Constructing an assessment indices system to analyze integrated regional carrying capacity in the coastal zones – A case in Nantong

As an indispensable homestead, the ecosystem witnesses a large number of human activities. Undoubtedly, socio-economic development consumes a variety of natural resources and causes stress to the ecosystem. Only when the ecosystem is in under-loading, socio-economic development can be sustainable. In this paper, the integrated carrying capacity (ICC), which is a comprehensive capacity measure, is calculated in given space and time frames to support the evaluation of long-term sustainable regional economic development. Combined with the conceptual mode of “driving force – pressure – state – response – control” (D–PSR–C), the ICC reveals the loading capacity between human activity and the ecosystem. In coastal zones, the ICC is more effective because of the rapid socio-economic development. Using a case study in the Nantong coastal area in China, we constructed an index system to assess the regional ICC and its variability in 2005, 2008 and 2009. The results indicate that (1) almost all county ICC states of land, shoals, marine and regional are under-loading with several exceptions that are full-loading. The highest value is the regional ICC of Qidong in 2009 (2.679 and under-loading). The lowest value is the Haian marine ICC in 2008 (0.171 and over-loading). (2) From 2005 to 2009, the ICC values of beach, marine and regional were increasing, but it was decreasing in land. (3) Based on the analysis of the carrying capacity of the secondary indicator contribution rate, the population pressure and the external contribution ability are nearly below 10%, and environmental pollution is also a critical indicator. In this paper, the assessment indices system contains almost all of the impacts of human activity, and the calculation method and the judgment standard can improve the traditional methodʹs faultiness. The conclusions are a fundamental basis for the long-term balance between economic development and ecosystem health.