengzhou city in Henan province, which faced a devastating flood in 2021, received a significant amount of rainfall, specifically a total of 552.5 mm within a 24-hour period. The floods in Henan province in 2021 caused considerable damage, including impacting nearly 15 million people, resulting in almost 400 deaths, damaging over 10,000 square kilometers of agricultural land, causing almost $19 billion in economic losses, and leading to the collapse of over 35,000 households and damage to various properties. In a similar manner, the significant flooding that occurred in southern China in 2020 impacted approximately 7.1 million individuals across eight provinces and resulted in 54 fatalities, the collapse of 6,700 houses, and incurred a direct economic loss of US$3.33 billion. We found that rainstorms have significantly increased to 10 % in the last 60 years in China. In this paper, we delved into exploring the existing published articles, reports, and government and authoritative legal texts to analyze the causes and impacts of flooding in China's flood-prone regions and potential mitigation strategies to reduce the repercussions of distressing flood events. We believe this study will help policymakers by providing new insights while formulating policy to reduce the loss caused by high-level flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, blunt slogans used in China's health campaign against coronavirus are closely examined and the public's conflicting comments on them are analyzed. These slogans, due to their extreme effectiveness in making the public comply with the health preventive measures suggested by the government, are called Yinghe or "hardcore" slogans by the Chinese people. Containing harsh and taboo language, they convey threats of death and disease, insults or negative evaluation, and harsh demands. Despite their impolite nature, "hardcore" slogans have received significantly more positive judgment than negative judgment, especially when they made their debut in rural areas in Henan, an agricultural province in China. Criticism towards these blunt slogans then gradually increased after their initial appearance. Plausible factors contributing to the change of judgment are analyzed. The public's conflicting judgment regarding the impoliteness of the slogans may be related to the public's different positioning across time and space. This study shows that impoliteness is a practice situated not only in discourse, genres, and institutions, but also in social, cultural, and political contexts. More attention should be paid to impoliteness in special social configurations (e.g., rural areas) and social emergencies, which not only contextualize a discourse event but also define it. • Impoliteness is situated culturally, politically, temporarily, and spatially. • Impoliteness can be a strategic and appropriate reaction to social emergencies. • Distinction between rural and urban settings is relevant to impoliteness studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of global economy and society, water shortage has become a crucial limitation to the growth of many cities. The agricultural water resources carrying capacity (AWRCC) is a key indicator to judge the sustainable development of agriculture. It is necessary to quantificationally evaluate AWRCC to ensure safety of regional economic development and human being's living demand. To reasonably quantify AWRCC, this paper constructs an agricultural water resources evaluation system. CRITIC (CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) is introduced, and its combination with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) solves the subjectivity and randomness of weight determination. Based on the definition of AWRCC and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE), we construct support index (CCS), pressure index (CCP) and carrying capacity index (CCI) to describe the spatio-temporal variation of AWRCC in Henan Province. Applying sensitivity and correlation analyses into the AWRCC evaluation demonstrates practicality and rationality of results. It eventually provides corresponding suggestions to each city group with diverse carrying capacities. Main conclusions are as follow: (1) The per capita water consumption and agricultural water utilization rate in Henan trended to decrease yearly. The irrigation rate of cropland and the proportion of water-saving irrigation of cropland increased to a varying extent. Water resources utilization rate, cropland irrigation rate, proportion of water-saving irrigation in cropland, grain yield per unit cropland, and wetland proportion were relatively sensitive indicators and they were higher correlated with AWRCC. (2) During 2010–2020, although the agricultural water resources have been overloaded in Henan, AWRCC exhibited a slight enhancement on the temporal scale. On spatial scale, the central region had a stronger AWRCC than the surrounding cities, while the southwest region was relatively weaker, and the AWRCC of the eastern region continued to enhance. (3) According to the tertiary characteristics and spatio-temporal variation of AWRCC, cities of Henan can be roughly divided into four groups and some proposals were proposed individually to enhance the carrying capacity. The conclusion of this paper is helpful to understand the current situation of agricultural water resources in Henan and can provide a reference for the sustainable development of AWRCC. [Display omitted] • CRITIC combined with AHP solves the subjectivity of weight determination. • Spatio-temporal variation characteristics of AWRCC in Henan were analyzed. • Sensitivity and correlation analysis are used to detect AWRCC sensitive indicators. • Proposals were suggested respectively for cities with diverse AWRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain edge failures in cyber–physical power systems (CPPSs) can cause cascading failures in the power system. Protecting these critical edges and essential equipment in the supporting communication network can avoid these failures. Here, based on complex network controllability regarding kinetic equations and considering the actual operating conditions of CPPSs, we filter out a class of transmission lines and a class of nodes in the power system communication network of the power system that show a significant impact on network controllability. We further validate the results of the filtering by examining the resulting network robustness. Through simulations, we observe that the power edges and communication nodes screened based on network controllability have the most significant impacts on system controllability. It is therefore crucial to protect these edges and nodes to achieve more stable power grid operation and prevent cascading failures. Finally, we validate our results using a case study on a city in Henan Province, China. Our simulations demonstrate that the addition of a communication system can enhance the controllability of the power system. • Different key components in both power grid and communication network are considered separately. • The impact of different coupling methods on the controllability of the system are evaluated. • The conclusions of this paper are validated in a real power grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Metallogenic mechanism of lithium resource in sedimentary bauxite (aluminum) deposits was proposed. • Lithium associated with clay minerals in sedimentary bauxite (aluminum) deposits was concluded. • The occurrence states of lithium in clay minerals were reviewed. • The affecting factors of lithium leaching from clay minerals were discussed. Bauxite-associated type Li resource is mainly discovered in the sedimentary bauxite (aluminum) deposits forming areas, especially Northern Guizhou-Southern Chongqing, Western Henan and Central Guizhou, China. This paper reviews the enrichment mechanism and occurrence states of Li in sedimentary bauxite (aluminum) deposits. The Li in these deposits is derived from underlying carbonate rock, and the favorable sedimentary environment, e.g., alternation climate of dry and humid, the marine-continental transitional zone with reduction-weak oxidation and low salinity, is conducive to the Li enrichment in these deposits. Li is mainly hosted by independent mineral (i.e., cookeite), partly adsorbed by montmorillonite, and rarely adsorbed by illite/kaolinite. Furthermore, the leaching methods and affecting factors of Li from bauxite-associated type Li resource are summarized. Acid solution is the main leaching solution, but its excessive use can generate abundant acidic residues, which have hazards to the environment. Thereby, leaching solution with little or no acid has been recommended. The affecting factors of Li leaching are the calcination temperature, leaching temperature, leaching time, liquid–solid ration and mineral particle size. The above summary deepens the understanding of the enrichment mechanism and occurrence states of Li in the sedimentary bauxite (aluminum) deposits, and has the potential to promote Li resource, initially considered uneconomical, become an important economic source of Li. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water price reform is an effective way of rationalizing and protecting water resources in areas where water is scarce. This paper first presents a method for measuring water footprint by sector based on the non-competitive input-output technique. Second, this research explores the relationship between water price adjustment and labor compensation, as well as regional water export. Accordingly, this paper constructs a mathematical planning model for differentiated water price adjustment by sector with the objectives of minimum water exports and maximum labor rewards, and conducts a simulation study in the water-scarce Henan Province. The study's findings suggest that: (1) In contrast to direct water use, water consumption in Henan Province is more balanced in terms of water footprint, with the food and tobacco processing industry replacing agriculture as the leading water consumption sector. (2) Sectoral differentiated pricing saves 6.9% more export water resources in Henan Province than uniform sector-wide pricing with the same export GDP loss. (3) At present, the industries in Henan Province that are in urgent need of increased water charges are agriculture, textile industry, Manufacture of leather, Processing of timber and furniture, Manufacture of paper and printing, and Manufacture of chemical products these totals 6 industries. An increase of $1.73, $4.87, $38.55, $51.20, $5.83 and $6.55 per cubic meter in the water price of these six industries can reduce the export water resources of Henan Province by 10.72%. As a result, our findings can be used to optimize water allocation and improve sustainable water use in water-scarce regions. • Sub-sectoral differentiated water price adjustment method is proposed. • Sectoral differentiated pricing approach is more conducive to water conservation. • The method can find the local sectors in urgent need of water price adjustment. • Adjust sectoral water price with minimize economic impact to achieve water saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Almost all currently infected COVID-19 patients in Henan province were analyzed. • COVID-19 patients in Henan province show gender and age preferences, migrant workers or college students are at high risk. • The incubation period was statistically estimated. • The state transition diagram can reveal the time-phased nature of the COVID-19 epidemic. • Network analysis reveals the aggregate outbreak phenomena of COVID-19. COVID-19 is spreading quickly all over the world. Publicly released data for 1212 COVID-19 patients in Henan of China were analyzed in this paper. Various statistical and network analysis methods were employed. We found that COVID-19 patients show gender (55% vs 45%) and age (81% aged between 21 and 60) preferences; possible causes were explored. The estimated average, mode and median incubation periods are 7.4, 4 and 7 days. Incubation periods of 92% of patients were no more than 14 days. The epidemic in Henan has undergone three stages and has shown high correlations with the numbers of patients recently returned from Wuhan. Network analysis revealed that 208 cases were clustering infected, and various People's Hospitals are the main force in treating COVID-19. The incubation period was statistically estimated, and the proposed state transition diagram can explore the epidemic stages of emerging infectious disease. We suggest that although the quarantine measures are gradually working, strong measures still might be needed for a period of time, since ∼7.45% of patients may have very long incubation periods. Migrant workers or college students are at high risk. State transition diagrams can help us to recognize the time-phased nature of the epidemic. Our investigations have implications for the prevention and control of COVID-19 in other regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 1. The lag degree of hydrological drought is studied by changing the time scale. • 2. Multi-scale standardized indicators can explore the strongest correlation. • 3. According to the synchronization, relevance, correlation to calculate the results. • 4.The scale time with the strongest correlation is the propagation time. To study the propagation law of meteorological droughts to hydrological droughts under variable time scales, and to reveal the synchronisation gap and lag time of hydrological droughts compared to meteorological droughts, and the lag degree of hydrological drought is quantitatively studied. In this paper, the Yellow River Water Supply Area in Henan is taken as the research area, and the propagation time of meteorological drought to hydrological drought under variable time scale is mainly studied. The calculation of drought propagation time is set as two states: interval scale and continuous scale. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) sequence and Standardized Runoff Index (SRI) sequence (1)with interval and continuous scales were obtained by multi-scale standardization of precipitation and runoff, which were used to characterize meteorological drought and hydrological drought respectively. The Mann-Kendall (M−K) test method was used to analyze the evolution of SPI sequence and SRI sequence at monthly scale, and to study the lag time of hydrological drought in four seasons compared with meteorological drought. Combining the Grey Correlation Method and Pearson correlation coefficient methods, the time interval for the propagation of meteorological droughts to hydrological droughts was determined based on the strongest correlation of different combinations of sequences. Finally, the propagation time series is divided into sliding windows to analyse the M−K dynamic trend of propagation time from a seasonal scale perspective. It provides a strong basis for the study of drought propagation based on multi-scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tree ring is an ideal indicator of annual total grain production parameters. • Tree growth synchronized with grain production, and concurrent response to climate. • Reconstruction of total grain productivity based on dendrochronology. • To explore the relationship between total grain sown area and climate change. Climate change affects the growth of regional vegetation; both trees and grain crops often change concurrently, such that the annual radial growth of trees shows consistent inter-annual variations with the total grain crop productivity. However, it remains unclear whether they exhibit concurrent responses to climate factors, and that there lacks of the study on long-term high-resolution variations of grain crops productivity. This paper employs a Pinus massoniana tree-ring series from the Tongbai Mountains to analyze the correlations between tree-ring chronology, local climate data and grain productivity indicators (i.e., total sown grain areas (TSA), total grain outputs (TGO), and average grain yield per hectare (YPH)) of Henan Province in central China. The results indicate that temperature in March and August was the main limiting factor on tree growth, and the best concurrent relationship with tree growth was TSA, which has a correlation of 0.747 (p < 0.001) during 1959–2020. Therefore, a 124-year TSA series in Henan Province was reconstructed using tree-ring data from the Tongbai Mountains, which reveals there were two distinct low periods of total grain sown area in the 1920 s-1930 s and 1980 s-2000 s. There are significant cycles of about 2.57a (p < 0.01), 2.89a (p < 0.05), and 10.95a (p < 0.1), indicating that vegetation growth might be affected by large-scale climate forcing, such as ENSO (2-7a cycle) and sunspot activity (11a cycle). Overall, this study outlines a new approach to understand long-term changes in grain production, which is conducive to grain management and socioeconomic sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SMA was used for the first time for the selection of hyperspectral wavebands. • A novel algorithm of SMA-PCC-RF is proposed to invert heavy metal concentrations. • The algorithm was applied to inversion of heavy metal concentrations in mining area. • Spectral transformations can enhance heavy metals and spectral curves correlation. • SMA-PCC-RF algorithms offers the better inversion accuracy for all heavy metals. Heavy metal contamination has long been a concern of intense research within the field of environmental protection. The exacerbation of heavy metal pollution due to mineral resource over-exploitation and the implementation of agricultural modernization has further emphasized the need for rapid monitoring. Although traditional geochemical survey methods have been deemed reliable, they lack the ability to conduct non-destructive and rapid surveys of large areas due to their high cost, low real-time capability, and cumbersome operations. We collected 120 soil samples in the field using Xin'an County, Henan Province as the research region, and obtained hyperspectral curves and contents of the samples using the spectrometer and chemical analysis. After preprocessing the spectral curves, we used the slime mold algorithm (SMA) to preselect feature wavebands, and then the mathematically transformed method was used to improve their correlation. Next, we calculated the correlation coefficients of these wavebands with six heavy metals, and the final modeled wavebands were obtained through precise feature selection based on the criterion that the correlation coefficient's absolute value exceeded 0.298. The inversion model was also established by using adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT), random forest (RF), and partial least squares (PLS). The results indicated that SMA-PCC can effectively downscale the high-dimensional hyperspectral data and obtain the feature wavebands with a high contribution to the modeling. We also observed that the mathematical transformation method improved the relevance between heavy metal elements and spectra. Among the four models, RF showed better overall inversion accuracy for all heavy metals (i.e., Zn: R AdaBoost 2 = 0.85 , R GBDT 2 = 0.56 , R RF 2 = 0.89 , R PLS 2 = 0.57). This paper showcases that the algorithm presented can provide meaningful technical guidance for the large-scale investigation and assessment of heavy metal levels in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The equivalent coefficient is revised according to ability and willingness to pay. • The Best-worst method is used to determine the weight of the allocated indicators. • A 10 km buffer calculation strip is established in the compensated payment area. • The overflow of hydrological adjusting is greater than that of erosion prevention. • Ecological compensation in 2010–2020 is higher than that in 2000–2010. Coordinated governance and horizontal ecological compensation are important ways to realize ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. Taking the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River as the research object, this paper analyses the compensation relationship and amount of cities along the line in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and Shandong provinces. Firstly, the spillover value of regulation of water flows and erosion prevention of 32 counties along the Yellow River in Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces were calculated during 2000–2010 and 2010–2020 from the perspective of land use/cover change (LUCC). Secondly, the compensation accounting index system was established based on the classification of ecological services given the beneficiaries' individual preferences, and each indicator's weights were determined based on the Best-worst method. Finally, setting the water ecological service value of the 10 km buffer zone on both sides of the Yellow River as the accounting scope, this paper calculated the amount of ecological compensation paid by 16 cities in Shandong and Henan provinces. The results show that: (1) The spillover value of Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces in 2010–2020 is greater than that in 2000–2010, and the values of erosion prevention in both stages are lower than that of regulation of water flows; (2) From the perspective of providers, the highest is 3.68e + 08 yuan in Lvliang from 2000 to 2010, while the highest is 3.60e + 09 yuan in Yulin from 2010 to 2020; (3) From the perspective of beneficiaries, Zhengzhou has the highest amount of compensation in Henan province, which is 2.28e + 08 yuan in 2000–2010 and 9.41e + 08 yuan in 2010–2020 respectively. In Shandong province, Heze pays the highest value of 1.27e + 08 yuan from 2000 to 2010, and Jinan pays the highest value of 9.56e + 08 yuan from 2010 to 2020. The ecological compensation scheme obtained in this paper is more sustainable than the vertical compensation and expands the scope of the existing ecological compensation standards, which can effectively stimulate the enthusiasm for ecological protection, and reduce the financial pressure on the central government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the observation data of four DSG5-type disdrometers, four automatic weather stations and two dual-polarization Doppler weather radars, this paper analyzes the characteristics of raindrop size distributions (DSDs) and their integral parameters during the severe precipitation in Henan Province, China, specially focusing on the extremely severe rainstorm on the 20 July 2021 in Zhengzhou City. The results show that: (1) In line with most of the severe precipitation in northern China, the July 2021 extreme precipitation were dominated by small raindrops, but medium-sized raindrops with diameter D in 2–4 mm contributed 61.28% to the rain rate R during the time period of extremely severe rainfall at Zhengzhou (ZZ) station, and the raindrops with D > 4 mm contributed 53.74% to the radar reflectivity factor Z. (2) Quantitative evaluation of the gamma model of DSD for different values of R is carried out, and the fitting effect of the gamma model is better for the raindrop spectrum with a single peak structure. However, this method cannot reflect the double-peak structure when R is large. (3) Some differences have been found in the Z - R relationship between Z and R among the four stations (GY, XM, XY, and ZZ). The maximum value of fitting coefficient a appears at the ZZ station, which is close to the a values in the Meiyu season in eastern China. For the other three stations, the a values are comparable to those of typhoons in the western Pacific, but the fitting coefficient b values are less different. (4) The average vertical profiles of dual-polarization radar parameters reveal the microphysical characteristics of the extremely severe rainstorm, that is, there were active ice-phase and warm-rain microphysical processes in the convective system of the extremely severe rainfall, of which the warm-rain process was more dominant. • The DSDs and microphysical characteristics at four weather stations of Zhengzhou City during the 20 July 2021 extremely heavy rainfall period were discussed. • There were three stations with diameter-controlled raindrop size distribution characteristic, only one station was controlled by both number concentration and diameter, the scatter pairs of parameters lg N w - D m of DSDs recorded of ZZ station indicate maritime-like convection. • Quantitative evaluation of the gamma model of DSDs for different rain rate was conducted. The fitting effect of the gamma model is better for the DSD with a single peak structure, while the method cannot reflect the double-peak structure when rain rate is large during the heavy rainfall period. • During the extreme rainfall period, there are active ice-phase and warm-rain microphysical processes in the convection system, and the warm-rain process is dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global climate change and energy security pressures, biomass power generation has been regarded as an effective way to supplement the energy supply, reduce fossil fuel consumption, and alleviate environmental pollutants. This paper presents an integrated modeling framework to address the regional biomass power generation planning to facilitate biomass utilization in developing countries. By combining the geographic information system, multi-criteria decision-making approach, as well as the type-2 fuzzy inexact programming method, the proposed integrated framework could assist the optimal decision-making for the specific site and size selection of biomass power plants in the whole region as well as the optimal operation strategies under deep uncertainties. The proposed modeling framework is applied to the particular context of Henan, an agricultural province in China with great biomass potential. The results suggested that biomass power plants with a total capacity of 2.4 GW could be established, which could satisfy 6% of local electricity consumption and avoid 18.51 Mt of carbon emissions. The sensitivity analysis of the main economic parameters indicated that lower investment and operation costs were essential to stimulate the utilization of local biomass energy. A higher feed-in tariff is not encouraged due to the limited incentive effect but is a heavy burden for the government. Furthermore, the optimal strategies for biomass power generation planning under uncertainties could be suggested for different decision makers with various risk preferences to achieve a tradeoff between system cost and risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropospheric NO 2 and SO 2 concentrations are of great importance with regard to air quality, atmospheric chemistry, and climate change. Due to lack of surface monitoring stations, this study analyzes long term trend of NO 2 and SO 2 levels (2005–2014), retrieved from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) board on the NASA's Aura satellite, in an important region of China – Henan Province. Henan Province, located in North China Plain, has encountered serious air pollution problems including extremely high PM 2.5 concentrations and as one of the most polluted region in China. The satellite spatial images clearly show that high levels of both NO 2 and SO 2 are concentrated in north and northeastern regions with much lower levels observed in other parts of Henan. Both pollutants exhibit the highest levels in winter with the least in summer/spring. The temporal trend analysis based on moving average of deseasonalized and decyclic data indicates that for NO 2 , there is a continuous increasing pattern from 2005 to 2011 at 6.4% per year, thereafter, it shows a decreasing trend (10.6% per year). As for SO 2 , the increasing trend is about 16% per year from 2005 to 2007 with decreasing rate 7% per year from 2007 to 2014. The economic development with incredible annual 11% GDP growth in Henan is responsible for increasing levels of NO 2 and SO 2 . The observed decreasing SO 2 level starting in 2007 is due to reduced SO 2 emission, utilization of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) devices and to some extent, in preparation of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. On the other hand, increasing vehicle numbers (155% from 2006 to 2012) and coal consumption (37% during the same span), along with the lack of denitration process for removing flue/exhaust gas NO x are responsible for increasing NO 2 trend until 2011. The ratio of SO 2 /NO 2 started decreasing in 2007 and dropped significantly from 2011 to 2013 indicating good performance of FGD and ever increasing NO x contribution from mobile sources. Unlike those observed in developed countries (US, EU and Japan) where a decreasing trend for both SO 2 and NO 2 has been observed since 1990s, the observed upward and downward trend found in Henan is similar to those found in North China Plain and other parts of China. The spatial and temporal trend analyses of SO 2 and NO 2 in four other regions in Henan further indicate a similar trend to those observed in Henan Province, albeit with different increasing and decreasing rate. The results provide regulatory agency to develop action plans to combat air pollution problem in general and SO 2 and NO 2 problems in particular in Henan. The implications of our findings and recommendations for decision makers are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial economy in Henan has developed rapidly, and Henan has transformed from an agricultural province into an industrial one. However, the previous rough development model led to a certain degree of imbalance in the industrial structure (IS), which had impact on environment pollution (EP). Based on the existing problems of industrial pollution in Henan, it is still necessary to explore whether the evolution of IS had impact on EP or not. Thus, firstly, the paper used the latest available data of the whole Henan, the prefecture-level cities and the different types of industries from 2008 to 2019 to measure the temporal and spatial evolution of IS using the IS rationalization index, the IS advanced index and the IS change index. Secondly, based on the three indicators of the IS evolution and the comprehensive index of EP, multiple linear regression models and mediation effect models were constructed to assess the impact of the IS evolution on EP. The results showed that the economic growth of industrial sectors presented the characteristics of the structure optimization. The improvement of the rationalization index and the advanced index of IS could reduce the pollution level significantly. Fig: a. The impact of the IS rationalization index on EP b. The impact of the IS advanced index on EP c. The impact of the IS change index on EPFig. a. The mediation effect of IS rationalization index on EP b. The mediation effect results of IS advanced index on EP c. The mediation effect results of IS change index on EP. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon emission from major sectors and key industries is the main source of regional carbon emission, which has caused severe climate anomalies. Decoupling analysis and prediction of carbon emissions are helpful to formulate effective carbon emission reduction targets and coordinate the relationship between carbon emission and economic development. Considering the differences between sectors, this paper selects 12 major industrial carbon emitting sectors in Henan Province as the research object, decomposes the carbon emission driving factors by Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method, analyzes the decoupling relationship of carbon emission and economic development by Tapio decoupling model, constructs a decoupling effort model by combining the LMDI method and Tapio decoupling model to analyze the influence of each effect on the decoupling relationship, and sets up baseline scenario, low carbon scenario and enhanced low carbon scenario to forecast carbon emission and its decoupling state with economic development by the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP) model. It is concluded that the restraining effects of energy structure, energy intensity and industrial structure are increasing. The decoupling index between carbon emission and economic development of 12 sectors shows a downward trend. Both energy structure effect and energy intensity effect have made weak decoupling efforts, and the decoupling efforts of industrial structure effect were relatively small, especially in Ferrous metal smelting and calendering industry and other five sectors. In 2035, four sectors will achieve carbon neutralization and the overall decoupling effect of carbon emissions will be obvious. Finally, this paper puts forward some recommendations to promote carbon emission reduction. • Decomposition, decoupling and forecasting analysis of carbon emission. • Combining decomposition and decoupling analysis to construct decoupling effort model. • Differences between sectors of industry are considered. • The decoupling efforts of industrial structure effect were relatively small. • Four industrial sectors will achieve carbon neutralization in 2035. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the air quality of most cities in Henan Province is seriously polluted. This will do great harm to people's health and the sustainable development of society. In order to solve this situation and improve the air quality of Henan Province, it is necessary to make effective forecast for the future air quality. After comprehensive consideration of various prediction models, combined with the characteristics of air quality, this paper selects the grey model as the research tool. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of the model, a compound accumulative grey model is proposed in this paper. It has been proved that the accuracy of this model is higher than that of other models. The study found that the concentration of SO 2 and NO 2 in 18 cities in Henan province will continue to decline, reaching the first-level standard. PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations in all cities still exceeded the standard, with some cities exceeding the standard seriously. In the future, the focus of air control in Henan Province should be on PM 2.5 and PM 10. The forecast results can provide reference for related departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A Water-economy-ecology concept framework is established. • An evaluation index system of 3 aspects including 15 indicators is constructed. • EFAST-Cloud model is innovatively proposed and applied in regional WRCC evaluation. • The WRCC of Henan Province is evaluated at the watershed scale and municipal scale. Water is the basic need for human survival and the development of economy and ecology. Water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) modelling is a fundamental task to explore the interaction mechanism between economy-ecology development and water resources carrying system. To reasonably quantify the regional WRCC, an evaluation method based on Water-economy-ecology (WEE) concept framework and EFAST-Cloud model is proposed in this study, and Henan Province of China is selected as a typical study area. It can both identify the inter-feeding relationships between sub-systems and evaluate the proportion of each grade in detail by reflecting the randomness and fuzziness of the evaluation. A total of 15 indicators including water system, economy system, and ecology system are constructed. The study analyzes the sensitivity of indicators by using Simlab software and then calculates the weight of indicators by using EFAST method. Compared with other traditional methods, EFAST algorithm is a special method for model sensitivity analysis, which can fully consider the coupling effect between indicators. According to the statistical data of 2010, 2015, and 2020, the WRCC at the watershed scale and municipal scale in Henan Province are evaluated through the EFAST-Cloud model. At the watershed scale, the ecology system criterion layer performs best over the multiple years, the Huaihe and Yangtze River basin have better WRCC at the target layer. At the municipal scale, Xuchang, Luohe, and Zhumadian have better WRCC, Puyang, Zhoukou, and Jiaozuo are slightly worse. The results show that WRCC of the study area has shown an overall improvement, but there is still much space for its development. Therefore, targeted recommendations are made for the water, economy, and ecology system respectively. The conclusion of this paper can provide a reference for the government in making water resources management policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional water resources coordination (RWRC) plays a prominent role in long-term sustainability. In order to achieve harmonious utilization of regional water resources, it is suggested that local governments should focus on balancing three goals - security, equity, and efficiency, resulting in both ecological and socio-economic benefits in a region. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a comprehensive evaluation methodology for assessing the degree of RWRC. First, a security-equity-efficiency (SEE) evaluation indicator system is established. A novel multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach that integrates decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method and VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (in Serbian, known as VIKOR) method considering two different hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs) is then proposed. With this approach, a final ranking is obtained for six alternatives for the RWRC of the relevant regions (i.e., Shandong Province, Henan Province, Hebei Province, Anhui Province, Tian City, Jiangsu Province) in North China Plain, and the six relevant regions receive coordination performance ranking of II, III, V, I, VI, IV. Moreover, comparison analysis and sensitivity analysis are conducted to verify the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed method and dig deep into the RWRC conditions in the studied regions. Finally, some managerial suggestions are provided for strengthening the coordination levels in these regions. • A SEE indicator system is established for RWRC evaluation. • A hybrid MCDM method integrating different HFLTSs is proposed. • A maximum consensus and minimum hesitant degree model of HFLTSs is constructed. • Interval HFLTSs are introduced into DEMATEL method for indicators' weights. • A case study is presented to verify the effectiveness of the evaluation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Drought loss models of wheat are built using two different statistical models. • The important SPEI variables recognized by two methods are different. • The random forest-derived model outperforms the stepwise regression model. Agricultural drought loss models provide services for the rapid risk assessment of agricultural disasters, and regional disaster prevention and mitigation efforts. This paper takes wheat as an example, and chooses counties dominated by rain-fed farmland in Henan Province as the study area. Counties dominated by rain-fed farmland are determined by setting a rain-fed threshold that is related to the proportion of the effective irrigation area to the cultivated land area. Modeling samples are screened by considering both drought occurrence time and wheat yield reductions. Under different thresholds (30%, 40%, 50% and 60%), we use the yield loss ratio as the dependent variable and 24 standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index parameters as independent variables to build drought loss models using both a multivariate stepwise regression model and a random forest model. Yield loss ratio from 1990 to 2015 is calculated by decomposing historical wheat yield time series. 24 standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index variables are 1–3 months' time scale standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index during the growth period (from October to May of the following year) of winter wheat in Henan Province. The results show that the random forest-derived model outperforms the stepwise regression model in all tests. The accuracy of all the models increases with an increase of the proportion of the rain-fed threshold. When the rain-fed threshold is 60%, the R2 values of the random forest model and the multivariate stepwise regression equation are 0.720 and 0.523, respectively. The validation results show that the mean absolute error and the root mean square error of the multivariate stepwise regression are 1.38 times and 1.31 times larger than the mean absolute error and the root mean square error from the random forests model. Moreover, both models identify that standardized precipitation evapotranspiration indices in October (sowing/planting stage) and February (overwintering stage) are important variables. However, the multivariate stepwise regression model fails to recognize the importance of standardized precipitation evapotranspiration indices during April–May (filling stage). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]