China’s Urban Waste Resource Management Systems: A Case of the Yangtze River Basin

ABSTRACT

Urban waste management is vital for environmental protection and sustainable development. Understanding the characteristics and innovative paths of waste management systems in the Yangtze River Delta urban cluster is of significant importance. Analyzing 285 policies implemented from 2003 to 2022, the research employs methods like stage evolution text quantification and network structure analysis to reveal distinct characteristics of policy evolution in urban waste management. The study identifies a four-stage pattern of policy development: policy pilot stage, policy implementation stage, policy regulation stage, and policy dissemination stage. The findings highlight an increasing diversification of policy initiators and improvements in multisector collaboration. The central government plays a pivotal role in guiding urban waste management, while local governments follow suit through demonstration, indicating a preference for individual local autonomy over horizontal joint management.

KEYWORDS:

• policy instruments
• text quantification
• collaborative network analysis
• urban waste management policies

Acknowledgment

The relevant research in this paper was supported by the Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (NO.20YJA630056).

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xinzhi Wang

Xinzhi Wang is an assistant researcher in the School of Management at Tianjin University of Technology. Tianjin, China

Yan Tang

Yan Tang is a professor in the School of Management at Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China.

Jiong Li

Jiong Li is a doctoral candidate in the School of Management at Tianjin University of Technology. He is currently employed at the China Petroleum Engineering Project Management Company.