Duolun County, located in the Xilingol League, is a typical agro-pastoral ecotone in the north and is also the source of the Luan River system. Whether the development and utilization of regional water resources are reasonable and whether the water ecological environment is sustainable are the key issues that local government departments cannot ignore. By investigating the current situation of water resource development and utilization in Duolun County, this study revealed that the per capita water usage and the water usage per ten thousand yuan of GDP in Duolun County in 2020 were lower than the average level in the Inner Mongolia, and the level of water usage was relatively better. By using the nine-scale method and the analytic hierarchy process to construct an evaluation model of the water ecological environment of Duolun County, the comprehensive score of Duolun County was 8.35 (total score is 10), indicating that the water ecological environment in the study area was currently in a good state. The evaluation model has reference value for the future management of the water ecological environment in Duolun County and for continuous related research.

Land use/cover change (LUCC) is a measure that offers insights into the interaction between human activities and the natural environment, which significantly impacts the ecological environment of a region. Based on data from the period from 2000 to 2020 regarding land use, topography, climate, the economy, and population, this study investigates the spatial and temporal evolution of land use in the Liuchong River Basin, examining the interaction between human activities and the natural environment using the land use dynamics model, the transfer matrix model, the kernel density model, and the geodetic detector. The results indicate that: (1) The type of land cover in Liuchong River Basin primarily comprises cropland, forest, and shrubs, with the land use change mode mainly consisting of an increase in the impervious area and a decrease in surface area covered by shrubs. (2) The dynamic degree for single land use of barren, impervious, and waters indicates a significant increase, with areas covered by shrubs decreasing by 9.37%. In addition, the change in the degree of single land use for other types of cover is more stable, with the degree of comprehensive land use being 7.95%. The areas experiencing the greatest land use change in the watershed went through conditions that can be described as “sporadic distribution” to “dispersed” to “relatively concentrated”. (3) Air temperature, rainfall, and elevation are important factors driving land use changes in the Liuchong River Basin. The impact of nighttime lighting, gross domestic product (GDP), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on land use change have gradually increased over time. The results of the interaction detection indicated that the explanatory power of the interaction between the driving factors in each period for land-use changes was always greater than that of any single factor. The results of this study offer evidence-based support and scientific references for spatial planning, soil and water conservation, and ecological restoration in a watershed.

The spatial spillover effect of energy insecurity on total factor productivity in the iron and steel industry, as well as the potential moderating role of industrial agglomeration, remains poorly understood. This study investigated the spatial spillover effect of energy security on total factor productivity and the moderating role of industrial agglomeration in the relationship between energy security and total factor productivity in the iron and steel industry. Panel data from 24 provinces in China spanning the years 2010 to 2019 were used for this analysis. The research findings demonstrate a positive spatial spillover effect of energy security on total factor productivity, which displays a distinct pattern of attenuated spatial spillover effects. Moreover, evidence from quasi-natural experiments shows a negative spillover effect on total factor productivity when using the energy security-policy interaction term, highlighting the significant impact of policy factors on total factor productivity. Threshold effect tests reveal a “strong-weak” V-shaped trend in the impact of energy security with the increase of industrial agglomeration levels. In addition, this study found an inverted U-shaped relationship between energy security and the impact of industrial agglomeration, suggesting that enhancing energy security contributes to the growth of total factor productivity in the iron and steel industry. The ultimate objective of this research is to provide valuable policy recommendations to the government for ensuring energy security and promoting the sustainable growth of total factor productivity in the iron and steel industry.

This study examines the coupling and coordinated development of the competitiveness system of the convention and exhibition industry in China’s prefecture-level cities. Using an index system, the entropy weight method, and the coupling coordination degree model this study quantitatively measures and investigates the characteristics and influencing mechanisms of change in the convention and exhibition industry. The analysis shows that between 2013 and 2019, in China’s urban convention and exhibition industry, the competitiveness subsystem and its comprehensive development level have improved significantly. Additionally, among the factors influencing the convention and exhibition industry in China, the economic strength of cities exerts the greatest impact, followed by the capacity of the post and telecommunications sectors, while vitality has the least impact. The level of informatization plays a crucial role in the coupling, coordinated development, and change of the competitiveness system of an urban exhibition industry. Improvement in the competitiveness of the urban exhibition industry is closely related to a variety of resource elements. Each city should highlight its own endowment advantages and status, clarify its scale and positioning, and form a regional development pattern of differentiated development and dislocation competition with surrounding cities through the development strategy of consolidating advantages and addressing shortcomings.