Integration of land ecological consolidation and ecosystem product value realization: A case from the Yangtze riverside industrial park in Changzhou, China

Traditional industries and industrialization have led to widespread environmental pollution and ecosystem degradation in major river basins globally. Strategies centered on ecological restoration and ecological economy are emerging as essential tools for effective environmental governance. This study aims to investigate how a multifaceted framework for land ecological consolidation, with various developmental goals, can effectively support ecological restoration and sustainability. Through quantitative analysis and in-depth interviews, we investigated the case of Yangtze riverside chemical industrial park in Changzhou. This park pursues ecological and economic sustainability through chemical industry transformation, ecological restoration and protection, ecological management, and ecological industry development. The results show that this practice established a multi-objective action framework rooted in urban renewal, land consolidation, ecological restoration, industrial transformation, and rural revitalization. Through multiplanning integration, integrated implementation and full-cycle profit distribution, the aim of ecological protection has been initially achieved, offering a crucial guarantee for sustainable development. A total of 96.47 ha ecological space expanded, which can generate ecological product worth CNY 7.283 billion, alongside a net economic benefit of CNY 978 million over three decades. The top-down ecological responsibilities, coupled with local developmental demands, have stimulated collaborations within a bottom-up endogenous network comprising government, enterprises, and residents.