Empirical study about the carrying capacity evaluation of regional resources and environment based on entropy-weight TOPSIS model

To comprehensively understand the carrying capacity of regional resources and environment and accurately identify its trend, 18 indicators were chosen to build the carrying capacity evaluation system from three carrying subsystems, i.e. economy subsystem, resource subsystem and environment subsystem. Based on entropy-weight TOPSIS model, the carrying capacity of Anhui Province from 2000 to 2013 and the inner carrying capacity of three subsystems were evaluated and the key factors of affecting the carrying capacity were selected and identified through gray correlation coefficient. The results show that: (1) the carrying capacity of resource and environment had declined slightly in 2000-2005 years, but since the 11th Five-Year Plan, the whole carrying was steady promoting; (2) the developing capacity of economy subsystem had obviously improved every year, and nearly reached the optimal capacity of 0.99524 in 2013, while the carrying capacity of resource subsystem showed slight and V-shape fluctuation; the carrying capacity of environment subsystem had been rising except 2009, and reached the maximum of 0.98106 in 2013. The developing capacity trends of economy subsystem and the carrying capacity of environment subsystem were basically the same as the carrying capacity trend of whole resources and environment; (3) by making use of gray correlation coefficient, four indexes, e.g. the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid wastes, were proven to be the key factors in affecting resources and environment carrying capacity in Anhui Province.