Analysis On The Effects And Its Influencing Factors Of Environmental Cooperative Governance Of Urban Agglomerations In China

Because of the transboundary characteristic of environmental pollution,China proposed in the national New Urbanization Plan(2014)that the solution for environmental pollution problems should be upscaled to the regional level and at the geographical space of urban agglomerations.It is necessary and practical to sort out the current situation and characteristics of urban agglomeration environmental cooperation in China,scientifically evaluate the effect of urban agglomeration environmental cooperation,and investigate the influencing factors of the effect of cooperation.In this paper,13 major urban agglomerations in China are taken as examples.By using the methods of literature analysis,multicase comparative analysis and fuzzyset qualitative comparative analysis,the current situation and characteristics of environmental cooperative governance of urban agglomerations in China are described and compared from the aspects of enthusiasm,constraint,complexity,autonomy and heterogeneity of cooperative subjects.This study adopts the intensity of inter-organizational activities as a measurement for effectiveness of environmental cooperation,and proposes five affecting factors based on the theory of collaborative governance,It adopts the method of fuzzyset qualitative comparative analysis to explore the configurations of factors affecting the effectiveness of environmental cooperation in 13 Chinese urban agglomerations.The study finds that horizontal coordination and leadership are necessary factors leading to strong cooperation,and vertical intervention,disparity of governance capacity and disparity of environmental status are sufficient factors.The results reveal two configurations of factors for strong cooperation: one is the combination of horizontal coordination,leadership and equal environmental governance capability;and the other is the combination of horizontal coordination,leadership,and the absence of vertical intervention and presence of large disparity of environmental status.The study further reveals four configurations of factors leading to weak environmental cooperation.On this basis,it puts forward that for the urban agglomerations lacking horizontal coordination and leadership,the state should use vertical interventions in the early stage of cooperation.Once the urban agglomerations have mastered the cooperation strategy,the vertical interventions should be withdrawn and other policy recommendations.