A thriving harbor city coexisting with a flourishing marine ecosystem.

Coastal Cleanup: Are China's Harbor Cities Making Waves?

Reese Marlowe in Climate & Environment December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how Chinese cities are balancing economic growth with marine environmental protection, and what it means for global sustainability."

In recent years, China has witnessed remarkable economic growth, particularly in its coastal regions. With over 80% of national and regional planning focused on marine economy and sea development, and over 90% of coastal cities prioritizing marine development strategies, the ocean has become a critical driver of economic and social progress. However, this rapid development, especially around bustling harbor cities, has placed significant pressure on the marine ecological environment, necessitating a delicate balance between economic prosperity and environmental stewardship.

The need for sustainable development in coastal regions has prompted innovative approaches to assess and improve marine environmental performance. Evaluating how well these cities manage their environmental impact is crucial for informed decision-making and guiding local economies toward healthier practices. This involves not just identifying problems but also implementing effective solutions that ensure long-term sustainability.

One concept gaining traction in the coordination of economy and environment is eco-efficiency. In ecological economics, eco-efficiency is defined as the ratio of value added to environmental damage. While critics point out that even a low relative level of environmental pressure can still exceed the ecosystem's carrying capacity, measuring eco-efficiency remains vital. This is because improving eco-efficiency is often the most cost-effective way to reduce environmental pressures, and policies targeting efficiency improvements tend to be more easily adopted than those restricting economic activity.

Decoding Coastal Environmental Performance: How Do We Measure Up?

A thriving harbor city coexisting with a flourishing marine ecosystem.

Measuring coastal environmental performance involves a multifaceted approach that goes beyond simple economic indicators. It requires considering the capability to produce goods and services while minimizing ocean environmental degradation. One of the major challenges is aggregating various environmental pressures into a single, meaningful environmental damage index. This is where methodologies like Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) become invaluable.

One established approach involves Life Cycle Analysis and Assessment (LCA), which evaluates the environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire life cycle, from resource extraction to disposal. However, LCA doesn't always provide insights into how to integrate the impacts of various products at the plant level—a crucial aspect for comprehensive environmental performance measurement.

Static Analysis: Provides a snapshot of environmental performance at a specific point in time.
Dynamic Analysis: Examines changes in environmental performance over time, revealing trends and improvements.
Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA): A non-parametric method used to evaluate the relative efficiency of different units (e.g., cities) by comparing their inputs and outputs.
Eco-Efficiency: Measures the ratio of economic value added to environmental damage, aiming to maximize economic benefits while minimizing environmental impact.

In essence, measuring coastal environmental performance is about finding the right balance—maximizing economic output while minimizing ecological harm. The goal is to create a system that supports both thriving economies and healthy marine environments for future generations.

Charting the Course: Future of Coastal Sustainability

The journey toward sustainable coastal development is ongoing. By continually refining measurement methods, embracing technological advancements, and fostering collaboration between governments, businesses, and communities, Chinese harbor cities can pave the way for a future where economic growth and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2408.05648,

Title: Evaluation Methods And Empirical Research On Coastal Environmental Performance For Chinese Harbor Cities

Subject: econ.gn q-fin.ec

Authors: Yi Zheng

Published: 10-08-2024

Everything You Need To Know

What is eco-efficiency, and why is it crucial for the marine environment in Chinese coastal cities?

Eco-efficiency, in the context of ecological economics, is defined as the ratio of value added to environmental damage. This metric is crucial because improving eco-efficiency is often the most cost-effective way to reduce environmental pressures in China's coastal cities. Policies focused on eco-efficiency improvements are more easily adopted than those restricting economic activity, allowing for a balance between economic growth and marine environmental protection in the bustling harbor cities.

How do Chinese harbor cities measure their environmental performance, and what are the key methods used?

Measuring coastal environmental performance involves a multifaceted approach. It requires considering the ability to produce goods and services while minimizing ocean environmental degradation. The main methods include Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which evaluates the relative efficiency of different units, and Life Cycle Analysis and Assessment (LCA), which assesses environmental impacts throughout a product's life cycle. Additionally, both static and dynamic analysis are used to understand environmental performance at a specific point in time and over time, respectively. These methods help in assessing the balance between economic output and ecological harm in these cities.

What is the role of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in evaluating the environmental performance of Chinese coastal cities?

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a non-parametric method used to evaluate the relative efficiency of different units, like cities, by comparing their inputs and outputs. In the context of Chinese coastal cities, DEA helps in assessing how efficiently these cities are managing their environmental impact. DEA is particularly useful in aggregating various environmental pressures into a single, meaningful environmental damage index, offering insights into how well cities are balancing economic activities with marine conservation.

What are the main challenges faced by Chinese harbor cities in balancing economic growth with marine environmental protection?

The primary challenge is balancing rapid economic growth, particularly in coastal regions and harbor cities, with environmental stewardship. Over 80% of national and regional planning focuses on the marine economy and sea development, yet this development puts significant pressure on the marine ecological environment. This necessitates innovative approaches to assess and improve marine environmental performance, ensuring sustainable development. Another challenge involves aggregating various environmental pressures into a single, meaningful environmental damage index to make informed decisions and guide local economies towards healthier practices.

What is the future of coastal sustainability in Chinese harbor cities, and what steps are being taken to achieve it?

The future of coastal sustainability in Chinese harbor cities involves continually refining measurement methods, embracing technological advancements, and fostering collaboration between governments, businesses, and communities. The focus is on creating a system that supports both thriving economies and healthy marine environments for future generations. This involves leveraging methods like Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Life Cycle Analysis and Assessment (LCA) to understand and minimize environmental impact, thereby ensuring economic growth and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. The journey is ongoing, and relies on continued innovation and collaboration.