Does the supply of eco-assets match the demand for eco-products spatially? A case study of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration

Abstract

The value realization of eco-assets through eco-product consumption requires both a sufficient ecological supply base and enabling demand-side conditions. Yet assessments in economically developed regions often focus on supply alone. A supply-only assessment can hide the spatial mismatches between where eco-assets are concentrated and where eco-products are most likely to be consumed. We used the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA; 41 cities) as a case and developed an integrated indicator framework. It quantifies (i) the supply of eco-assets, combining natural-resource eco-assets (land-use area and net primary productivity, with wetlands and water bodies additionally accounting for water quantity and water quality) and ecosystem-service eco-assets (provisioning, regulating/supporting and cultural services), and (ii) demand-side potential for eco-product consumption, used as a proxy for the value realization potential of eco-assets (economic development, social development, facility support capacity, transport accessibility, and resource attractiveness). We then applied global/local spatial autocorrelation and hot/cold spot analyses to diagnose clustering patterns and classified cities into four supply–demand types. Eco-assets supply is comparatively higher in peripheral cities with greater ecological space, whereas demand-side potential is concentrated in the metropolitan core. Consequently, 12 high-supply–low-demand and 6 low-supply–high-demand cities coexist, indicating pronounced spatial mismatches that affect nearly half of the region. These results suggest differentiated strategies: maintaining and upgrading ecological supply while improving connectivity and services in high-supply areas, and enhancing ecological restoration and cross-regional eco-product supply chains in high-demand areas. The proposed framework provides a basis for locating priority areas and designing place-based policies to better balance eco-assets supply and demand.