Coupling Analysis Between Ecological Environment Change and Urbanization Process in the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration, China

In 2014, the Chinese government upgraded the construction of the “Yangtze River Economic Belt” to a national strategy, and the Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (UAMRYR) has experienced a rapid urbanization process. The study adopts remote sensing ecological index, compound night light index, extraction of built-up areas, urbanization and ecological environment quality (EEQ) coordinated development coupling model to assess the EEQ, urbanization and the relationship between them in the UAMRYR during the period spanning 2013 to 2021. The results show that: 1) between 2013 and 2021, the EEQ of UAMRYR exhibited a notable decline in 2015, followed by a gradual but consistent improvement; 2) the urbanization level within UAMRYR demonstrated a steady increase throughout the same period from 2013 to 2021; 3) over the course of 2013 to 2021, a majority of the cities had transitioned from a state of low coordination to medium coordination. In addition, the urban dynamic development stage of the three provincial capitals progressed from a state of low coordination to coordinated development, with the entire coordinated development system on the verge of entering an advanced stage of extreme development. The experimental results were used to classify the cities in the UAMRYR into five types, and the reasons restricting the development of the urban agglomerations were analyzed. It also briefly touches upon the influence of extreme climate events on the EEQ. These findings hold significant importance in the endeavor to promote urbanization while simultaneously optimizing the EEQ, thus contributing to the construction of resilient cities.