Analysis of the coordination of socioeconomic development and environmental resource capacity in Qinghai Province

The socioeconomic development of Qinghai Province is lagging behind other regions, and the ecological environment is sensitive and fragile. Hence, a reasonable relationship between socioeconomic development and the ecological environment is important to ensure the future sustainable development of Qinghai Province. The min-max method, hierarchical analysis, and a coordination degree model were used to construct an index system of socioeconomic development and environmental resource capacity in Qinghai Province, to assess the degree of coordination between these two factors and to identify the factors influencing their degree of coordination. The results showed that both the socioeconomic development level and the environmental resource capacity level of Qinghai Province showed an upward trend from 2010 to 2017, due to changes in the total energy consumption, disposable income of farmers, population growth rate, and centralized sewage treatment rate. The total amount of water resources and per-capita water resources were important factors influencing the resource and environmental index. At the same time, the harmony between socioeconomic development and environmental resource capacity generally increased during this period, with socioeconomic development continuing at a rapid pace. In contrast, the environmental resource capacity fluctuated considerably on a yearly basis, and gradually lagged behind socioeconomic development. The total amount of water resources was the main factor affecting the coordination between socioeconomic development and environmental resource capacity in Qinghai Province. Qinghai Province is currently on the verge of an imbalance between socioeconomic development and environmental resource capacity. In the future, it is will be necessary to increase investments in environmental resources and environmental protection to improve the coordination between development and the environment, to achieve harmonious, high-quality socioeconomic and environment resource development in Qinghai Province.